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POSTED UNDER Tummy Tuck REVIEWS

Horrible Tummy Tuck

ORIGINAL POST

I had a tummy tuck done by Dr. Skyles to repair...

Beachlife1
$5,000
I had a tummy tuck done by Dr. Skyles to repair damage done to my abdomen after having twins. I am a small framed woman 5' 3" weighing 115, so carrying twins to term took a hard toll on my body. It took me 16 years from the time of my pregnancy to finally be able to take time off of work and mothering, along with finally have the money to do the tummy tuck. I decided to have Dr. Skyles do my surgery because she had come highly recommended by several female friends that had breast reduction, breast lift, and augmentation surgeries done by her. Unfortunately, I realized after my surgery, that her specialty is breast surgery, not tummy tucks.
During my consultation with Dr. Skyles, I asked to see photos of her before-and-after tummy tuck results; she said that because Yuba City was a small town and everyone knew each other, she didn't show photos. That was red flag number one. I then asked about having her repairing the underlying muscle tissue and she ultimately said she didn't do that. Red flag number two.
When I woke up from the anesthesia, she said to me that all had gone well and that she had given me "a tiny little belly button". I was worried because I knew that scar tissue tightens up after time. Red flag number 3. My "tiny little belly button" scars closed so tightly within a few weeks that I can't stick a Q-tip (with all of the cotton pulled off) into my belly button.
About two weeks after she performed my surgery she admitted that my surgery needed to be repaired. She offered for me to pay several thousand dollars to the anesthesiologist and for the operating room and that she would "repair" my belly button. My answer was number one, I don't have several thousand dollars to pay to have something fixed that should have been done right in the first place, and number two, I don't trust her surgical skills or judgment to be able to fix what she had messed up.
In the years since I had the procedure, I've had countless skin infections in my belly button that itch like crazy and swell up and bleed. My tummy still hangs loose with stretch marks in the same position as they were prior to the surgery and when I bend over my skin and muscle fall away from my body and hang loose. The one change I have now that I didn't have before the surgery, is a belly button scar that cinches up my belly button like a tie-pouch, with my real belly button almost completely sealed up underneath the scar. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time or money to have the botched results fixed.

Beachlife1's provider

Margaret Skiles, MD (retired)

Margaret Skiles, MD (retired)

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Beachlife1 rating for Dr. Skiles:

Overall rating
Doctor's bedside manner
Staff professionalism & courtesy

Replies (9)

May 15, 2014
That's awful. ....I'm sorry.. do you have before and after phots?
May 15, 2014
Thank you. The reason I posted my story is because I don't want someone else to have to go through what I did with Dr. Skyles. My "before photos" were taken with a film camera, so I am looking through all the negatives to see if I can find them and have them reprinted. I'm going to have my husband take some "after photos" so I can post them.
May 15, 2014
Have you thought of contacting an attorney? I'm in a law office ....free consultation. ....you should call around ....i would not want her to try and fix it!!!! I would want my my money back and go elsewhere to have the repair done... I hope you find photo's. ....i would nit just except it!!!!!
May 15, 2014
I contacted an attorney about 3 months after my surgery and they said that unless the surgeon didn't do the surgery, there is nothing they can do about a bad result, even if it is the doctors fault for the problem. But I would like to sue for the cost of having my belly button opened up, but I no longer live in California.
May 15, 2014
I'm sorry you've had such a bad experience!!!
May 15, 2014
That was awful. Wouldn't wish that on anyone.
May 15, 2014
Thank you, me either.
September 27, 2014
Do you have pictures? I was considering dr. Skiles. But it freaks me out she doesn't show her work.
March 29, 2015
Try to put in an application for the show Botched to see if they can help.