It's Finally Tummy Tuck Time with Dr. Fiala and I Can't Wait!!

So after 10 years of waiting, multiple pregnancies and non-elective surgeries leaving my tummy flabby and scarred, I am finally scheduled to have my tummy tuck procedure with Dr. Fiala. My goal was to have it performed in November and healed before the holidays, but after going to all of my other doctors for clearance they found one more thing that needs to be taken care of (surgically).

I currently have a Mirena (IUD) and there is a chance it could be "embedded" so my OBGyn would like to surgically remove it. However, since I will no longer be a candidate for an IUD and the benefits it provides (lighter periods and birth control), he would like to perform and ablation and tubal ligation when he removes the IUD. This is now scheduled for October 28th.

It's important that there is no possibility of becoming pregnant after a tummy tuck. I work with many plastic surgeons around the country and there is a division in philosophy about getting pregnant after a tummy tuck. Some surgeons state while it's "okay", it's likely to compromise your surgical results. Other surgeons (like Dr. Fiala) actually express concern that the tummy tuck could compromise a pregnancy and the growth of an unborn child. Therefore, I am taking every step necessary to ensure no pregnancy occurs after the tummy tuck.

I know this is a lot to share here in this forum, but I have been encouraged to do so, as I've been told my posts could potentially be helpful to others who are seeking to have this procedure or who have had it already.

Today I had my official consultation with Dr. Fiala. It was a very nice experience from start to finish. When I made my appointment the staff prepared me to expect the consult to take over and an hour, which it did as they all take their time with you. Upon arrival there was a very comfortable waiting room and friendly staff to greet me. He obviously schedules his appointments very well as the waiting room wasn't packed full of people and the vibe was very calm and relaxed.

Once I completed the paperwork, I was taken back to his office (fully clothed) where he started by asking me what surgery I was interested in and what my goals were. He was very laid back and listened to everything I said. He also answered all of my questions and addressed all of my concerns. He then discussed the surgery, the recovery and possible risks. After a good amount of time and when I was ready, he then took me into the adjacent exam room where his nurse greeted me and instructed me to change and outlined, in detail, what I could expect with the exam.

Once I changed, there was another attached photo room where she took my photos and then we went back into the exam room where Dr. Fiala met us. He, again, was very calm and thorough with his exam fully explaining everything that he found, what would be best for me and how he would achieve my goals. The entire time the nurse was there keeping the mood light and fun, even though I had to relax my tummy and let it "all hang out" for him to examine.

After the exam and once I was dressed the nurse showed me a ton of before and after photos (which were amazing) and then took me on a tour of the practice and surgery suite. She walked me through my surgery day from the pre-op area, to showing me the operating room, where I would recover and stay the night with a private nurse. She also pointed out a lot of important safety features like the code cart, the fact that they only use Board Certified anesthesiologists, very experienced and qualified OR and recovery room nurses and then I ended up in Denise's office.

Denise is Dr. Fiala's office manager and patient coordinator. She had a full personalized pack of information printed up for me including detailed pre op, post op and longer term post op instructions. She had the quote ready and was able to review Dr. Fiala's schedule for my pre-operative appointment and surgery. I was given several options to enhance my healing process and surgical results, such as special pre and post surgery vitamins, treatments to help with the swelling and scars. I felt that Dr. Fiala and his office have a lot of experience with this and treat patients in a holistic manner. The price was fair given all the extras they provide and they offer several payment options including financing, if desired.

I do have a little bit of homework though. I will need to get a comprehensive blood workup and EKG. In addition, given my long term history of miscarriages, I need to get my records from my high risk OBGyn to find out if a clotting issue was suspected as a cause of these. With my son, I had to have Lovenox shots in my tummy everyday until he was born to prevent my "umbilical cord from clotting", so Dr. Fiala want's to know the exact reason for this and if he will need to treat me with blood thinners during and after surgery to reduce the risk of blood clots forming in my legs after surgery. I will keep everyone posted on what we find out.

I am just now finally feeling up to sharing an update. I had my surgery to remove my IUD, have my remaining tube "tied" and have an ablation on Friday. I woke up in recovery with a little more pain than expected to learn that they attempted the ablation twice without success. The IUD was removed and the tubal performed, but from what I understand the ablation couldn't work as there were too many fibroids in my uterus.

This was supposed to be a relatively quick procedure, done laparoscopically with minimal downtime. Over the weekend, my bruising continued to grow and the pain increased. It was very uncomfortable to sit down as I felt a lot of pressure in my pelvic area, so I had to stand or lay down. Of course this weekend was just before Halloween so my son had a lot of plans and the neighbors had parties, that we couldn't make given my condition.

Then, yesterday, I called my OBGY's office to find out about the increased pain, bruising and bleeding and ask what the plan of action was since the ablation didn't work and they stated they were going to call me back. Of course, no one did. I called again this morning, now feeling like I was bothering them to find out that the doctor was expecting to take me back to surgery at some point to do a hysterectomy and that the surgical scheduler would be calling me. My follow up appointment is not unit next week on the 9th, and I certainly feel I should be seen before then. When I told them again about the bruising, bleeding and pain, I was told someone would call me back since the doctor was not at that location today. I waited until the afternoon and called them back. The nurse was in the process of telling me to go to the ER when I guess my doctor overheard her and I was then placed on hold. When she came back on she asked me about being light headed, which I'm not and scheduled me to see my doctor first thing in the morning. I will post an update once I know what the plan is.

I did also speak to Dr. Fiala's nurse, who was incredibly helpful and gave me more information about the entire procedure and what I should have expected postoperatively. She was surprised that my post-op appointment with them was so far after surgery and that I had little instructions about what to expect. She did state that a "subcutaneous hematoma could present additional scar tissue that could require my tummy tuck be pushed back a little further" and I explained I would do whatever is necessary to ensure optimal results.