I had lost over 100 lbs post children and wanted to remove excess skin in my midsection.Updated on 24 Jun 2012:Adding pre and post op pics up to the 6 week mark. I am 11 weeks now. Very happy with my progress.
I previously had an LBL with my surgeon and was ecstatic with the results. It did everything I wanted it to...removed my muffin top and ditched my "pooch" tummy. A few weeks ago I went back to him for a thigh lift. All things considered, and relative to massive weight loss patients, my thighs aren't that bad. But I did have wrinkly, droopy skin on the inside of my thighs, slightly dimpled skin, and perhaps most bothersome, lumpy cellulite on the back of my thighs that showed when I wore tight capris. Dring the consultation he said he could "lightly lipo" the back of my thighs but that it may not do much because the anger of overdoing lipo in the back is it disrupts the crease where the buttocks meets the thigh. Check. Got it. I want no part of that so I understood in my mind at any improvement whatsoever to the back of my thighs would be a bonus. As for the inner thighs, he pulled on the skin and said yes, he could remove the excess skin. The day of surgery he marked me up and away I went. He did a great job ensuring symmetry with the scars side to side (big pet peeve of mine); however, the reality is, my thighs were not pulled as tight as I would like. When I mentioned this to him during a post-op visit he said the skin on the inside of the thighs is thinner and trickier to work with, and that all types of problems ensure when the skin is pulled too tight. So...I am left with what I consider to be a $13k investment with a less than desirable result. I still have dimpled skin. There is laxity on the inside of my legs. And I cannot exercise (which is my outlet) to deal with all of these emotions. My emotions range from anger to disappointment to a deep depression, wondering when the hell I can have a revision surgery to fix it. After having such a successful LBL with this same surgeon and then encountering this, I am at a loss. If he didn't think he could achieve the result I wanted, why wasn't this discussed more in depth during the consult? Do I even try to go back to him for a revision or do I seek out another surgeon? And when? Updated on 26 Aug 2013: These pics make me sick... So disappointed and such a waste of money.
There is no set height and weight a patient needs to attain before qualifying for tummy tuck surgery. While it's best for patient to be as close to their ideal body weight prior to surgery, this is not always practical. I think it's more important to me at a stable weight when pursuing cosmetic body recontouring than at a specific weight. The way the procedure is performed may vary a little bit depending upon where that weight stability occurs. Patients that have more residual fat may need to be approached with an alternate technique to address the residual fat and extra skin. A lipo-abdominoplasty is the type of procedure that may be appropriate for patient that is a little heavier than ideal. It's best to discuss these issues with your surgeon and determine how best to proceed.
Two things are important to consider when selecting an implant. Certainly, implant volume is very important in determining cup size. The profile of the implant, however, is also important as this can affect the overall appearance of the breast and how natural they may look. The general concept is to match the base width of the implant to the breast width. An implant that is too wide will give too much fullness out under the armpit while an implant that is too narrow will be equally out of proportion. Once the appropriate implant base width is determined, then volume can be considered based on your desired cup size. I perform three-dimensional computer imaging with the Vectra system in order to simulate these changes. This system allows for visualization in three dimensions of the appearance with your breasts with a variety of implant sizes. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of the preparation and planning of breast augmentation surgery. You might consider seeking a surgeon who has the system available in order to help visualize the changes that might occur with your surgery. While not critical, it certainly is a valuable tool for surgical planning. Mitchel Krieger, M.D.
The changes that occur to one's body following massive weight loss are highly variable depending upon your own body type and fat distribution. These differences need to be accounted for in the planning of the lower body lift procedure. Patients will often have horizontal as well as vertical skin excess which may require the fleur-de-lis approach. This needs to be determined on a case-by-case basis. There is no one approach that fits all patients and this is where the experience of your surgeon is of vital importance. I think it's important to understand that the approach to post bariatric patients is very different from non-weight loss patients. These type of situations are best approached by a surgeon experienced with post weight loss plastic surgery. Certainly, you have some excellent surgeons in the New England area that can guide you through this process. Participation in forums such as this or others such as those on obesity help can provide valuable guidance in finding the best surgeon for your situation. Best of luck to you. Mitchel Krieger, M.D.
Tumescent liposuction has been the gold standard for liposuction for the past 20 years. This procedure involves injecting large volumes of a dilute anesthetic solution to facilitate fat removal with a minimum degree of discomfort and blood loss. Nearly all current techniques to include laser liposuction, ultrasonic liposuction, power assisted liposuction, Vaser liposuction use tumescent technique as a component of the procedure. These added devices facilitate more rapid removal of fat as well as tightening of the skin in the areas treated. In my mind, "normal" liposuction is tumescent liposuction. The days when liposuction was performed with large amounts of blood loss and danger are long gone.
Lower body lift procedures provide some of the most dramatic changes for massive weight loss patients. It is difficult to make suggestions without seeing addition photo views but my first impressions of your situation are as follows. You don't appear to have the degree of skin laxity typically seen in most lower body lift patients. Depending upon what you examination demonstrates, I suspect that an abdominoplasty could be combined with liposuction of the thighs. Fat obtained from the thighs could be used to augment the buttocks providing better fullness and some degree of lift while avoiding significant visible incisions. I would suggest that you consult a plastic surgeon experienced with these procedures. Try not to go to your consultation with a preconceived plan of what is best. Remain open to suggestions and consider all recommendations. Decide what plan is best for your individual situation. Remember that plastic surgery is as much art as science.
