Mother of Three, Lost 80 Lbs, Wanting to Look As Good As I Feel. - Allentown, PA

I have always been on the thicker side and after having my third child, I realized that I could be at a serious health risk if I didn't take control of my health. So, I did what any woman would do and I gained control of my eating habits and began exercising regularly. I came to lose 80 lbs over a two year period which I am very proud of. However, after all of my efforts, I could not achieve the look I desired because of my loose skin.

After a year or so of contemplation I decided a tummy tuck was the next step in my journey, so I consulted with 4 friends who have also had a tummy tuck and three out of the four were completed by Dr. Guarino. I took a leap of faith and made an appointment for a tummy tuck consultation with Dr. G.

At the consultation my doctor suggested I do a circumferential tummy tuck due to the excess of skin on my lower back and rear hips. Being unsure of what to do, I took a few days to contemplate doing just the front or all the way around. The more I thought of it, the more I trusted his opinion. I made the call and was scheduled for surgery just two weeks later. In the meantime, to make sure I was comfortable, Dr. G had me come in to the office for another consultation just to address any other concerns, which I didn't really have any but it made me feel very comfortable to know he has the time for me.

The day of surgery I was very nervous but excited because I have waited for the day to come for what seemed like an eternity. Dr. Guarino made me feel so comfortable and reassured me that everything would look great. I was going under anesthesia for the circumferential skin removal and muscle repair. I asked for lipo but Dr. G reassured me that there wasn't any fat to suck out.

Waking up from anesthesia is never easy for me (as I found out in three prior unrelated surgeries) but the staff at the hospital gave me enough meds to help reduce my nausea. I spent one night in the hospital, which I was very glad for because moving around was more challenging than I had expected.

Funny thing, while I was there overnight I had an unexpected visitor, my OBGN who delivered all three of my babies! He was at the hospital doing a delivery and seen my name on the patient list (I was staying on the OB floor because they had more beds available) and he stopped in to say hello. To my surprise, he mentioned that all of his patients who go for MR or TT postpartum he refers to Dr. G. So I knew I had made the right choice!

Recovery was very challenging the first few days. It was difficult to get up, or down so I spent a lot of time just sleeping. Thank goodness for pain meds to keep me comfortable. I didn't have much of an appetite for the first week or so. I drank a protein shake each day and snacked on crackers and toast just to get some nutrients. My drainage tubes were removed one week after surgery and my external stitches came out after 10 days. Each day was better than one before and healing was a very gradual process. Eventually, my old clothing became too big, including my CG, so I had to purchase a smaller garment and smaller pants.

Pre-op measurements:
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 180
Chest: 37"
Waist: 30"
Hips: 39"
Thigh: 24"

Post-op measurements:
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 165
Chest: 34"
Waist: 27"
Hips: 35"
Thigh: 22"

*I understand weight loss is not typical with this procedure so make sure you're at your ideal weight before beginning your procedure.

After 6 weeks I had my post-op check up and things looked great so I was released back to normal activities with the exception of ab work which I can begin in just a week. All in, it was definitely worth it!

Sorry for not posting pics in my initial post.

Here are some recent pics. Almost 6 months PO and my scar is fading nicely