POSTED UNDER Male Tummy Tuck REVIEWS
Early 30's Male, Stubborn Flanks. Extended Tummy Tuck/Belt Lipectomy = Life Changing - Thailand, TH
ORIGINAL POST
About me, around 10ish years ago I weighed in at...
AdudewithatummytuckwtfJuly 7, 2016
WORTH IT$10,000
About me, around 10ish years ago I weighed in at 159kg. Now being 5'10" that means I was pretty round. Spent the best part of the last decade dieting and studying and testing different exercise and nutrition options and now sit between 92-95kg on any given day (at around 14-16% body fat) (ultimately Paleo and Intermittent fasting I found to be the best prolonged lifestyle choice, they keep weight under control and make me feel amazing).
I've yoyo dieted quite a bit around the 100-110kg mark and at one point plummeted down to 82kg at which point I had single digit body fat but still had my flanks and love handles. Nothing I did could get rid of them. I've always wanted to get them removed but in the last couple of years I've done everything I can to accept them and move on, out of expense and most prominently fear. I've always (since childhood) had a problem with them and they've always been a huge confidence crusher for me who's otherwise quite confident.
So I finally made the decision to do it. Now I'm an analyst by nature and profession so I spent around six or so months researching hospitals, surgeries and most importantly surgeons and I apologise for how much writing I'll probably do on this blog. Ultimately I picked Dr. Rushapol in Thailand at the PPSI institute. (A decision I could not be happier with).
I went through a third party Somnio here in Australia who were just amazing to deal with, they were friendly, warm and prompt when I made contact with them and the team was totally fine dealing with all my questions and offered a lot of advice and support as well.
On the 7th of June I had my surgery and I'm making this blog after the fact to provide feedback to everyone considering it, hopefully to kill some of the fear some people have about getting surgery in Thailand, provide progress shots on a weekly basis for the first few months (as I couldn't find this for men anywhere.. it all dies off after a week or two post op) as well as to make men looking for this kind of surgery feel better about it.
I've yoyo dieted quite a bit around the 100-110kg mark and at one point plummeted down to 82kg at which point I had single digit body fat but still had my flanks and love handles. Nothing I did could get rid of them. I've always wanted to get them removed but in the last couple of years I've done everything I can to accept them and move on, out of expense and most prominently fear. I've always (since childhood) had a problem with them and they've always been a huge confidence crusher for me who's otherwise quite confident.
So I finally made the decision to do it. Now I'm an analyst by nature and profession so I spent around six or so months researching hospitals, surgeries and most importantly surgeons and I apologise for how much writing I'll probably do on this blog. Ultimately I picked Dr. Rushapol in Thailand at the PPSI institute. (A decision I could not be happier with).
I went through a third party Somnio here in Australia who were just amazing to deal with, they were friendly, warm and prompt when I made contact with them and the team was totally fine dealing with all my questions and offered a lot of advice and support as well.
On the 7th of June I had my surgery and I'm making this blog after the fact to provide feedback to everyone considering it, hopefully to kill some of the fear some people have about getting surgery in Thailand, provide progress shots on a weekly basis for the first few months (as I couldn't find this for men anywhere.. it all dies off after a week or two post op) as well as to make men looking for this kind of surgery feel better about it.
UPDATED FROM Adudewithatummytuckwtf
1 month post
Day One.
AdudewithatummytuckwtfJuly 9, 2016
The Saturday after we landed I spent with my wife and my mother in law generally wandering around Phuket and getting my head in a good place, had a massage, ate some food. All in all a good day and it was really nice to spend some quality time with my family before I was bed ridden. The day after was the surgery.
Day 1 - The Nerves hit me today, I woke up super early in the AM, last minute details were on my mind and mostly the fear of the unknown. Went in to PPSI (they picked us up from the hotel and took us to the institute). The nurses did all the normal final checks, blood pressure, took blood for mineral/nutrient/infection testing etc.. After an hour or so we had our consultation with the Doctor. Now, at this point my wife and mother in law believe me to be crazy by deciding to do this in Thailand. We sit down with Dr. Rushapol who greets us and immediately starts cracking jokes! By the time we got to any real discussion on the procedure everyone was well and truly at ease. The Doc walked us through the procedure, told us about his experiences and his opinions on the surgery, risks, recovery, everything.. as well as telling us 'I will treat your body like it was my own, I understand your goals and will do everything I can to make sure they happen'. By this stage I was confident I'd made the right choice and completely forgot about any fear I had.
We did the post op markings and he had me in all kinds of positions, he sketched and re-sketched to make sure he had the best markings and results from every angle and position. Throughout the sketching process (about an hour) he answered all my questions and offered information and interaction, making the entire process much less awkward.
After this was complete we had a short stop in the waiting room and then off to my hospital room where I got changed, dropped off my belongings and the nurses came to collect me in a wheelchair. They then transferred me to a gurney/bed and a teary goodbye was had by all as I was taken to the operating room. Laying in the operating room while the nurses set up was a scary experience, but to my surprise the nurses started talking to me almost immediately! They asked questions about my weight loss, how good it felt to have lost the weight and telling me how much better I would feel after the operation. I was blown away, they made me feel so much better about being basically stretched out completely naked in front of strangers, all the awkwardness was forgotten.
As the preparations started wrapping up, the part that I was really dreading finally came. The morphine needle in the back. There's something uniquely unsettling about someone telling you to curl into a little ball so they can put a rather long needle right into your spine. It was as this process began that the Doc came in, and he immediately walked up to me and joined in the conversation with the nurses. Then he did something I would have never expected, he grabbed my hand, held it tight and started rubbing my palm. It was the weirdest thing, suddenly it wasn't so scary it actually really felt like he cared about my well being and wanted to take my mind off it. It was the smallest but most supportive gesture I think I've ever experienced outside my own family. I don't think that's something I'll ever forget about that day. Shortly after that, everything went black.
Day 1 - The Nerves hit me today, I woke up super early in the AM, last minute details were on my mind and mostly the fear of the unknown. Went in to PPSI (they picked us up from the hotel and took us to the institute). The nurses did all the normal final checks, blood pressure, took blood for mineral/nutrient/infection testing etc.. After an hour or so we had our consultation with the Doctor. Now, at this point my wife and mother in law believe me to be crazy by deciding to do this in Thailand. We sit down with Dr. Rushapol who greets us and immediately starts cracking jokes! By the time we got to any real discussion on the procedure everyone was well and truly at ease. The Doc walked us through the procedure, told us about his experiences and his opinions on the surgery, risks, recovery, everything.. as well as telling us 'I will treat your body like it was my own, I understand your goals and will do everything I can to make sure they happen'. By this stage I was confident I'd made the right choice and completely forgot about any fear I had.
We did the post op markings and he had me in all kinds of positions, he sketched and re-sketched to make sure he had the best markings and results from every angle and position. Throughout the sketching process (about an hour) he answered all my questions and offered information and interaction, making the entire process much less awkward.
After this was complete we had a short stop in the waiting room and then off to my hospital room where I got changed, dropped off my belongings and the nurses came to collect me in a wheelchair. They then transferred me to a gurney/bed and a teary goodbye was had by all as I was taken to the operating room. Laying in the operating room while the nurses set up was a scary experience, but to my surprise the nurses started talking to me almost immediately! They asked questions about my weight loss, how good it felt to have lost the weight and telling me how much better I would feel after the operation. I was blown away, they made me feel so much better about being basically stretched out completely naked in front of strangers, all the awkwardness was forgotten.
As the preparations started wrapping up, the part that I was really dreading finally came. The morphine needle in the back. There's something uniquely unsettling about someone telling you to curl into a little ball so they can put a rather long needle right into your spine. It was as this process began that the Doc came in, and he immediately walked up to me and joined in the conversation with the nurses. Then he did something I would have never expected, he grabbed my hand, held it tight and started rubbing my palm. It was the weirdest thing, suddenly it wasn't so scary it actually really felt like he cared about my well being and wanted to take my mind off it. It was the smallest but most supportive gesture I think I've ever experienced outside my own family. I don't think that's something I'll ever forget about that day. Shortly after that, everything went black.
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UPDATED FROM Adudewithatummytuckwtf
1 month post
Week One Post Op
AdudewithatummytuckwtfJuly 9, 2016
(Shorter posts now, I promise.. probably)
Day 2 - After the operation was a blur. The op was meant to be eight hours but instead went 10 so it was well into midnight by the time I got back to my room. Sleep was sporadic, constantly woken by nurses doing blood pressure and temperature checks. Most of this day following surgery was a blur of memory, while I was lucid my head was still groggy and I couldn't really focus on anything for too long. No nausea, no pain, mild discomfort, just lack of focus. I felt hung over more than anything.
Day 3 - A got a little bit of sleep, longer periods before waking up. My head began clearing up and I spent most of the day watching TV and reading (it's a hard life post surgery, hah!). Mid morning the nurses came and told me we're getting up and going for our first walk. Getting up was a challenge, but once you figure out the process of loading up your arms and legs instead of your core it's fine. The walk was a lap of the hospital room (in all fairness, it was a pretty big room) and it felt like I'd just run a marathon. By the evening however I was able to get out and hobble round with my loving wife in tow making sure I didn't do anything stupid and push myself too hard, but otherwise unassisted.
Day 4 - The catheter came out today, dear lord.. if there was one thing and only one thing I could change about this entire experience it would be the catheter. Not for any reason relating to the quality or medical facility just purely because it was the most awkward and unnatural thing. It's something that completely slipped my mind but was a constant source of frustration and sleeplessness.
The compression cuffs came off also and with the advent of these two modern day torture devices being removed I was finally able to chain together more than 20-30 minutes sleep intervals. I got up a few times, walks every couple of hours with my lovely wife sight seeing throughout the hospital and then later by myself to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth etc.
Day 5 - Best. Sleep. Ever. No catheter and no pressure cuffs meant I sleep almost through the night, the only exception was the diligent nurses getting my blood pressure and temperature, but they let me sleep right through the night this time, it was bliss. The Doc's usual round today was interesting as he said I could go home, we just had to remove the drains, change the bandages and re-tape me up. The drain removal was.. an experience, 1 of the anchors got stuck and it really was quite a challenge to stay focused while he pulled it out. Everything else went smoothly and I was sent home with instructions to stay immobile as much as possible to let healing take it's course. Of course, no alcohol, no swimming, no tattoo's or raving parties for the next few days.
Days 5-7 - Spent resting in the suite we were staying in. Mostly prone the entire time, I had a full raft of medicines, anti-inflammatories and vitamins to take but outside that I didn't take the painkillers. I was given some strong ones, but it was a personal preference not to use them. It wasn't too bad as I have quite a high pain tolerance, but unless there's complications I think most people should be ok by this point without the likes of morphine or codiene (maybe paracetemol or something on hand if needed). Occasional walks, several a day over the period, mostly to the bathroom as I was finally back in charge of my water intake which I kept quite high throughout the entire stay in Thailand. Humidity was killing me so stayed inside as much as humanly possible (because I’m a soft little girl like that).
Day 2 - After the operation was a blur. The op was meant to be eight hours but instead went 10 so it was well into midnight by the time I got back to my room. Sleep was sporadic, constantly woken by nurses doing blood pressure and temperature checks. Most of this day following surgery was a blur of memory, while I was lucid my head was still groggy and I couldn't really focus on anything for too long. No nausea, no pain, mild discomfort, just lack of focus. I felt hung over more than anything.
Day 3 - A got a little bit of sleep, longer periods before waking up. My head began clearing up and I spent most of the day watching TV and reading (it's a hard life post surgery, hah!). Mid morning the nurses came and told me we're getting up and going for our first walk. Getting up was a challenge, but once you figure out the process of loading up your arms and legs instead of your core it's fine. The walk was a lap of the hospital room (in all fairness, it was a pretty big room) and it felt like I'd just run a marathon. By the evening however I was able to get out and hobble round with my loving wife in tow making sure I didn't do anything stupid and push myself too hard, but otherwise unassisted.
Day 4 - The catheter came out today, dear lord.. if there was one thing and only one thing I could change about this entire experience it would be the catheter. Not for any reason relating to the quality or medical facility just purely because it was the most awkward and unnatural thing. It's something that completely slipped my mind but was a constant source of frustration and sleeplessness.
The compression cuffs came off also and with the advent of these two modern day torture devices being removed I was finally able to chain together more than 20-30 minutes sleep intervals. I got up a few times, walks every couple of hours with my lovely wife sight seeing throughout the hospital and then later by myself to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth etc.
Day 5 - Best. Sleep. Ever. No catheter and no pressure cuffs meant I sleep almost through the night, the only exception was the diligent nurses getting my blood pressure and temperature, but they let me sleep right through the night this time, it was bliss. The Doc's usual round today was interesting as he said I could go home, we just had to remove the drains, change the bandages and re-tape me up. The drain removal was.. an experience, 1 of the anchors got stuck and it really was quite a challenge to stay focused while he pulled it out. Everything else went smoothly and I was sent home with instructions to stay immobile as much as possible to let healing take it's course. Of course, no alcohol, no swimming, no tattoo's or raving parties for the next few days.
Days 5-7 - Spent resting in the suite we were staying in. Mostly prone the entire time, I had a full raft of medicines, anti-inflammatories and vitamins to take but outside that I didn't take the painkillers. I was given some strong ones, but it was a personal preference not to use them. It wasn't too bad as I have quite a high pain tolerance, but unless there's complications I think most people should be ok by this point without the likes of morphine or codiene (maybe paracetemol or something on hand if needed). Occasional walks, several a day over the period, mostly to the bathroom as I was finally back in charge of my water intake which I kept quite high throughout the entire stay in Thailand. Humidity was killing me so stayed inside as much as humanly possible (because I’m a soft little girl like that).
Replies (1)