Mini Tummy Tuck - Hopeful for Good Results!

I’m sorry for the wordiness, but I did not find too many experiences about a mini tummy tuck, so I tried to be detailed to help others.

****Procedure:
-Mini Tummy Tuck with SmartLipo for flanks

****About Me (scroll past this for the consultation experience!)

-I am 5’2”, about 104-108 lbs, 32, non-smoker, no kids, exercise regularly & in good health. I identify as Latina. I have a stubborn lower belly pooch. Even at my lowest weight (95 lbs) I always had a lower belly pooch.

-My husband claims he doesn’t care but he is supportive because he knows how much I have wanted to get rid of it.

-This pooch really drags down my self-esteem. I have to dress a certain way to hide this pooch. Even though our family had a beach house and went to the beach regularly, I always avoided the beach because I was too embarrassed to wear a swimsuit. Even a one-piece suit highlights my stubborn pooch. People tease me because I work out and try to eat clean, they tell me I’m “too skinny” and need to “eat a cheeseburger”. They can’t see my unsightly pooch beneath my carefully selected clothing. :(

-I wasted my teen years and my 20s being ashamed of my body. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life this way!

****The consultation:

-This is the 2nd doctor I visited

-The 1st doctor recommended SmartLipo on abdomen, flanks and lower back and informed me it would only be a 60-70% reduction.

-Dr. Claytor chatted with me about my background in an office. Then Emily the Medical Assistant escorted me to an exam room. I changed into a robe that was provided (it was in a sealed bag, and the robe was SO comfy, not a scratchy disposable hospital gown). I was permitted to keep on my own underwear since I was on my period.

-Emily came back with Dr. Claytor and she remained in the room with us.

-I told Dr. Claytor that I visited a doctor in Virginia but decided to consult with a local doctor because I was concerned about healing in a hotel room. Dr. Claytor stated that he has had consultations with people from Virginia and he offers to connect them with a plastic surgeon in Virginia instead. This demonstrates that he cares about the patient.

-Dr. Claytor used a ladder analogy to explain the different options from least invasive to most invasive: CoolSculpt

Consultation Review got cut off, here is the rest:
-Dr. Claytor used a ladder analogy to explain the different options from least to most invasive: CoolSculopt>SmartLipo>Lipo>Mini TT>Full TT
-He also informed me that he believed I would be unhappy with results from SmartLipo alone, so he did not recommend it. He stated a TT or mini TT might be a better option.
-I felt a bit overwhelmed during the consultation because I was not expecting a new option & I felt put "on the spot". I am terrified of undergoing general anesthesia so I wasn't sure about either TT option.
-Dr. Claytor informed me that he offers a mini TT as DRAINLESS and under LOCAL anesthesia. He explained the process but since I was so nervous, I had a difficult time processing all the info. I was queasy listening to the procedure details.
-Emily then took me into another room & had me pose to take "before" pictures.
**Afterward:
-I took a day to think about the mini TT option, then requested to talk to Dr. Claytor again about it.
-The office was kind enough to arrange a short call & he answered more of my questions. It was during this call that I decided to go with the mini TT & add on SmartLipo to my flanks because I want a more defined waist.
-I booked the procedure because the next surgery date was perfect. However, laterI started feeling unsure if Dr. Claytor was the right fit for me. I noticed that the majority of the patients in the before/after gallery seemed to be older Caucasian women so I was concerned about how my own results would look.
-But I talked it over with my spouse, researched other surgeons and decided to keep my appointment because: Dr. Claytor is VERY intelligent, he seems very knowledgable & confident in his work, he has hospital privileges, he is board-certified, he generally performs drainless awake mini TTs which I believe is a testament of his skill, I also don't want to travel for this procedure & I like the location because it is across the street from a hospital in case anything happens.

Unfortunately, I do not have pictures from the day of the surgery. I was exhausted but my tummy looked awesome. I have some from Day 2 and Day 6 that I will post later, but my swelling is pretty bad then.

Disclaimer: I have never had surgery or taken any kind of prescribed pain med or Valium before. I have a low pain tolerance.

**At Home**
-Deep cleaned the apartment the day before so I could tire myself out, I knew my nerves would keep me awake. Fell asleep by 9:30 pm but woke up around 1:30 am & could not go back to sleep. Drank water between 2-3am.

-Checked my bag to be sure I had everything: change of loose clean clothes (pair of husband's old sweatpants and t shirt, compression socks and all prescribed meds).

-Ate 2 small waffels and 1 antibiotic pill. Used bathroom by 5 am. Discovered my period came 5 days early. :(

-Showered and only used shampoo & conditioner on hair. Did not apply lotion or deodorant as instructed.

**Pre Surgery at Office**
-Got to the office by 7 am

-The office took down husband's contact info & asked how far away he would be from the office. They needed this info so they can estimate when to call him to pick me up.

-I met Gen and Connie, they would be assisting the operating room (OR) and they were welcoming and kind. I informed them about my early period and they said it was OK and actually pretty common. Even though I had my period, I still could not wear underwear during the procedure. This was OK bc my period was very light the first day.

-I was led to a small room that contained small lockers and a hospital bed. I changed into a soft pink hospital gown & comfy blue socks that were provided. I was assigned a locker in which I placed all my stuff.

-I had to take a pregnancy test (pee in a cup) then signed some forms. Connie chatted with me to help me relax. Connie has a very calm and soothing voice as well as a warm presence.

-I was instructed to take generic Valium (for relaxing), oxycodone (pain med) and generic Zofran (for nausea).

-Dr. Claytor came in, had me disrobe and stand in front of him.

-He asked what I was getting done. I believe he asked to make sure we were on the same page. I replied "mini TT with flank lipo".

-He asked me again what I dislike about my stomach. I stated I do not like my lower belly pooch and I hope to have a smaller shapelier waist.

-Dr. Claytor replied that would lipo my upper abdomen and lower back as well. He took out a marker and started to map out the procedure on my abdomen and lower back.

-Connie walked me to the OR and helped me sit on the bed.

-The Valium was definitely working because I wasn't nervous or terrified walking into the OR, instead I was happy and ready.

-The OR had windows on one side of the wall and I could see trees, a building, and a blue sky. The trees and sky were calming.

-Connie gave me a plastic hair cap to cover my hair. She covered my chest and lower legs with blankets. She even warmed up some blankets before placing them on me. Connie chatted with me about family and cheesy holiday movies, I felt safe and even cozy.

-Connie placed my legs from the knee down into sleeves that would compress my legs. These sleeves are an "intermittent pneumatic compression" device that is supposed to increase blood flow in the legs to help prevent blood clots. It felt pretty good during the surgery.

-She placed a "pulse oximeter" on one of my big toes. It looks like a clothespin and measured my blood oxygen level during the surgery.

-Connie inserted an IV into my veins on one of my arms. The IV contained an antibiotic and it would stay in during the surgery. Never had an IV before, it was initially cold.

-I was given the option of either wearing an eyemask or having a divider so I wouldn't see the surgery. I chose the divider bc personally I would have been more anxious if I couldn't see anything.

**Liposuction**
Disclaimer: I don't remember too much about this part because it was surprisingly painful, so I may have blocked out alot. I have a low pain tolerance.

-Dr. Claytor came in and started injecting shots of a numbing agent around my abdomen and back. It felt like sharp little pricks. They were especially painful around my "mons pubis" (the fatty pubic area above your privates).

-He then injected something else around my abdomen and it felt like a sharp shooting pain at times. He would have to top and inject more numbing stuff if I said it hurt. Dr. Claytor would have me breathe a certain way to calm down, this really helped.

-Dr. Claytor used a few more instruments but I don't recall much. I do recall having to stand up so I could turn around for lower back lipo. They helped me stand and I remember my whole body shaking so hard. Not sure whether it was from the cold or the anxiety. Dr. Claytor requested more blankets for me.

-I was NOT expecting the lipo procedure to be so painful. I cried so much that I think they gave me a break to calm down. They were very kind and reassuring but I was mortified by my reaction. I chose this procedure, I wanted this lipo, but they were just doing their job so I was embarrassed for crying so much. I think I was given another generic Valium at this point but my memory is fuzzy.

**Mini Tummy Tuck**
-Dr. Claytor, Gen and Connie were amazing. Like I said before, I've never taken any pain meds or Valium before so maybe I was feeling the full effects by the time the mini TT was underway because I was over the shock from the lipo and I was feeling fine, comfy, chatty (way too chatty!), and even a little sleepy. I even briefly dozed off a few times.

-I did feel weird sensations and pulling but I wasn't anxious. Dr. Claytor ended up repairing my lower abdomen muscles when he discovered they were separated.

-There was some paint at a few points but Dr. Claytor seemed so experienced that he would start to add more numbing agents to areas if he anticipated that I would feel pain.

-During the procedure, Dr. Claytor would tell me I was doing great and exclaim things like "Beautiful! It looks beautiful!. Blame it on the Valium but I outright asked him if he was complimenting his own work, I didn't mean to be rude but I was so curious if he really meant it or if he was just encouraging me to stay calm. He assured me that the TT was looking great.

-I even started to feel hungry during the procedure. I think my tummy rumbled a few times, embarrassing.

-Towards the end, they sat me close to an upright position and continued the procedure for some time, then cleaned me up. It felt so quick. I don't remember when everything started but I think it was all over around 12pm.

**After Surgery**
-Initially, I didn't want to look at my abdomen bc I was scared. Gen and Coonie kept exclaiming how good it looked and how much I would like it, so I bravely took a peek. It looked so good! The pooch was gone! They told me it would look better when the swelling went down, but to me, it still looked so good.

-They helped me off the bed and helped me walk back to the small room with the lockers.

-They put a binder on me. I carefully changed by myself. My husband was allowed into the room and he finished helping me change.

-Dr. Claytor came in, re-adjusted my binder, and marked how tight it should be. He told my husband how well I did (later I told my husband how much I cried lol).

-Dr. Claytor provided me with home versions of the intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) devices and showed my husband how to use them. He said I had basically a 0% chance of blood clots but they would still be helpful.
He said I could not walk to the car, that I had to be wheeled out in a wheelchair. He instructed me to NOT walk around that day and just rest.

**At Home**
I layed in a recliner wearing the (IPC) devices for the rest of the day. I was actually very hungry but my husband fed me bland foods so I wouldn't get an upset stomach.

-The pain med instructions were to take 2 every 6 hours but I was worried about taking more prescription pain med. so I only took 1 oxycodone around 7pm when the pain started to get really bad. It's surprising just how much you use your abdomen to move. Eventually I got sleepy. Husband removed the IPC device and put on my compression stockings and I fell asleep.

+Overnight -Husband was worried so he set hourly alarms to wake up & check on me overnight. I have fuzzy memories of waking up to him feeling my forehead alot.

So far, I have had a wonderful experience with most of Dr. Claytor's office. Dr. Claytor is very intelligent and truly has an amazing bedside manner. Gen is friendly and helpful. Connie is so lovely and kind. I hope that my body heals so I can enjoy their hardwork.