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Tummy Tuck (37 year-old Mother of Multiples- Boston)
I had an abdominoplasty with Dr. Jeffrey Lee at Mass General in Boston through the MGH residency program last year. This is a general review of my experience. I will write a separate longer review of Dr. Lee because I can't say enough good things about him. He is a fantastic surgeon also one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
After having twins, I had significant excess skin and my abdominal muscles were separated. I had considered an abdominoplasty for years and weighed the medical risks and inconvenience vs. my desire to feel comfortable in my own body again. I couldn't be happier with my decision to have the surgery as well as the surgeon I selected.
About the MGH Residency Program: Because my surgery was done though the Massachusetts General Hospital residency program, there were ~10 doctors in the room for part of my consultation, which is inherently awkward, as you can imagine. Everyone was very nice and I survived. If you are considering having surgery through the residency program, it might be helpful to know this group consultation was really the only extra step on my end besides signing permission to use my case for the teaching part. They also specified that Dr. Lee would be the one doing my surgery, and that others were observing/involved. He spent a ton of time answering my long list of questions and I saw him for all of my appointments. My approach in thinking about using a residency program was to confirm that the risk of medical complication wasn't higher than a non-teaching program. After that, I think it's a matter of getting confident with the actual surgeon. Of the doctors I met as I considered my options, Dr. Lee was the best at explaining the procedure, answering my questions, and generally making me feel comfortable. I think the total cost was roughly half of a typical tummy tuck at the hospital, but my decision was not cost-driven.
Surgery: The day of the surgery was surprisingly low-stress. I saw my doctor and he was very sensitive to any anxiety I might have. We chatted and he drew lines with marker on my abdomen before I went into the OR.
Post-Op: I had read experiences of people who reported that the pain/life disruption was similar to that of a c-section, but my recovery from the tummy tuck was more difficult. (Perhaps because I'm 7 years older?) I was overconfident in my ability to take care of myself for the first few days. You will definitely want someone at home helping you. My guess is that most people will regret their decision at some point during the first few days of recovery, especially before you're able to get excited about the results. (Keep that in the back of your mind in the first few days and push through!)
Results: I have included the only pre-op photo I have, along with a photo taken almost 1 year post-op. I am approximately the same weight in each photo.
The cosmetic outcome of my surgery far exceeded my expectations, including the flatness of my abdomen, contour of my flanks, the tightness of my abdominal muscles, the disappearance of stretch marks, the faintness of my scar. They certainly under-promised and over-delivered cosmetically and I'm really happy with the results.
I remember saying before my surgery, "I'm almost 40 yrs old, I'm not going to be prancing around in a bikini, I just don't want to look pregnant anymore." To my surprise, a couple months post-op, I bought my first (of many) bikinis and feel comfortable with my body for the first time in almost a decade.
Clothing: Buy sweat pants for after surgery. Yoga pants won't fit over the binder and swelling.
Binders: I tried about two dozen different binders including some fancy expensive ones online. Interestingly, the best ones I found for wearing under clothing and working out were cheap ones from Walmart, Maidenform Ultra Firm Control Shapewear, which have bra hooks down the front. (You will definitely need something with a clasp or velcro because the stretchy ones are difficult to get on while you are still sore.)
It feels superficial to admit, but I would describe this surgery as life-changing. I've always been athletic and fit and have never been overly focused on how I look. I spent significant time trying to embrace my body after having children but I always felt like I lost a part of myself after carrying twins. For the past 8 years, I've felt like my body wasn't my own. In some ways it felt analogous to someone repairing a chipped front tooth; you could work hard to convince yourself to love your new smile, but why?! This was an emotional journey for me as well as a physical transformation and I'm so grateful that I was able to do it. Best of luck to everyone!
After having twins, I had significant excess skin and my abdominal muscles were separated. I had considered an abdominoplasty for years and weighed the medical risks and inconvenience vs. my desire to feel comfortable in my own body again. I couldn't be happier with my decision to have the surgery as well as the surgeon I selected.
About the MGH Residency Program: Because my surgery was done though the Massachusetts General Hospital residency program, there were ~10 doctors in the room for part of my consultation, which is inherently awkward, as you can imagine. Everyone was very nice and I survived. If you are considering having surgery through the residency program, it might be helpful to know this group consultation was really the only extra step on my end besides signing permission to use my case for the teaching part. They also specified that Dr. Lee would be the one doing my surgery, and that others were observing/involved. He spent a ton of time answering my long list of questions and I saw him for all of my appointments. My approach in thinking about using a residency program was to confirm that the risk of medical complication wasn't higher than a non-teaching program. After that, I think it's a matter of getting confident with the actual surgeon. Of the doctors I met as I considered my options, Dr. Lee was the best at explaining the procedure, answering my questions, and generally making me feel comfortable. I think the total cost was roughly half of a typical tummy tuck at the hospital, but my decision was not cost-driven.
Surgery: The day of the surgery was surprisingly low-stress. I saw my doctor and he was very sensitive to any anxiety I might have. We chatted and he drew lines with marker on my abdomen before I went into the OR.
Post-Op: I had read experiences of people who reported that the pain/life disruption was similar to that of a c-section, but my recovery from the tummy tuck was more difficult. (Perhaps because I'm 7 years older?) I was overconfident in my ability to take care of myself for the first few days. You will definitely want someone at home helping you. My guess is that most people will regret their decision at some point during the first few days of recovery, especially before you're able to get excited about the results. (Keep that in the back of your mind in the first few days and push through!)
Results: I have included the only pre-op photo I have, along with a photo taken almost 1 year post-op. I am approximately the same weight in each photo.
The cosmetic outcome of my surgery far exceeded my expectations, including the flatness of my abdomen, contour of my flanks, the tightness of my abdominal muscles, the disappearance of stretch marks, the faintness of my scar. They certainly under-promised and over-delivered cosmetically and I'm really happy with the results.
I remember saying before my surgery, "I'm almost 40 yrs old, I'm not going to be prancing around in a bikini, I just don't want to look pregnant anymore." To my surprise, a couple months post-op, I bought my first (of many) bikinis and feel comfortable with my body for the first time in almost a decade.
Clothing: Buy sweat pants for after surgery. Yoga pants won't fit over the binder and swelling.
Binders: I tried about two dozen different binders including some fancy expensive ones online. Interestingly, the best ones I found for wearing under clothing and working out were cheap ones from Walmart, Maidenform Ultra Firm Control Shapewear, which have bra hooks down the front. (You will definitely need something with a clasp or velcro because the stretchy ones are difficult to get on while you are still sore.)
It feels superficial to admit, but I would describe this surgery as life-changing. I've always been athletic and fit and have never been overly focused on how I look. I spent significant time trying to embrace my body after having children but I always felt like I lost a part of myself after carrying twins. For the past 8 years, I've felt like my body wasn't my own. In some ways it felt analogous to someone repairing a chipped front tooth; you could work hard to convince yourself to love your new smile, but why?! This was an emotional journey for me as well as a physical transformation and I'm so grateful that I was able to do it. Best of luck to everyone!
Provider Review
The cosmetic outcome of my surgery far exceeded my expectations, including the flatness of my abdomen, contour of my flanks, the tightness of my abs, the disappearance of stretch marks, and the faintness of my scar. My body looks better than it did a decade ago before having twins. He certainly under-promised and over-delivered cosmetically and I couldn't be happier with the result. Friends that have had (successful) tummy tucks with other doctors have mentioned that they'd recommend Dr. Lee instead of their own surgeons, based both on my cosmetic outcome and my experience. I'm guessing other moms in our network will use him in the near future. I'm happy to respond to messages about this doctor or just my tummy tuck experience generally if it's helpful. Good luck!