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POSTED UNDER Tummy Tuck REVIEWS

40 Year Old Mom of 2 - Full TT with Exparel - Atlanta, GA

ORIGINAL POST

I had a full TT with umbilical hernia and...

Jan40
WORTH IT$9,000
I had a full TT with umbilical hernia and abdominal muscle repair on February 4th, so it's been exactly 10 weeks. I am 5'3" and weigh 100 pounds. Basically, my small frame wasn't meant for having children as my first child pretty much did all of the damage. I had severe separation of abdominal muscles, so a full TT was the only option to repair. Prior to the surgery I was an avid crossfitter training 4 days a week (I was a competitive gymnast my entire child/ adolescent life). I was in extremely good fitness going into the surgery.
I mention my fitness level, because the surgery itself and immediate recovery was very easy. One of the reasons I wanted to share my experience was because it was extremely good and I myself had put the surgery off for years due to fear. During the actual surgery, I was given a shot of Exparel directly into the abdominal area. This is a 72-96 hour nerve block. As a result, I had the surgery...stayed in the hospital one night...came home and never had ANY pain. In fact, I never took any of my pain meds because I didn't need them. I did take an occasional muscle relaxer to sleep better. I consulted with a few plastic surgeons and only found one practice actively using Exparel. In the end, that's why I selected my practice....it is a total game changer!
Another notable piece of information is that most of the time when umbilical hernias are present with muscle separation the need for a "fake belly button" (floating belly button) is pretty much unavoidable. It is important to select a PS that can create a natural looking "fake belly button" (ask for pictures...etc). This was a huge deciding factor on selecting a plastic surgeon. I love my new belly button. : ). While I have a few stretch marks that could not be removed in surgery, I am very pleased with my result. I am currently in the process of having a series of 1540 Lux laser treatments to minimize the appearance of the stretch marks. I will create a separate blog for that later.
Now - jumping to the present. It's been 10 weeks today and I still have significant limitations. The immediate recovery was a breeze - I was driving at 2-3 weeks and walking 100% upright around 4 weeks. My scar is healing beautifully (I continue to keep covered with the tan micro tape), but I am still extremely tight. When I move I still feel tugging sensations. I'm assuming this is a result of the severe muscle separation and abdominal plication. I can walk for exercise, but there is no way that I am even ready for light running. Coming from my athletic back ground, this is limiting. Now is where I realize that everyone's recovery is different depending on how much internal damage was repaired (muscle repair and hernias). I also feel compelled to say that my umbilical hernia was a result of my first pregnancy....not crossfit (as some have suggested).
While I have no intentions of returning to crossfit until at least 6 months....I am wondering when I will be able to be active ( according to my standards) again? I would love for anyone to weigh in on this for me. : )

Jan40's provider

Dr. Diane Alexander

Jan40 ratings

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Dr. Diane Alexander and everyone at Artisan Plastic Surgery made this experience completely pleasant. I would do it again tomorrow. I was 100% cared for from start to finish with lymphatic massages, multiple post op follow ups and scar treatment. I would certainly recommend Dr. Alexander to anyone considering abdominoplasty.

Replies (8)

April 17, 2014
Thanks for your post and congrats! I have a severe diastasis, umbilical hernia and epigastric hernia from my twin pregnancy. I'm going for consults and will have my TT and BA in July or August. I'm getting nervous about the recovery also due to my diastasis. I'm already afraid of undoing the stitches and did an ask the doctor question on RS. I'll be following your post as I'm going to want to back in to hard core workouts after my surgery.
April 17, 2014
So today I was able to do some light crossfit work at home (lunges, squats, rowing..etc). It felt ok. Even though I won't be back in the gym for a while, I'm going to work on certain things at home. I have not tried running yet.
April 22, 2014
Jasminepearl- I was able to run about a mile and a half yesterday (11 weeks post op). I took it easy because I didn't want to over do it or test the boundaries. I figure it's a good starting point and can only get better from here. In the past week I have been able to also do some light rowing, air squats, weighted lunges and ring rows. Feels good to be able to do something. : )
April 25, 2014
Thanks for the update and hooray for you! I'm dreading the recovery as my twins are 17 months old. Oh well, it sounds like eventually I'll recover and get back to the workouts that bring me so much joy....and endorphins ; )
May 16, 2014
Hi jan40..how are you feeling now a days? Are you able to be as active as you like?
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February 8, 2015
You look amazing!!! Do you have a before pic?
February 16, 2015
Where did you go for the TT & laser?
UPDATED FROM Jan40
3 months post

10 weeks

Jan40

Replies (1)

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May 21, 2014
Hi! Your results are really great! Take a pic today, lol! Are you back to full activity? When did you first work out?
UPDATED FROM Jan40
3 months post

Progress at 15 weeks

Jan40
The above picture was taken around 10 weeks. This is also after having one laser treatment to smooth stretch marks. I am about 15 weeks out now and doing great! I am running about 3 times a week (3-4 miles). Still a little stiff. My arms won't quite reach 100% overhead yet, so no pull ups/ hanging on a bar or barbell work yet.

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