QUESTIONS ABOUT LBL AND LIPO

DO ANYONE KNOW IF LIPO IS AUTOMATIC INCLUDED IN LBL AND IF SO WHICH TYPE OR IF ITS AND EXTRA CHARGE. ALSO THE BUTT LIFT THAT IS INCLUDED WITH THE LBL IS THERE AND EXTRA CHARGE FOR SHAPING WITH  YOUR OWN FAT I THINK IT IS CALLED FAT GRAFTING.

The body contouring they do in a lbl with lipo was included in mine, but not in all. Be sure to check with your surgeon. My butt augmentation was extra and not included in a regular lbl.

I didn't need lipo with my LBL, but I had it with my arm lift and it was included in the price.

The butt lift part of the LBL is basically just pulling up the draping skin and has a tendency to leave you very flat in the back. I did pay extra for auto-augmentation with my LBL. Auto-augmentation uses the part of the hanging skin that normally is cut off during the LBL, removing the outer layer of skin and then they plicate it (sort of sew it up into pleats) to shape it leaving you with a nice curvy contour. I'm very pleased with my results and unlike fat grafting, mine is completely permanent - it maintained it's blood supply. 

Fat grafting isn't always very effective as many of the fat cells die when transplanted into a new location without blood supply and your doctor can't predict where they will survive and where they won't. Try googling this or looking it up on the various plastic surgery websites.There are a number of potential complications from that technique which is why I chose auto-augmentation. When they use your fat, they need to treat it after liposuction and before transplantation; I would imagine that would be an additional cost added to the LBL.

If you google fat grafting you may come across the research where they are developing new protocols to enrich fat cells with fat stem cells; hopefully in the future this may be a superior technique.

I just have and few more ? how much more was it i ask because my pre cons is April 20 my sx is may 11 so i have no ideal of how much i may need. My insurance is paying for my surgery so if you don't mine and brief ideal on the price.

Hi Skylark..
Do you have pictures of the plicate you are speaking of..and if so, would you please share them with me..(us)?

Thanks

cyndy

Hi Cyndy, I'm sorry but I don't have pictures of myself, I know I'm weird but this whole thing of being obese has left me terribly camera shy even now that I have a great, slim body.
 
I did google Autologous gluteal augmentation after massive weight loss and found asurgeon in Cincinnati who has some pictures on his website: http://www.hunstadcenter.com/procedures/buttockimplants.htm  I don't see anyone who looks as bad as I did pre-op (I've lost almost 200 pounds by diet, not WLS). I had a lot more hanging skin than this surgeon'spatients pre-op but the end results look similar to mine - my rear is still small but it has a nice shape to it and I have some curves that I wouldn't have had without this procedure. I'm extremely pleased with my results.

Here is an old abstract that describes the technique that I had: http://www.nesps.org/abstracts/2009/12.cgi The key is that it's a flap of my own tissue which retains it's blood supply etc. and not a hard plastic implant or fat transfer. When I feel the area, it feels normal, not like there is an implant there.

 I paid extra for this, but I don't remember what the difference was - it does take more time and probably is best done by an experienced plastic surgeon.

Thank you for the links..That was pretty amazing.!

How did you lose..and Congratulations for being able to achieve such great results and for keeping it off...Lord knows, I tried everything for losing weight from the time I was 10 years old..I would sometimes lose a few pounds and then gain it back with extra to boot in a matter of days..
I'm happy for you and your great achievement.!

cyndy

Edit...I just read your singnature on how you lost the weight...

When i got my lower body lift it was included in the hips/thighs and thats it! They did kind of shape my butt but its small...to small i think i wish i asked for fat to be put in! but over all im very happy! They said i could buy more $5oo per thing (sorry not sure what type or what kind) i pass though