POSTED UNDER Panniculectomy REVIEWS
Panniculectomy Needed to avoid under belly Rashes - Washington, DC
ORIGINAL POST
I am a 33 year old woman who has had multiple...
tyetrenyaMarch 21, 2016
WORTH IT
I am a 33 year old woman who has had multiple problem with umbilical hernias. I have had 2 previous surgeries for hernia repairs and abdominal reconstruction to strengthen up my abdominal muscle walls. During my last hernia repair surgery my PS wanted to perform a Panniculectomy during that time but my insurance would not cover the cost of the procedure. Recently I went in January to see my PS because I was having abdominal pain. During that consultation he stated that we could try to see if we can get it done. To my surprise after about 3 weeks I got my approval for my procedure. I have included the before pics. I am now a week post-op and go back 3/22 hopefully I can have my drains removed but if not I will still post pics.
Replies (4)
April 11, 2016
Your results so far look great! Do the drains hurt a lot or are they just uncomfortable. How long did you keep the drains in and did they hurt much coming out? Once again you're look good already.
April 11, 2016
Thank you so much!! They were more uncomfortable than anything, bc I didn't want to risk pulling them out. My drains were in for about 15 days and one side hurt as he pulled it out probably bc I was laying down but the other side didn't hurt it felt like a swigley worm being pulled out...lol The time frame of having your drains vary from person to person based on how much fluid your body puts out. After about a week my drains total put out less than 30ml. Are you considering a panni??
UPDATED FROM tyetrenya
9 days post
Drains are not leaking as much
tyetrenyaMarch 23, 2016
So after meeting with my PS today he informed me that he would like to leave my drains in for another week to prevent Seroma. My drains are not not putting out that much fluid but he said that is good just keeping milking them to make sure that when he pulls them there isn't a big mess. Although the DR said that everything is fine I still feel a little weary that I have to leave the drains in with nothing coming out of them. Overall the visit went great and I am healing as to be expected although I am still a little sore and swollen in my tummy. Here are some more pics to track my progress. My PS stated to me that he was able to keep my original belly button and I am extremely happy about that.
Replies (1)
April 16, 2016
Thinking about it also you look great I have same problem with the apron. Keep us posted
UPDATED FROM tyetrenya
12 days post
13 post op....Still a little swollen, drains are annoying
tyetrenyaMarch 26, 2016
So as of now I am 13 post op and I am still a little sore but able to move around a little bit more. Drains are putting out about 10-12 ml (both sides total). I am so anxious to go back to my PS on Tuesday so that he can take the out. I am able to wear my binder a little tighter than it originally was, if not it will slide down and move around. Is there anyone that have experienced a panniculectomy, well I know that there are but what was the time frame that you really started noticing the swelling going down? My tummy is still swollen at the top and in the middle by my belly button just a little. Still unable to wear underwear comfortably I think because of the drains. I will say that I am loving the results that I see, although I really have not been putting on clothes.
Replies (5)
April 17, 2016
I've just had my surgery on April 11th. I'm trying to see what to expect because my drains are very uncomfortable & I'm extremely bloated. I have been having good amounts of drainage (not too much according to the nurse)
April 17, 2016
I can't seem to get comfortable. I'm so used to moving & being a busy body that lying in the bed hurts my butt, sitting up hurts my drain incisions, so I'm at a lost.
April 18, 2016
Hey Alishonsam, yes my drains were completely uncomfortable simply bc the stitching in it were poking me and it hurt. They were also irritating bc I was afraid to move around much bc I may pull them out or it would itch in that area and I couldn't pat it bc it would hurt....but one good thing that helped was placing a piece of medical tape over the drain insert. The great thing about not putting out large amounts of fluid is that they will be able to come out possibly 10-16 days post-op depending on your PS.!!! The bloating may come from the swelling in your belly which is common. Also try kinda layin sideways on your butt vs directly on your butt that seemed to help me get some relief since I couldn't lay directly on my side. Hope this helps!!! Good Luck and Happy Healing!!!!
May 14, 2016
THANK YOU SO MUCH! It did help laying side ways. BAD NEWS: I ended up back in the hospital with an infection and I had been telling my doctor something wasn't right for 2 weeks, but he kept saying everything was fine. I'm back on the road to recovery (a week out of the hospital). I AM ITCHING LIKE CRAZY THO!
May 14, 2016
OH NO, I am so sorry to hear that you ended up back in the hospital but I am glad that you are recovering again. I wish you the best for that!!! Also you are very welcome I'm glad that my suggestion helped, I jus knew that it worked for me so I figured it would work for someone else...lol. I was also informed that if you take some liquid Benadryl it helps with the itching and I tried that and it works. So once again passing along some info that will hopefully help you as well. Let me know how this works for you!!
Wow, amazing results, thank you for posting! Did the panniculectomy cause any weight loss? Yes, please keep us posted and be sure to post an update when your drains are removed!