Acworthmom's Tummy Tuck Experience 2/10/11 - Marietta, GA

I am a 50 year of mother of two adult daughters. After gaining 45 lbs. with each of my pregnancies I always had a little pooch and the belly button looked like a frown. The past 3-4 years it seemed to get bigger and more wrinkled and I decided it had to go. I scheduled a consultation 2 years ago and chickened out, so this time I was determined not to deal with this one more day. I believe in growing old gracefully, but as a beach lover I was starting to dread putting on a swimsuit and decided that I really only had one choice. I was absolutely terrified, but now that I am day 11 post op - I know it was the best decision ever!

Wow....I can't believe it has been 5 months since my TT. It has been so full of ups and downs, but I think I'm finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I had so many weeks of extreme thightness, trouble breathing, and swelling that I was beginning to think I had made a terrible mistake. At 5 months I'm still not really flat, partly because of my sway back posture, and partly because my abdominal wall is weak from the muscle being separated for so many years. I guess now I will just have to practice holding in my abs and doing some strengthening exercises to try to get it flatter. I guess I thought because I was very small to begin with, that I would end up looking amazingly flat and tones after the surgery, but I guess my expectations were just too high. All in all I am still glad I did it, but I am looking forward to seeing how everything looks at the 1 year mark. I doubt right now my PS would put me at the front of his before and after portfolio. I am posting some new pics now so you can see what I mean.

Okay....so I am adding some pics right now of my belly bulge to show the indention at the vertical scar. See there...... Hopefully, it is a scar tissue issue that will resolve over time and massage. This pic was taken mid day. The scars look purple in the pic, but they really look o.k. in real life. Now if the bulge will just go away!!!

So here I am at almost 8 month post-op and I am officially changing my worth it rating to NOT WORTH IT! My pre-op appt. is on Friday, and I will have revision surgery on Oct. 13th. Between all the healing issues along with the length of recovery time, followed by who knows what the future holds on my recovery from the revision....it just isn't worth it. I definitely have buyer's remorse!! I feel that if you have a major weight loss issue, then the tummy tuck would surely be a just reward to remove the loose skin after a massive weight loss, but if you are a thin person with loose skin - it just don't seem to be a great option. I know everyone talks about being able to wear a bikini on the beach, but I can spot a tummy tuck from a mile away, and don't believe anyone regardless of the quality of their tummy tuck, can wear a bikini without it being detected. I am sorry to sound so negative, but for those thinking of this surgery, I think it's important to understand that if you're unhappy with the results, it can be devastating, and you can't undo it! If you look at my pics, it appears to be a good tummy tuck, but it started to change at about 3-4 months. Now I am having difficulties with scar tissue, and the muscle loosening up, causing my abdomen to be distended. I measure 2 inches larger in my waist than I did 2 months ago, and that just seems crazy. Anyway, buyer beware, and after my revision I will come back and hopefully change my rating and my opinion of the whole process, but for now, I would would advise anyone considering this surgery to be happy with what you have and not risk your health in hopes of a flatter tummy...just wear a girdle and be done with it.

Just dropping in to give a quick update and post some pictures of my Tummy tuck revision surgery. My original surgery was Feb. 20, 2011 and 3 days ago I had a revision to remove the vertical scar that had attached to the underlying muscle, and to improve the overall contour to my abdomen. It looked fine in the beginning, but over a few months it began to bulge and had a shelf like deformity above the horizontal scar. It was a combination of fatty tissue, scar tissue, and whatever. My PS did a revision where he pretty much opened up the previous horizontal scar, removed the scar tissue, and additional skin and did Lipo to the abs and flanks. He had to harvest fat to put beneath the old vertical scar to keep it from attaching again. The first 3 days were quite painful from the lipo. It wasn't as bad as the first surgery, because there was no muscle work, and there was not drain, but there is still a significant recovery period. I am going to leave my approval rating at not worth it, even if I end up looking amazing in the end, because it has been a year of pain and uncertainty, and I wish every day I could just go back in time and not have this surgery. It is finally almost over, and I for one will NEVER have another elective surgery. If anyone is facing a revision, I will be glad to help you out in any way I can. Even with the best surgeons, there are still no guarantees as to how each of us will heal or how much improvement we will see in our own individual bodies. I will post some new pics as soon as I have healed, so everyone can see the final results of my revision. Best of luck to everyone.

Hi everyone! I just downloaded new pics 6 weeks after my TT revision surgery. Except for a little swelling above the belly button I think everything is definitely looking much better than before the revision. I know I was a bit negative in m last post, but I was going through so much anxiety about the revison and what my final outcome would be. My revision removed the old vertical scar from my previous belly button, and my ps did lipo in the abs and flanks to get rid of the rounded bulge look. I'm almost to a point where I can say it's worth it, but anyone haveing a tummy tuck should be aware that a fair number of women do have to have some type of revision to get optimal result, and you have to make sure you can accomodate that as far as time off work and additional expenses. My surgeon waived his fee, but I did have to pay an additional $1600 for the operating room and anesthesiologist. I don't believe the doctors so much make mistakes as much as that each of our bodies just respond differently. The main thing is to know your ps's revision policy, so if needed there won't be an issue. It has been 10 months since my original tt and 6 weeks since my revision. It has been a difficult year, but I am glad to have it behind me and be on the road to getting the results I pictured in the first place. I will post more pics in a few months after the swelling has completely gone down. Best of luck to anyone with an upcoming surgery, and thanks to all the girls that have helped me through this.