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I am almost one month post op from having a tummy...
I am almost one month post op from having a tummy tuck with NO muscle repair. I have wanted my stretchy skin removed for many years. My last child was over 10 pounds and boy did that pregnancy do a number on my stomach. This child is now a 21 year old, college student. Lol! I am a petite woman and an avid long distant runner. Thin and athletic with extra stomach skin just doesn't look good. I haven't worn a bikini since my last pregnancy because of my prune stomach and all my a stretch marks that went above my belly button.
I have been on many consults for this procedure for the past 15 years and have always put it off with the fear of the pain and the scar. My mom past away last July from breast cancer and she always said, you only live once so do what ever you want to do in life. That's when I made my decision to seriously do this procedure. I finally decided to go with Dr. Tattelbaum in Rockville, Maryland. His work is amazing and his scars are very low and very thin. He told me at my consult that I did not have to have muscle repair and that he could pull just as much skin as he would with muscle repair. He also said the the recovery would be easier. So I set the date!
Had my surgery on New Year's Eve! What a way to bring in the new year. Went in at 8am and was getting all marked up in my tiniest panties I could find for him to keep the scar hidden, and was in surgery by 9am. I was very nervous but the staff was just amazing. Dr Tattelbaum is so kind and sincere. He has the best bedside manner that I've ever seen from a doctor. I was so worried about waking and and feeling nauseated from the anesthesia so they gave me a anti nausea patch behind my ear and gave me some anti nausea meds in my IV. It worked because I never once felt sick after waking up. They had me go to the bathroom to pee. If I didn't urinate, I would have had to go home with a catheter. Thank goodness I had no problem with that. My stomach felt extremely tight and I had one drain on my right hip. It was an hour and a half drive home and I actually stayed awake and ate crackers and drank water on the way home.
We don't have a recliner but we do have a lazy boy arm chair with an ottoman. My husband put lots of pillows behind me and that is where I slept and healed for the first 5 days of my recovery. On the evening of day 5, we did the same thing with the pillows, but in our bed. We also had some propped under my knees while in bed. It was so nice to finally be able to sleep in a real bed again. I took Percocet for the first 2 days (around the clock) even setting my alarm so I would wake up in the middle of the night to take it. By day 3 I switched to Tylenol with codein and by day 4 I was only taking extra strength Tylenol. I did take the muscle relaxer every night before bed for a week. The pain was tolerable as long as I kept up with my meds. The worse thing for me was the hunched over back pain and the drain. That drain was so annoying and hurt if bumped the wrong way. I ended up with a small hematoma and had to keep the drain in a few day longer then usual. It finally came out (thank goodness) but I still had to have a small procedure done by Dr Tattelbaum to remove the rest of the hematoma. I didn't need a local because my stomach was still so numb that I didn't feel anything. The procedure worked because the hematoma was completely gone before I left his office that day and never came back! Woohoo! Being able to take a shower was just AMAZING!!!!!!! The little things we take for granted when we aren't able to do it. Haha! My incision is is healing so good and so thin! I knew I couldn't go wrong by going with Dr Tattelbaum! He's a perfectionist in my eyes! I was standing up straight by the end of week 2 but I noticed that by the end of the night, I would start to slowly hunch over. Dr Tattelbaum said that I could wear spanx instead of the binder, but I still wear the binder at night at bedtime. He also said to use cocoa butter and vitamin E for the scar and to start massaging the scar. I have been doing that several times a day and my scar is healing so nicely! No openings or issues at all with my scar. It's getting lighter everyday and so thin!
There were a few times the first week of recovery that I would ask myself why I paid for all this pain. I didn't even want to look at my stomach right away like most women do. I wanted to wait until my first post op appointment. My hubby has been amazing through out this process. When I couldn't shower, he sponge bathed me and washed my hair for me. You really do need all the help you can get. Though I didn't get muscle repair done, this was NO cake walk. The tightness, numbness, backpain and worries that something could go wrong with the scar like the horror stories and pictures I've seen. This surgery is no joke. I look ar my stomach now and I can't believe it's mine! I still have stretch marks but Dr Tattelbaum got them all under my belly button. The stretch marks I do have left are so tight that I know that when I wear a bikini (woohoo!) and I'm out in the sun, it could possibly start to fade some with time. He couldn't get enough skin to completely get rid of all my old belly button scar, but it's low enough that it can be hidden in a bikini bottom. I have to say, I have the CUTEST new belly button! So natural looking! I'm very very happy I did this and really the only conplaint I have is that I should have done this years ago!
If you are thinking of doing this, I say GO FOR IT! You only live once! ;)
I have been on many consults for this procedure for the past 15 years and have always put it off with the fear of the pain and the scar. My mom past away last July from breast cancer and she always said, you only live once so do what ever you want to do in life. That's when I made my decision to seriously do this procedure. I finally decided to go with Dr. Tattelbaum in Rockville, Maryland. His work is amazing and his scars are very low and very thin. He told me at my consult that I did not have to have muscle repair and that he could pull just as much skin as he would with muscle repair. He also said the the recovery would be easier. So I set the date!
Had my surgery on New Year's Eve! What a way to bring in the new year. Went in at 8am and was getting all marked up in my tiniest panties I could find for him to keep the scar hidden, and was in surgery by 9am. I was very nervous but the staff was just amazing. Dr Tattelbaum is so kind and sincere. He has the best bedside manner that I've ever seen from a doctor. I was so worried about waking and and feeling nauseated from the anesthesia so they gave me a anti nausea patch behind my ear and gave me some anti nausea meds in my IV. It worked because I never once felt sick after waking up. They had me go to the bathroom to pee. If I didn't urinate, I would have had to go home with a catheter. Thank goodness I had no problem with that. My stomach felt extremely tight and I had one drain on my right hip. It was an hour and a half drive home and I actually stayed awake and ate crackers and drank water on the way home.
We don't have a recliner but we do have a lazy boy arm chair with an ottoman. My husband put lots of pillows behind me and that is where I slept and healed for the first 5 days of my recovery. On the evening of day 5, we did the same thing with the pillows, but in our bed. We also had some propped under my knees while in bed. It was so nice to finally be able to sleep in a real bed again. I took Percocet for the first 2 days (around the clock) even setting my alarm so I would wake up in the middle of the night to take it. By day 3 I switched to Tylenol with codein and by day 4 I was only taking extra strength Tylenol. I did take the muscle relaxer every night before bed for a week. The pain was tolerable as long as I kept up with my meds. The worse thing for me was the hunched over back pain and the drain. That drain was so annoying and hurt if bumped the wrong way. I ended up with a small hematoma and had to keep the drain in a few day longer then usual. It finally came out (thank goodness) but I still had to have a small procedure done by Dr Tattelbaum to remove the rest of the hematoma. I didn't need a local because my stomach was still so numb that I didn't feel anything. The procedure worked because the hematoma was completely gone before I left his office that day and never came back! Woohoo! Being able to take a shower was just AMAZING!!!!!!! The little things we take for granted when we aren't able to do it. Haha! My incision is is healing so good and so thin! I knew I couldn't go wrong by going with Dr Tattelbaum! He's a perfectionist in my eyes! I was standing up straight by the end of week 2 but I noticed that by the end of the night, I would start to slowly hunch over. Dr Tattelbaum said that I could wear spanx instead of the binder, but I still wear the binder at night at bedtime. He also said to use cocoa butter and vitamin E for the scar and to start massaging the scar. I have been doing that several times a day and my scar is healing so nicely! No openings or issues at all with my scar. It's getting lighter everyday and so thin!
There were a few times the first week of recovery that I would ask myself why I paid for all this pain. I didn't even want to look at my stomach right away like most women do. I wanted to wait until my first post op appointment. My hubby has been amazing through out this process. When I couldn't shower, he sponge bathed me and washed my hair for me. You really do need all the help you can get. Though I didn't get muscle repair done, this was NO cake walk. The tightness, numbness, backpain and worries that something could go wrong with the scar like the horror stories and pictures I've seen. This surgery is no joke. I look ar my stomach now and I can't believe it's mine! I still have stretch marks but Dr Tattelbaum got them all under my belly button. The stretch marks I do have left are so tight that I know that when I wear a bikini (woohoo!) and I'm out in the sun, it could possibly start to fade some with time. He couldn't get enough skin to completely get rid of all my old belly button scar, but it's low enough that it can be hidden in a bikini bottom. I have to say, I have the CUTEST new belly button! So natural looking! I'm very very happy I did this and really the only conplaint I have is that I should have done this years ago!
If you are thinking of doing this, I say GO FOR IT! You only live once! ;)
Typos
Not sure how to correct my typos to my review above. Will try to take a pic of my scar and add as soon as I can. :)
My scar at 4 weeks post op!
This is my scar today after running a mile and a half. Slowly trying to get my running strength back. Yesterday was exactly 4 weeks since my surgery. I'm happy with my healing progress and I know it will just get better from here. The scar is healing nicely and thin. You can see my old belly button scar. It is still low enough that it can be hidden in a low bikini bottom. I'm pretty much feeling 100 percent back to normal. Slowly but surely, I need to get back out there and start my half marathon training, after a month down for healing! Happy healing my fellow TT ladies! :)
Provider Review
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
3203 Tower Oaks Blvd, Rockville, Maryland
Of all the consults I went to, there was NO doubt that I would only let Dr Tattelbaum do this procedure on me. He is very upfront with what he can do and how he feels the outcome will be. He is so kind and takes his time at the consultation and all post op visits. He doesn't make you feel rushed and will answer all your questions and fears you have. He has the best bedside manner I've ever experienced with any doctor. He called me himself to check on me after I got home from surgery. If you're thinking of getting a tummy tuck, go see Dr Tattelbaum in Maryland! You'll be so glad you did!