Another procedure

Hi all,
I swear that I am not addicted....I promise! :-)

I am going back in just 8 weeks for a revision of my brachioplasty to fix scars and remove more skin. I am also have "excision of flank skin". This means I will get my back rolls taken off. My butt is good and so are my upper legs. I am not sure what that incision will look like.....my consult was so long ago. I think he is going to do a vertical cut up the sides and then a tiny extended from my extended tummy tuck. My preop is June 16. Surgery is June 25.

I am excited but trying to to get too excited because then that is all I will think about! :-)

Good luck to all!
Kim

Kim,
I had flank excision along with my braicho last halloween day.  I was leary too about the vertical incisions on my sides, and mine was more to get rid of the excess skin in my belly, above the belly button, and along my sides.  I didn't want the anchor cut incision.  Now, I 'm really happy with the choice and the scars are fading well. I do have an area on my right hip that I want to have revised, and one by my left breast.  I will follow up in June on those issues.   So far, that was my easiest procedure by far!

Hi Jennie,

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. Do you mind if I ask a couple of more questions? I do know that my surgeon would best answer these but I wanted to know your experience.

1. I have two big rolls on my bag, one a bit (maybe3 inches) under the bra line and anoither at the waist. MY tummy tuck is perfect....but then I have these two back rolls! My consult was back in December and I am not remembering exactly what he said. But, I believe, the side incisions would take care of these two rolls. Did you have actual rolls with your flank skin or was it just a chunk? Does this make any sense? LOL!

2. Where exactly do your scars go? I already have a brachioplasty scar that went thru the armpit and down to the bra line. He took all of that side chest skin out. I think I remember him saying he would extend this down the sides and maybe extend the TT scar a bit.

In the end, it doesn't matter where the scars are. I am going to do it. I am just wondering if this flank excision takes care of the back rolls. I believe I have a pic on my profile of my back before....but I am not sure.

Thanks mucho! :-)
Kim

Kim -

I didn't have any rolls on my back, but lots of skin could be pulled away at my sides, and onto my upper belly, even though I had the LBL.  It was offered to me to have the anchor cut, but I didn't want the vertical incision up my belly, so when I would lean forward, I had lots of skin under my breasts that would still hang down, and you could just pull away lots at my sides, but no real rolls there.  My incision goes from my elbows, through the armpits in a z-plasty and down my sides to my hip bones, meeting the LBL incision at my hips.  At the widest areas on my sides, 8 inches of skin was removed, in an ellipis if that makes sense.  At my side boob area, only a couple of inches was removed - same at the hip, but at my waist curve, 8 inches on each side!  My back does look better, but I really didn't have back rolls to begin with.

I have one area on my right high hip area that bulges out funny that I want addressed, and a bit of extra tissue on my left side at the breast.  Those are the areas needing to be revised.

Hi there,
Quick question...did you have drains with your side incisions ?
Thanks! 

I had 4 drains total with that procedure - one from each arm, and one from each side.  They came out in the corner of the breast curve, so the scars are pretty well hidden, but they were uncomfortable there.  I was pleased with this procedure that all 4 were pulled at 2 1/2 weeks, and it seemed like there wouldn't be seroma issues.  I was wrong on that and ended up with seroma on both flanks, and they finally resolved after 5 additional weeks.  I was aspirated 7 times I think.  Had pockets on both sides, and a couple of small seromas on each arm.

I know a couple of women that had the bra line incision along the back to help address the back rolls. I have some small back rolls too but if I do decide to have surgery to address them, this is the one my surgeon recommends. He offered to do it when I did my brachioplasty but I just wasn't ready for more scars along my backside since I already have my LBL scar. I plan to do lipo first and see how my back looks. I know I have excess skin so lipo will probably add to it but at least my rolls will be smaller...hopefully.