Bilateral Medial Thigh Lift - Post Weight Loss - 35, no kids

Had my bilateral thigh lift today with Dr. Neil Tanna. I'm sure I will be in a lot more discomfort once the "good meds" wear off. After reading some other reviewer tips, I had access to and I am using a walker to help when getting up or sitting down, and an adjustable height commode since I am so tall. My surgeon agreed this would definitely make life for the first week or so much easier.

This is my second surgery with Dr. Tanna, and I cannot say enough good things about him. My surgery took 5 hours today instead of the approximated 3 1/2 to 4 hours, not because of any complications, but because he went out of his way to address my specific goals and desired look for the outcome of this surgery (targeted areas etc). Dr. Tanna is not only a cosmetic surgeon but a reconstructive surgeon as well.

I'm not thrilled to be dealing with wearing drains again but that comes with any of these surgeries, so it's not that big a deal. I have 2 JP in each thigh, plus two additional "drains" that are battery operated ensuring that a negative pressure is kept inside my legs. By inserting these ( which I don't remember being in the original plan pre-surgery) Dr. Tanna was able to be more aggressive with my thigh lift making it as tight as safely possible. Keeping a negative pressure inside my thigh not only enables the JP drains to work better, but it makes for a might tighter, smaller, tighter scar on my leg (more like a fine line). It helps keep the incision together so it doesn't separate. I have internal stitches keeping everything together, but the outer layer to achieve minimal scarring is held together with surgical glue. I am bandaged up until Monday so otherwise I cannot see what anything else looks like.

To prevent any labial spreading, the thigh lifting was also internally anchored to some ligaments in the groin (I'm not a medical professional but this is the rough idea). I was told this will definitely cause soreness during the healing process - but will make for a very well-done thigh lift in the long run with excellent results.

My procedure was entirely covered by my health insurance. This includes the excess skin removal and liposuction during the procedure. My only cost is the $100 surgical co-pay since this was an outpatient procedure. My insurance company did deny this claim several times, even with proper documentation from my dermatologist, however Dr. Tanna's office staff did an excellent job being persistent and resubmitting my claim.

After reading may reviews, I was fearful there would be a world of pain with this surgery. I talked to a few friends on the phone yesterday, and they were astonished that I had surgery earlier in the day.
I maintain the pain meds taking them every 5 hours (I can take between 4-6hrs) and unless I accidentally snag a drain, I'm really not anywhere more than discomfort. The meds make me sleepy, and a tiny bit dizzy, so I don't walk around far. But I do get up and move around.
I originally wanted 2 surgeries done at once (arms or thighs & tummy tuck), but my surgeon was operating alone and talked me out of it because he was not comfortable having me under anesthesia that long. He was also adamant that my recovery would be easier and faster doing one procedure at a time. Boy was he right. I couldn't imagine trying to maneuver around, knowing my mobility limitations post tummy tuck - and adding that to my legs now. Doing 1 surgery at a time does require more down time, but for me it makes recovery much more bearable. I also think it allows for better recovery, as the body can focus on healing one location at a time.
I'm 6'2" so the raised commode definitely makes going to the bathroom much easier, not having to squat down so far. I've also figured out the easiest way to get in and out of bed, and what clothing (baggy shorts or pajama pants) is most friendly moving over the drains.
So far this recovery is MUCH more pleasant than I was expecting.

Other than the pain meds making me sleepy, I really can't say I've experienced any true (excruciating/ unbearable) pain. Maybe I have a high pain tolerance? Am I sore? Yes. Is there some discomfort? Yes. I'm not moving around more than down the hall to use the bathroom and back to laying down in or on my bed - but I do make sure I get up and move around. I definitely get tired quickly. I am also lucky that I am able to solely focus on my recovery. I work from home, so no rush to get back into an office environment. I also don't have a spouse or kids that I have to worry about taking care of. The only thing are my dogs, and my mom has that covered. I will try and have her take some photos later.