POSTED UNDER Tummy Tuck Reviews
Do Your Research...You Can Find Better
ORIGINAL POST
Do Your Research...You Can Find Better
It took me a long time to write this review because I wanted to give this place the benefit of the doubt. As most will tell you with cosmetic procedures, it's best to trust the process. I did. But I also trusted the wrong surgeon and clinic. In retrospect, I wish I'd done far more research and found the right surgeon who was more interested in giving me a realistic expectation than promising what he couldn't deliver.
I got a tummy tuck in February 2022. I was so excited to finally have the flat stomach I've worked really hard to get. I have two children (the last one born in 2008) and had been working out and taking care of my health for pretty intensely for about 7 years before my procedure. I didn't think I had loose skin because it was didn't have that bubble gum look and wasn't really hanging much. But after consultations with the clinic, I was told the only way to get rid of the last bit of belly fat was through surgery. I'd been working at it for so long, I decided to treat myself for my 40th birthday.
I first had a consultation with a nurse and then paid a $200-250 deposit (can't remember the exact number) to have a consultation with Dr. Bell. The consultations were virtual (due to the pandemic) and I was told the same during both, that it was loose skin. Dr. Bell asked if I had diastasis recti (muscle separation) and I told him I wasn't sure. He indicated that during the surgery if he went in and found muscle separation, he would tighten my abdominal muscles.
I visited the clinic 3 times before my surgery and only saw Dr. Bell in person on the day of my surgery, right before going in (that should have been a huge red flag and I blame myself for not picking up on that).
After surgery, I was very swollen but there was a noticeable difference in the shape of my belly. The little bit of hanging skin was gone, as were most of the stretch marks (which weren't all that significant to begin with).
Recovery was as expected. Horrible in the first week and progressively better as the weeks went on. Every week I waited to see how the swelling would go down. It didn't. But I kept telling myself to trust the process.
It's been 17 months and my belly looks worse than it did before. I'm actually embarrassed to post pictures. It seems permanently bloated and my lower belly has a pouch that is bigger than what I had before. It turns out Dr. Bell did not tighten my abdominal muscles and I've been told since that I do have muscle separation. On top of that, he did liposuction on my upper belly which was always protruding which I hated. I've now been told that this is a sign of diastasis recti and that performing liposuction on the upper belly at the same time as a tummy tuck is not recommended as it causes issues with healing.
Obviously I'm not a doctor so I can't say for sure, but it looks to me like that fat from my upper belly has shifted to my lower belly and sits there below my belly button. It is so stubborn I'm not even sure if I'll ever be able to get rid of it.
I'm so disappointed in this experience. It was supposed to be the last step the body I've worked so hard for and instead I'm left with problems I didn't have before.
My experience immediately after surgery wasn't great either. When I woke up the nurse refused to let me send a text to my family to let them know I was okay and the discharge nurse didn't show me how to "milk" the drains (if you know you know) so I ended up having to keep them for a week longer than expected. And if you don't know, drains really suck.
If I could do it all again (and I don't plan to because this experience was so bad) I would do far more research. I would even try to talk to former patients if I could. The moral of my story is: there are plenty of surgeons in this city. Don't believe the first one you meet with unless they come on very good authority. Compare your options. Spend what you need to and always try to see the surgeon in person well before the surgery to discuss your needs.
I got a tummy tuck in February 2022. I was so excited to finally have the flat stomach I've worked really hard to get. I have two children (the last one born in 2008) and had been working out and taking care of my health for pretty intensely for about 7 years before my procedure. I didn't think I had loose skin because it was didn't have that bubble gum look and wasn't really hanging much. But after consultations with the clinic, I was told the only way to get rid of the last bit of belly fat was through surgery. I'd been working at it for so long, I decided to treat myself for my 40th birthday.
I first had a consultation with a nurse and then paid a $200-250 deposit (can't remember the exact number) to have a consultation with Dr. Bell. The consultations were virtual (due to the pandemic) and I was told the same during both, that it was loose skin. Dr. Bell asked if I had diastasis recti (muscle separation) and I told him I wasn't sure. He indicated that during the surgery if he went in and found muscle separation, he would tighten my abdominal muscles.
I visited the clinic 3 times before my surgery and only saw Dr. Bell in person on the day of my surgery, right before going in (that should have been a huge red flag and I blame myself for not picking up on that).
After surgery, I was very swollen but there was a noticeable difference in the shape of my belly. The little bit of hanging skin was gone, as were most of the stretch marks (which weren't all that significant to begin with).
Recovery was as expected. Horrible in the first week and progressively better as the weeks went on. Every week I waited to see how the swelling would go down. It didn't. But I kept telling myself to trust the process.
It's been 17 months and my belly looks worse than it did before. I'm actually embarrassed to post pictures. It seems permanently bloated and my lower belly has a pouch that is bigger than what I had before. It turns out Dr. Bell did not tighten my abdominal muscles and I've been told since that I do have muscle separation. On top of that, he did liposuction on my upper belly which was always protruding which I hated. I've now been told that this is a sign of diastasis recti and that performing liposuction on the upper belly at the same time as a tummy tuck is not recommended as it causes issues with healing.
Obviously I'm not a doctor so I can't say for sure, but it looks to me like that fat from my upper belly has shifted to my lower belly and sits there below my belly button. It is so stubborn I'm not even sure if I'll ever be able to get rid of it.
I'm so disappointed in this experience. It was supposed to be the last step the body I've worked so hard for and instead I'm left with problems I didn't have before.
My experience immediately after surgery wasn't great either. When I woke up the nurse refused to let me send a text to my family to let them know I was okay and the discharge nurse didn't show me how to "milk" the drains (if you know you know) so I ended up having to keep them for a week longer than expected. And if you don't know, drains really suck.
If I could do it all again (and I don't plan to because this experience was so bad) I would do far more research. I would even try to talk to former patients if I could. The moral of my story is: there are plenty of surgeons in this city. Don't believe the first one you meet with unless they come on very good authority. Compare your options. Spend what you need to and always try to see the surgeon in person well before the surgery to discuss your needs.
DJuneM's provider
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