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

Scared mum ~ If I would have been given the option of having a little higher incision versus the vertical scar I have, I would have chosen a little higher incision. There's more issues with having a vertical scar (puckering in, shows in low pants or swimsuit, etc). I'd sure talk to your PS about the options. Also, I think if they remove some of the fat under the skin that's being pulled down, it can stretch down further...Just ask Acworthmom about that one! I'm having a revision soon as well and hoping to eliminate the vertical!

Scared Mum.....Physically I could have worked a desk job at about 4 weeks because I really didn't have any pain, but since I was having issues with acid reflux and trouble getting deep breaths I don't think I could have been much good to anyone, let alone an employer. I was lucky that I didn't work and could just focus on getting better. My healing seemed amazing at first as I was out shopping the second week, but then I started having problems. I now know that the cause was the fatty tissue underneath the skin that had been pulled down, and it was pressing on my diaphram. After my revision, I have no trouble breathing, and I can eat without getting acid reflux. One big problem I had was intense muslce spasms in my abs, which I still have 10 months later, only much less intense now. It was strange....I would have them the second I would wake up in the morning. My tummy tuck looked great the first few weeks and then it just kind of morphed. The vertical scar does seem to present a problem in a lot of women, but some have it and heal perfect. You know....the whole scar thing has bothered me more than i thought it would. When I look in the mirror I am glad to be rid of the wrinkled belly, but I am not so sure the scar from hip to hip is any better. I'm sure you would do fine with the tummy tuck, but you just have to trust your gut on that one, and be 100% sure that you want it. The thing is....while the actual success rate and satisfaction rate is high, I have talked to a lot of ladies on here that have had to have some type of scar revision within the first year. Just be very clear with your ps about his revision policy, because while you probably won't need it, you sure don't want any surprises. I hope I have helped without terrifying you. Let me know what you decide to do.

Thanks Cleveland.....Yes, it has been much more than I bargained for. I changed my rating to worth-it because I felt like I was giving negative vibes to everyone by changing it to not-worth-it, but the truth is....if I knew what I know now, I would not choose a year of this. I just looked at your pics and your revision is amazing. Are you having any swelling? I was really flat right after my revision, but now I am swelling a little above the incision. I was cut hip to hip again, so maybe my healing is a little different. At our one year anniversary we will have to buy a bottle of champagne and have a cyber toast.

One more thing Cleveland...how funny was I in a swimsuit in my pic with a Christmas tree in the background. I just got tired of taking pics in my panties and yoga pants. For one, I will never...never...never wear a bikini at our neighborhood pool because my next door neighbor is a surgeon, and I know he could take one look at me and tell I had a tummy tuck, then the whole neighborhood would know. Maybe I will get brave enough to wear one at the beach though...who knows.

Thanks Cleveland! Well....not quite what I originally envisioned, but better than before the revision. Glad to hear your healing is going well. I went to my ps yesterday, and he seemed to think everything looked good, but I still complain to him that I am having trouble with bulging just above my belly button. He says it's probably just laxiity in the muscle by the end of the day. They seem to have a way to act like they have a good answer, when in fact I don't think they really have a clue. He is going to check it again in 4 weeks and then see if he needs to do anything different. This has definitely been a heck of a year, and I hope we both end up happy with our final result after we heal from the revision. Almost everyone that had surgery near the time that I had mine has had to have some type of revision, yet they say it is rare to have to have a revision. Keep me posted on your progress, and post some new pics when you get a chance.

Hi Scaredmum! Well, I think you made a good decision based on the fact that you said you weren't totally unhappy with your tummy the way it is now. Why risk it? In clothes I look good, but I don't like the way it looks otherwise, and definitely feel that the past year has been more than I bargained for. I was just telling Cleveland that almost all the ladies I talk to on here that had surgery near the time that I had mine, has had to have some type of revision, or will have to in the future. It would be ashamed to jeopordize your career if in fact you had complications. I would only do it if you are absolutely miserable with the way you look now. Good luck with your mini-facelift, and let me know how it goes.

Hi Cleveland! Your pics do look amazing! I tried to take the comment out about the bikini on the beach, as I realized it might offend someone, but it wouldn't let me delete it. I put that comment based on my first paragraph before my surgery that stated wearing a swimsuit on the beach was a determining factor in my decision to have a tummy tuck. Even though I ended up with a pretty good belly button - it is still undeniably a tummy tuck belly button. I will have my revision in Oct. and will let you know how it goes. It was just to fix the dent, but now I think it will be more involved because of the fact that my abs are not flat! Talk to ya soon.

Will do! I will keep my fingers crossed for both of us. Maybe our amazing is just around the corner. I did have a few good months before my tummy morphed into this, so maybe my ps will be able to correct it. He isn't charging me, but I am terrified.

Hi Scared Mum. Sorry to alarm you, but I really feel like honesty is the best policy. Every issue I have had in the healing process has been shared by many women that were also of a small frame, and my PS even admitted that smaller women were more of a challenge, due to the fact that there isn't the fat layer between the internal organs and the skin to cusion everything. I know there are many women that are extremely happy with their results, but before my surgery I was very narrow through my hip area, and now everything just feels thick because they pull the skin downward kind of hiding my once prominant hip bones. Don't let me talk you out of the surgery, just use my experience to really ask a lot of questions of your plastic surgery (i.e. - will you have to have a vertical scar from your old belly button). Early in my recovery I was plagued by difficulty taking deep breaths and acid reflux from the tightness, but my tummy appeared flat, then at around 4 months I started to have trouble with the vertical scar and bulging abdomen. Keep in mind that I am 50 years old which is probably on the older side for such a surgery. If you look at Soon2banewme's pics it might help you. She had amazing results. Best of luck and let me know if I can answer any questions.

Yes, the scar ended on top of the hip bone. Believe it or not the whole incision is the easiest part of the whole procedure. I never had any pain where they cut me as it was totally numb for many months, and now is mostly numb around the belly button area. The muscle is definitely the hardest part, and of course the swelling. My best advise to you is to be prepared for a lengthy recovery. I was doing great at about day 8, and was bragging about how easy it was, but then I realized there are many stages of healing to go through over a period of a year. Hopefully you will have an easy time and be very happy you decided to have the surgery as many women are. For me.....I would like to go back in time and be happy with my pooch, because like yourself I looked fine in clothes. It kind of feels to me now like all my guts are stuffed in between my ribcage and sewn into a too tight skin, so it is more uncomfortable than painful. The breathing was really the worst thing. It was just the muscle being so tight over the diaphram and lungs. I still have to wear a bra a size bigger around than before so my lungs will have room to expand easier. It's so hard to know what is possibly an error by the ps when he evaluated me and decided how much skin to take, etc., or what may just be my body rejecting this whole idea of pulling the muscle back together. I have also been plaqued with horrible muscle spasms since the day of my surgery, so that alone tells me that my body isn't liking this. The truth is you really do go in with a sort of blind faith, and only you can decide how much you are willing to risk. There will be many different recovery stories because we all heal differently, but it is wise to be aware of the pros and cons, and apply them to your situation. Best of luck to you, and I will post an update after my revision and hopefully I can be a little more positive.