Tummy Tuck After Gastric Bypass Weight Loss - Raleigh, NC

This procedure was my second one done by Dr. Blanton....who performed a Breast Lift about nine months ago. I opted to have the procedures done separately due to my schedule. I am three weeks out from my tummy tuck and feel great. I love everything about Dr. Blanton and this practice...Specialists in Plastic Surgery is the best place in Raleigh for plastic surgery. The staff, EVERYONE, is so nice and accomodating, everyone calls you by first name, spends endless time with you answering your questions and making you feel at ease. I had my tummy tuck two days before Christmas, which did not turn out to be a problem at all. I love that SIPS has three operating rooms IN their facility so I was able to go home right after the surgery. I do not remember being in a lot of pain. I was a little out of it from the anesthesia and the pain meds, but remember crawling into bed when I got home. I vaguely remember Dr. Blanton calling me that night to check on me, but woke up every four hours to take my pain meds. They send you home with a catheter that you are supposed to keep in until the next morning, but I really felt like I could walk to the bathroom and I felt it in me and just wanted it out, so when he called I asked him if I could take it out and he said "yes"....that was a relief. They want you to get up and walk around a little bit every 3-4 hours, which I did, even though at first, you feel like walking very scrunched over and slow, but I still did it and wasn't in too much pain. We have stairs in our house, and our bedroom is upstairs and the kitchen and living room are downstairs, so some of that walking was up and down the stairs, and that was fine, it didn't bother me. Day 3 was Christmas Day, and that morning, I came downstairs and sat on the couch and opened presents with everyone, and felt fine, but I didn't move around too much. I pretty much stayed on the couch most of the day...at least I spent most of the day awake. I spent the afternoon addressing Christmas cards...on the couch. Then day 4, 5, 6 and 7, I really did nothing at all, except, rest in bed, play on Pinterest, Twitter, FB, Instagram, and go to the bathroom because starting on day 4, you have to call your drain totals in to the office and if they don't get less and less each day, that means you have to keep your drains in longer, so I really tried to do nothing and stay down so I could get my drains out the following Monday (1 week after surgery), and I did. That wasn't too bad. Getting your drains removed feels like a 5 second sting, and then it's over. Not too bad. I could not shower anytime while my drains were in and I could not shower until the day after my drains were removed so you know that my Tuesday shower was AWESOME! I took a shower two times a day after that, because I missed it so much! After several showers, the steri-strips covering the scar area begin to fall off and you get a first peek at what it looks like. At one point, a few days after my drains were removed, it seems like my left drain site was infected so I texted a picture of it to Dr. Blanton and he said it wasn't infected but to keep Neosporin on it and continue to shower daily and that it would look better in a couple of days...and it did. Two weeks after surgery, I noticed that my lower belly began to look a bit like a water bed, like there was extra fluid build-up again, so I texted Dr. Blanton again, and he asked me to come in. He said it wasn't too bad, not the worst he'd ever seen, but he syringed about 20cc of fluid out of my belly, which did not hurt at all. He said it's called a seroma, but normal seromas look like you're pregnant and mine was not like that at all. He did want me to take it easy and not "reorganize my house" after that and I shopped around for a new binder by Spanx, which is what Dr. Blanton recommended. I have three weeks out and feel great. On a pain scale of 1-10, this surgery was between a 3-4. I had two c-sections 15 and 13 years ago, and the recovery for this seemed about that same for that, not bad at all. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

This week marked 6 weeks post op visit. I was cleared to begin starting back at the gym...yeah! Now to work on my butt! For my scar, I have been using a fabric scar tape that Dr. Blanton recommended called Mepitac, available through Amazon (I have the .8 size) which can be left on for several days, even when showering. When it's off, I use Cerave moisturizing cream to rub and massage the scar. I'm also happy to share that since first posting my story, that RealSelf works...somebody read my story, messaged me, I called her, she scheduled a consultation and has scheduled her tummy tuck at the end of the month. Nothing speaks better of a great doctor than word of mouth, and that's exactly what happens when Dr. Blanton is your doctor. He simply does the best work on your body...before and after pictures from his patients are beautiful!