I could see right away that the end results were going to be excellent. I experienced very little pain and I would say that that the worst part was just feeling tired for the first 4 weeks. Swelling and bruising was minimal. I had a nurse for the first 24 hours post-op and if you're alone I would highly recommend that.
Since my tummy tuck, I am more confident in my overall appearance and presentation. As a business woman, I am now able to dress more appropriately without being self conscious. I feel and look healthier. My outlook on my future is brighter. My husband and family members who know about the procedure are so happy to see me so happy.
After having my 2nd child (c-section), my body never bounced back - regardless of how much I worked out or how carefully I ate. Once I was sure I was not having a third child, I decided to reclaim the body I once had. After researching and consulting with my doctor of choice, I opted for the tummy tuck and lipo suction combination.
I asked for high profile 400 cc and he refused to do what i wanted and went with 300cc and moderate profile. My breasts look droopy and not even close to the pictures I showed. I look wide now not lifted and perky. My Lipo is not acceptable at all and it looks uneven. His charges are stupid period. I wish I did not go to him.
It does appear from your photos that you may be a good candidate for lipo of the thighs. This, of course, depends on your general health, your expectations for the outcome of surgery and other factors that would be evaluated during a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. You have a low BMI and I commend you on your weight loss. That said, lipo has always been best for contouring areas that are resistant to exercise and diet -- areas that I like to call, F.R.E.D. (Fat Resistant to Exercise and Diet). You want to get FRED out of your life! I think that circumferential contouring of your thighs by lipo would be an excellent choice. Remember that it is not about how much, where or what fat is removed; it is about what is left behind -- you. And you want that to look great after the procedure. Body contouring is not just about suctioning fat, but about creating a new and more attractive you -- in your case, with thighs that are more proportionate to your upper body.
Your question is a good one. Each surgical procedure needs to be customized to the very specific and unique problems that each prospective patient presents. That being said, a thorough evaluation by a board-certified plastic surgeon is the only way to determine what steps will be included in your TT. Certainly, you can and should discuss your desires at the time of the consultation, but the plastic surgeon will evaluate your abdominal wall muscle tone, laxity and midline separation of the "sit-up" muscles during that consultation. Whether or not you need abdominal or circumferential lipo of the trunk, muscle tightening, etc., should all be discussed during that visit. The plastic surgeon will describe to you what steps he or she feels are indicated during your procedure. The two of you should absolutely be on the same wavelength in terms of what's necessary and what will solve the problems you have.
There is no reason not to consider such a procedure if you are healthy, undergo medical clearance prior to surgery and you have surgery by a well-trained, competent board-certified plastic surgeon who does these procedures all the time. I have performed TTs on women into their 70s as long as they are in good health, have realistic expectations and have the appropriate indications for the procedure. From the photo you submitted, you have skin laxity that can only be treated by a TT. Lipo will not address this problem and there is no non-invasive method that will either. Any excess fat you may have and any abdominal wall muscle laxity can also be treated during the procedure.
Very frequent question I hear during a body contouring consultation. It obviously depends upon the details of your history and physical examination. From your brief description, it may be that you would do better with some kind of a TT -- to tighten the lax abdominal wall muscles and treat any skin / fat excess that may exist. You should set up a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can properly and thoroughly evaluate you and discuss the range of options that exist.
Hopefully, your TT and your recovery will go smoothly, but I would not put that kind of pressure on myself to commit to something like that only a week and a half following surgery. You should feel pretty good by then and will be up and around, but I would counsel you to skip the singing this year!
