POSTED UNDER Tummy Tuck Reviews
36 year old mother of 2 huge babies. Ventral hernia with mesh, diastasis recti, full tummy tuck, new navel - Los Gatos, CA
UPDATED FROM misscorinna
4 months post
17 weeks post op
WORTH IT$8,500
I started physical therapy last week. I used to surf before the surgery and I'm eager to get back in the water. But, I'm definitely totally deconditioned. So, PT should help me safely rebuild strength without tearing ask this work that was done. (Diastasis recti repair and mesh insertion for ventral hernia)
My therapist has treated the scar tissue with laser and massaged it. He has me doing bridges, belly breathing, and leg lifts. He's also doing"rock tape". In the picture, he taped one side but not the other. The untaped side got much more swollen than the taped side. (I still can't fit my pre surgery pants.)
My therapist has treated the scar tissue with laser and massaged it. He has me doing bridges, belly breathing, and leg lifts. He's also doing"rock tape". In the picture, he taped one side but not the other. The untaped side got much more swollen than the taped side. (I still can't fit my pre surgery pants.)
UPDATED FROM misscorinna
2 months post
Part IV Continued...
Oopps. I hit "enter" too soon.
Dr. Karin was equally kind and gentle. She helped put my fears at ease. She did agree that I had a large ventral hernia and asked me to get an MRI which revealed the intestine passing through the fascia. It would necessitate the insertion of mesh.
When I returned to Dr. Liu with the findings, he said that the size of the hernia would affect the amount of work he would be able to do on his side, specifically the navel. This part was a bit difficult for me to understand at the time, but I did some research of the physiology of the abdomen and now "get it". I'll try to explain.
In a "normal" TT, a circle is cut around the navel separating the umbilical stump from the skin of the abdomen. The damaged skin is removed, pulled down, and sewn to the bottom incision line. A hole is then cut into the center of that new abdominal surface and the umbilical stump is pulled through the hole and sewn to the new skin. The navel receives blood flood through the umbilical stump, which was never cut. New blood vessels / capillaries will have to grow from the new abdominal surface to the navel as well.
HOWEVER, with a mesh insertion, they cut the blood supply to the umbilical stump. Therefore, the above technique will NOT work because the navel will have NO blood supply. No blood supply = necrosis.
So, one option was to only tighten the skin slightly on the bottom and leave the navel area "as is".
One option was to remove the navel altogether and stay like that.
One option was to remove the navel and wait one year in hopes that blood supply would grow under the umbilical stump. Then, do a second surgery to fix the skin and navel issues.
I chose option B. I knew I didn't want to go through all of this and not have an improve aesthetic outcome. I also knew it took SO MUCH to get me to build the courage to get this surgery, I don't think I could muster it up for a second surgery.
I notified Dr. Liu of my decision to remove the navel completely.
After our appointment, however; Dr. Liu set about to research navel reconstructions for mesh insertions. The 2 weeks before my surgery, he asked "If I can give you a navel, do you want it?". I answered that I did want one, IF it was safe. I did not want to chance necrosis just above the mesh site.
I had my whole church praying for my surgery. Specifically that God would give Dr. Liu absolute wisdom about whether or not he should attempt to create a navel.
At my "marking" appointment, Dr. Liu asked me again. "If I can give you a navel, do you want it?" I told him "Dr. Liu, I trust you as a doctor as a believer. I believe God will tell you the right, safe thing to do. If it will be safe, I say yes."
SO, upon waking up from the surgery, the big question was: Do I have a navel?
YES!
:-)
Dr. Karin was equally kind and gentle. She helped put my fears at ease. She did agree that I had a large ventral hernia and asked me to get an MRI which revealed the intestine passing through the fascia. It would necessitate the insertion of mesh.
When I returned to Dr. Liu with the findings, he said that the size of the hernia would affect the amount of work he would be able to do on his side, specifically the navel. This part was a bit difficult for me to understand at the time, but I did some research of the physiology of the abdomen and now "get it". I'll try to explain.
In a "normal" TT, a circle is cut around the navel separating the umbilical stump from the skin of the abdomen. The damaged skin is removed, pulled down, and sewn to the bottom incision line. A hole is then cut into the center of that new abdominal surface and the umbilical stump is pulled through the hole and sewn to the new skin. The navel receives blood flood through the umbilical stump, which was never cut. New blood vessels / capillaries will have to grow from the new abdominal surface to the navel as well.
HOWEVER, with a mesh insertion, they cut the blood supply to the umbilical stump. Therefore, the above technique will NOT work because the navel will have NO blood supply. No blood supply = necrosis.
So, one option was to only tighten the skin slightly on the bottom and leave the navel area "as is".
One option was to remove the navel altogether and stay like that.
One option was to remove the navel and wait one year in hopes that blood supply would grow under the umbilical stump. Then, do a second surgery to fix the skin and navel issues.
I chose option B. I knew I didn't want to go through all of this and not have an improve aesthetic outcome. I also knew it took SO MUCH to get me to build the courage to get this surgery, I don't think I could muster it up for a second surgery.
I notified Dr. Liu of my decision to remove the navel completely.
After our appointment, however; Dr. Liu set about to research navel reconstructions for mesh insertions. The 2 weeks before my surgery, he asked "If I can give you a navel, do you want it?". I answered that I did want one, IF it was safe. I did not want to chance necrosis just above the mesh site.
I had my whole church praying for my surgery. Specifically that God would give Dr. Liu absolute wisdom about whether or not he should attempt to create a navel.
At my "marking" appointment, Dr. Liu asked me again. "If I can give you a navel, do you want it?" I told him "Dr. Liu, I trust you as a doctor as a believer. I believe God will tell you the right, safe thing to do. If it will be safe, I say yes."
SO, upon waking up from the surgery, the big question was: Do I have a navel?
YES!
:-)
Replies (1)
In regards to ur last update thats amazing that you were able to get a new navel! Once again my ps said the same exact thing and that i may not have a belly button and my belly button is worse than ur pre op one but this gives me hope that i might be able to get one too :)
UPDATED FROM misscorinna
2 months post
Part IV
Something I failed to mention earlier is my belly button side story.
Once my PS had discovered my ventral hernia by touching my abdomen, he sent me to another surgeon with whom he works often for hernia repair and breast reconstruction for cancer patients. Dr. Mardi Karin.
Once my PS had discovered my ventral hernia by touching my abdomen, he sent me to another surgeon with whom he works often for hernia repair and breast reconstruction for cancer patients. Dr. Mardi Karin.
Replies (0)