How much will full TT help pubic mound & inner thighs?

I know that I ideally want a LBL, but I can't afford it & I don't have insurance.  There's a premier teaching hospital in my city that can do a full TT, which I'm okay with having an advanced medical resident do it.  Heck, I went to Mexico for the WLS so in comparison, the med student under supervision isn't a bad deal.  I've already been told that for a full TT, it would be an advanced med student & that including all fees from the hospital, anesthesiologist, med student, & medications received while in the hospital that it would be $6,700.  They will not do a LBL due to its advanced nature - too advanced for a med student - but, of course told me that if I should really want that, I could get the "back" portion done as a separate, later procedure for about the same cost.

While I have some very minor loose skin (no folds at all) on my back, the back view in general is really not that bad.  However, I do have some excess skin above my butt towards the sides (think a center point b/w the portion above my upper butt cheecks & upper hips at a 4:00 & 8:00 position), it's really not soooo bad that leaving it would be unacceptable.  I was told that the full TT would help tighten some of that  excess skin area.  Given the state it's in now (not horrible), some help might just make it totally ok if that means saving a minimum of $10k.  I really don't want to go to Mexico for PS if I can avoid it.

I also feel pretty confident that a full TT would help remove the excess skin on my upper pubis area.  I was told that it would help lift some of my upper front thigh area also.  Soooooo, my big question is . . . just how much of the excess skin from my upper inner thigh could realistically be helped through the pulling up of the skin above it when they do the TT? 

Thanks for your insights!

I had an LBL and the only part of the thigh it helps pull up is the outer thigh.  So I would imagine that a TT wouldn't do anything for the inner thigh. That would be a medial thigh lift, which I had that too.

As for the mons, you should see a good bit of an improvement with a TT there. 

During your consultation, ask to see before/after pictures of the procedures you want and ask what their techniques are.

Good luck.

No need to be sorry!  I know it's a risk . . .

I know it might not be as skilled as a PS so that the scar might appear darker or a little more jagged/ not straight using a resident, but since I'm never planning on revealing it outside of my bedroom, I'm okay with that.  I guess I believe that with a straight TT, aside from the scar not being as good as with a skilled PS, how can he mess it up so long as he has basic competence (for a budding PS . . .).  I wouldn't think that at that level, there would be a high risk of accidentally cutting some internal structure that's not supposed to be part of a TT or some other complication that might be due to his lack of experience. 

Can you (or anyone!) think of anything else that I'm not in terms of how good of quality  it may turn out & how inexperience may impact the results?  I'm sure there are unlikely scenarios that the risk is indeed heightened due to inexperience, but so long as it's a long-shot (eg, cutting some internal structure), I'm okay with the possibility that the scar itself may not be as ideal or that it might only be 90% as effective vs a full PS (like, for instance, maybe he won't tighten it enough).  I would be surprised if he overtightened it given all the excess skin surrounding the whole area.  I'm still losing weight slowly & am aiming for Jan, btw, so my guess is that I will have likely lost about 165 pounds by that time & will have reached my stable weight 2 months shy of 2 years post-op WLS.  My WL has been slowly than most even DSers, but that's because I eat more carbs than most, but exercise like a fiend so that I have excellent muscle tone all over my body - I do floor grappling with men, it's a total body workout (& SOOO much fun to put my hands all over their young, toned bodies!)

Our skin has WAYYYYY more limited laxticity (sp) then a "normal" person.  His anchoring skills to prevent your skin for drooping after surgery so if you have excess skin I would be extrememly worried that he would not take off enough considering his non-experience with post extreme weight loss patients (unless he's had experience).

Ms Shell

Hi,
I just had a TT. I love my mons area. It is lifted and perky! :-) Not much change in my thighs though. Perhaps right around the bikini line area were it is smooth now. And I don't see any change in my back at all. As a matter of fact, with the tummy so tight, I notice my back 'fat' a lot more now (cuz I'm such a chick...hee)

Also, the Mexico quote is more than I paid stateside for a very experienced surgeon. Granted, insurance paid for part of the anethsesia and med facility (had a medically necessary BR too). My TT was $2000 less than the mexico quote. Of course I'm in a different state. But I'd shop around if I was you.

Hope that helps. I also have b4/after pics if that would help. Send me your home email. I didn't upload them to my profile because I keep that public.

Rachel

A tummy tuck can help that area of skin you are talking about on the sides and back of your hips...IF they cut pretty far around. What I mean is, when you are laying flat they would take the incision on both sides to the table and not stop just on your tummy. It wraps around to the hip area. That helps tighten the skin on the upper area of the hip as well as the outer thigh. My tummy tuck didn't affect my inner thigh area. I had my thighs done separately. It should definitely help with the mound on your mons area. You just want to make sure you discuss with them the placement of the scar. If it's brought up too high you can look very odd. The placement is key. Let them know you'd prefer to have that scar as low as possible so it will look good aesthetically.

Hi Renee,
Good advice on the low incision; it also helps with a more natural pubic hair line as well.

I was cut hip to hip and don't really see a difference in my back, but that's my body of course. I'm only 6 weeks out so more can change.

Yes, things can still change and settle in. It didn't take care of all of my extra skin in that hip area but it did help. My surgeon just said I didn't really have enough extra skin on my backside to warrant the LBL, so he just really extended the horizontal incision.

There are quite a few folks here that have gone through resident programs with great success. 

I can't recall the names of the two that come to mind at the moment but when resident programs are brought up, they usually chime in about their success with them.