New TT Technic NO Drains!!!!

HI ALL.
 
Just to let anyone who is intrested. u dont have to have drains and you only have swelling for  couple of months.  My PL Sur did the trenching method...instead of just layin your skin down and stiching you up he put what he called trenches(sutchers to hold my skin down) and it causes less swellin. No drains!!  I loved it . I has my PLS  in NOvember 09 it is know Feb. I haven't swelled since Jan.2010...Check out my profile.

Debra

That technique is called "quilting" and has been used by some people to try and avoid drains. It is poorly suited to the massive weight loss patient however due to the bulk and swelling of the fatty tissue in many (nearly all) weight loss patients. I do not know anyone who does this routinely for bariatric patients, and very few do it for "regular" patients having tummy tucks. The best suited candidate are those with normal weight and little skin excess in whom you're doing a "lipoabdominoplasty" technique with very little undermining of the skin.

I really appreciate your posting this.  Thank you, this is useful information.

I was quilted following all the complcations after my surgeries.  I had lots of seromas.  The quilting eventually stopped the problem,but I still had drains in for 5 weeks after being quilted (sept 4 to oct 10), and then had to be aspirated 4 times for the seromas to resolve.

Some of us will just get seromas - we are more prone.  I wouldn't rely on this type of procedure with no drains for a massive weight loss patient.  Our tissues are different and it may work for someone who hasn't lost lots of weight - which is how the major amount of the research is skewed.  It can help, but isn't the answer to doing these with no drains for everyone.

I still have some swelling in my back/sides att times, even with the quilting and I'm 16 mos out from the quilting. We are all different and our tissues are different.

Not tring to sound like a smart ass but if you dont think the loss of 120lbs is massive weight loss i dont know what is??? Look at my befor photos they say it all. I'm not telling people to go out and say hey this is what i want....I thought I should let them know so they could look into it there selfs.. I DID have swelling just not as long just a few months I have heard people say they swell up to a year.

I'm sorry Debra - I think you misunderstood me, or that I came across wrong.  Of course, 120lb loss is massive.  My concern is that the qulting, or progressive suture techinique, or any of these  procedures might work one way on those who have not had massive weight loss vs those who have.  Most research on these techniques for no drains don't work as well on us most of the time.  Some will get away with no drains, but promising no drains or swelling might not be realistic for many of us due to the skin laxity and extra bulk the suture technique causes in certain area.  I get concerned about doctors advertizing that they can do a procedure like this and apply it to massive weight loss patients without having lots of experience and most still will not "guarantee" no drains or swelling.  Please understand that when you've had lots of complications, blankets raise concern.

I'm glad that your procedure worked well for you and that you didn't have issues.  I sincerely hope that more techniques will comeout that will help us avoid complications, and these techniques certainly hold some promise and may just need to be tweaked to make it work.

Sorry for all the complication you are goin through or have had...I wish you luck and wellness. Debra

I'm not convinced that any technique can promise no swelling.  Each person and each procedure is different.

I did not have "quilting" and I had NO Swelling with my TT.

Interesting idea though....thanks for sharing.