A question for those who did mid journey plastics..

I am wondering if any of you had any major changes after your surgery.. besides your physical self.. what I mean is differences in  your hunger, ability (or lack of) to lose weight, anything that might play a role in your weight loss after the fact... or even your mental state of being... did you feel more inspired after you had the extra belly skin gone? My last question... for those of you who had it done mid journey... when you got to your goal, how did your stomach look? Was it really bad again? Where were you when you got it done and where are you now (weight)?

Ok, this is a lot.. I apologize :)

I am currently hovering around 230. I'm going in for a tummy tuck and a breast lift in 3 weeks. I had initually intended to wait, but my skin on my stomach is out of control. It's messing with my head. I've lost over 100 pounds and I still really hate how I look. I almost find the flabby skin more distrubing than I found weighing 343 pounds.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

Congratz on your 100 pound loss and in your upcoming surgery.

Well I had a TT on June 10th. 2week tomorrow. I think that the abilty to eat is a major factor after surgery. I get really hungry but by the time Im eating I get full by the second spoonful, but the funny thing that I feel satified. Then is a couple of hours, I eat again. Anything else is still the same. I am not bruised but I am swollen......

If I may say something......-That I think that having your TT and your BL at 230 pounds is kinda too soon still. I personally think that once you have this TT and BL that you will still and will lose weight. Wouldn't you see MORE lose skin after? Tough it out. Are you willing to go thru more surgeries to continue to have a TT look like a TT? I'm not trying to be a party pooper here just an opinion.

But, I wish you the BEST OF LUCK on your surgery and for a speedy recovery. Keep us posted.

~Sandie~

I have to be honest with you - if you do have your surgery and lose more weight, you won't be happy with your results.  I had my surgery in December due to major backpain.  My panni was very heavy and large and my arms measured 28 and 29 inches around.  I am a swimmer and a cyclist.  Swimming had become very difficult.  I'm also a nurse who works 12 hour nightshifts and I was living on Aleve. 

I've lost about 60lbs since my surgery and my stomach is loose again and I will be in need of  a revision.  If I had been able to wait until I got to goal, I would have waited.  I knew I'd need a revision, my surgeon told me this before we did the surgery and I totally knew I didn't have a choice.

The good news however is that my backpain has totally resolved.  I am more active than ever and I am losing weight like crazy -- or I was - right now I've hit a plateau.  And I'm saving my money for my tummy revision and my brachioplasty revision. 

I think you have to decide if you will be happy with something that is not such an improvement - and could have been much better had you waited until you hit goal.  We get impatient sometimes and that's okay if you're willing and aware that a revision will be needed to get the same results as others have gotten (those who were at goal) --

Just my 2 cents.

I am well aware that my results will change as I lose more weight. The thing is I've been stuck where I am for almost 7 months and despite my efforts, I'm getting nowhere. I'm not gaining, not losing.. just stuck. I never had weight loss surgery, I've done it all on my own, and I don't know why, but my body seems to be happy right where I am. I'm hoping that the change in my body will help me to get some more of this weight off. I guess I also feel like even if this is where I am going to be- I feel so much better than I did 100 pounds ago. When I was considering bariatric surgery the surgeon told me that I have large muscle mass and will never get to 140 or anywhere close. That was a big factor in my decision... if I'm always going to weigh a lot, I at least don't want to be so flabby and yucky.

I realize a revision might be necessary in the future, but in consideration of how bad this hanging skin and fat is on my stomach, I'm very sure I'll never look this bad again, no matter what.

Thanks for your responses. I'll post pictures when I'm done.

You have to be careful when you still have weight to lose. the fat that is left can lose its blood supply and die and has to come out of your body you can end up having to pack the wounds and the skin dose not heal very well.  I weight  171 when I went in for LBL and they took 31 lbs off me. I ended up wtih a wound that has had to be wet to dry packed 3 to 4 times a day for the last 10 weeks. You really should try and be at goal or at the very least close. this is not a very easy surgery and the thought of going thur it again is not very appealing to say the least.

 I just wanted to post and say that is sounds like you and I are on very similar journeys! I am losing this weight on my own as well without WLS and I too have been stuck at around 230 lb's (started at 322 lb's ) for 7 months! I also am a large frame and muscular so im not sure what my finale goal weight will be, I am anxious for the skin and flab to be removed as well, and like you my body seems to be stuck at this weight, but I want to keep pushing a head and keep on keeping on, I finally hit a block wall emotionally and realized that I was beating myself up for not losing faster. Since then I have stopped weighing and decided that it is going to take the amount of time that it needs to take for me to hit my goal which I think will be around 165ish. Until then  I am learning to let go of the pressure and unrealistic expectations and accept where I am for the moment. I really wish you great luck and success and hope you are very pleased with your results and it helps you continue to lose more! please keep us posted and I look forward to seeing your pic's!

Take care!
 

I generally reserve plastics for patients who are not at goal for those suffering from skin infections, or serious limitations in their physical activities.  That's not to say that I will not also perform loclaized liposuction on problem areas...I do this frequently !

Fat heals poorly, the surgeries are harder, longer, more expensive, and riskier....and the results are less than ideal.  All reasons to fix whatever fixables you can in terms of activity/diet/lifestyle and also check with your bariatiric surgeon on why you may be plateaued before doing plastics.

So help me understand what's different between someone like me and someone who has a panni removal somewhere in the process?

People do that all of the time..

A panni removal during the process is not a cosmetic procedure, it is usually out of necessity. people have trouble exercising walking etc because the panni is in the way or because it hurts them or because of painful rashes....

Dr Lomonaco made some good points.  I know after just a minor weight loss I noticed a difference in my breast lift.  Loris