Abdominal skin removal after Open Bypass Surgery??
No, they left my belly button alone. It is a bit lower than it used to be, and has a bit of a "hood" to it, but it is still there. A normal anchor incision would go right through where your belly button is, though, so sometimes they remove it and sometimes they build a new one.
What you were told today is 100% false! It absolutely can be done! Even if you had a full anchor-style tummy tuck, they would just cut down the same midline incision that they used for your RNY. They just remove the skin with the old incision. Please don't let this surgeon's misinformation concern you.
I had open RNY, then had an incisional hernia fixed (they cut along the exact same line), and then had the tummy tuck along the same line again. Now, because that was the THIRD surgery along that incision line, the circulation was compromised and the incision broke down and became necrotic. That is a possibility even with an initial incision, though, and the chance increases with each subsequent surgery, but MANY people have open RNY and then skin removal with no issues whatsoever.
Lora
edited to add: If you just have a panniculectomy done, it doesn't make a bit of difference whether your RNY was open or lap. The amount of extra skin, and how it is distributed, will determine whether they need to remove/rebuild your belly button.
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
Thank you so very much Lora this gives me hope. I also have a hernia and I was hoping I could get my insurance to pay for it. and the fact that i don't have a great amount of skin that needs to be removed and really there is quite a bit of space between the RNY incision and my belly button. Ov course the surgeon didn't even look at me so how could he have known....
I had an open scar, it was 4.5 inches long originally. I had an extended tt with muscle tightening eighteen months later, my bb was repositioned. The scar is now moved down on my stomach and barely noticeable, the stretch marks on my stomach that remain are more noticeable. I have pics on my profile of how it looks in a bikini. If you add me as a friend you can see my private ps pics.
