Panniculectomy Post-Op Swelling?

 a week off is really pushng it, I wasnt even allowed to drive for the first week and I bounce back quickly.
the extreme tiredness set in after the first week. I wish u luck at least rest when u get home
good luck Susan

 I know, I'm stubborn and I don't want to impose my workload on my co-workers.  Did you take pain meds for very long after your surgery?

no,  I try not to take the percocet cause
#1 u cant drive when u r taking pain meds, I had surgery on Monday for my back fat and I have a broken foot with a cast on it when I had the surgery on Monday and on Tuesday, I got up and drove when the nurse called to see how I was I said fine I am going shopping,, I tire easily though post op, I can do a lot but by 2 pm I m exhausted

#2 pain meds make u constipated
#3 they make me tired & woozy & I dont like the way they make me feel
#4 sometimes they make me nauseaous
Good Luck Susan

Granted, I had everything done, LBL, BL, arms and upper thigh lift and didn't go back to work for 8 weeks.  Then 1/2 days.  This is my 3rd week back full time and I'm exhausted.  Most of the time I'm still wearing both my bra/arm & abdomin garment.  If I take a day or two off, I swell and look like I'm 6mo preggers.  One day back in my garment, and I shrink back down.  I wore cotton terry cloth pants for the first 4+ weeks.  Anything tight was very uncomfortable.  I'm 12 weeks out today and back looking like a stuff sausage.  But, it does feel better in the garment.  At a week out I was lucky to be able to walk over to the mall and watch a movie, or a short trip to the HEB for groceries.  Don't push yourself too soon.

 Thank you, did you find that any of your clothes didn't fit after surgery?  I've read on some posts that after surgery they weren't able to fit back in their pre-surgery outfits.

you jeans may be tight or anything with a zipper may be difficu for a few days or even weeks depending on how u swell.
 I measure myslef to see how the swelling is going.
when I had my surgery on monday pre-op under my breast was 31, post op it was 36 now it is down to 33 so it is going down & I also take plenty of before & after pictures
Susan

i am 2 1/2 weeks out from my TT......   fortunately, i am inbetween graduating from college and going to work, so i am taking my time in recovery....  i found a loose-fitting, smock-top dress that lets me go out in public comfortably...  i still have 3 drains, so it hides them well....  i have to walk stooped-over because my doc was very aggressive with the "trussing up" of my abdominals, so i am still using a walker to save my back muscles.... 

we shall see how my clothes fit once i lose the drains and can wear normal clothing...



jeris

Can you take more time off?  You may not be ready to go bac****il your drains are out and you are feeling a tiny bit better. My pre-op jeans did not fit until I was 3 weeks out. I  wore my compression garments 23 hours per day. I am 10 weeks out and I still swell up on days when I am really busy and on my feet a lot. By your sons graduation, you will be feeling way better and your clothes should fit as long as you keep the swelling down with the garments. Good luck to you

I had a panniculectomy done on March 3.....I had minimal swelling and only 1 JP drain....It was taken out after 6 days because of minimal fluid output.....every Dr is different on how many JP drains they use and when they take them out according to how your body absorbs/expels fluids.
 
My panniculectomy was approved through my insurance due to large panni that ws causing severe back pain and constant rashes beeing treating by prescription creams....

As you know a panniculectomy only requires removal of the excess abdominal skin but when I post I list that I had a panniculectomy/TT BECAUSE my Dr..is also a Trauma/Wound Surgeon and he reconstructed me a new navel and did some muscle tightening....I also birthed 10 kids and 3 were c-sections...you can see my belly pre-op after RNY in my profile..

But some Dr.'s will only remove the excess skin with a panniculectomy and some may leave you with no belly button and any other work will be out of pocket so I was blessed with that outcome....

I took percocets for only a couple days post-op....minimal pain...I would have preferred to have some Motrin but my RNY doc says no NSAIDS for life so I still have almost a full prescription of percocets left and I was issued 90 pills...but again everyone's pain tolerance is different...pain after surgery was minimal for me too...

I woke up in binder given by hospital...velcro binder and I wore that for 24/7 for 3 weeks then I went to JCPenny and bought a flexees compression garment/girdle......I like mine tight so am able to wear a small in the brand "I AM YUMMY and a medium in Flexees....

After surgery I lost major inches and Dr. took off over 6.5 pounds of skin and fat so with the binder on my pre-op panniculectomy clothes were too big......At four weeks out I have lost an additional 10 pounds....

 That's awesome.  I was really hoping to hear that some people did have a good recovery.  When I had my RNY, I think I took 3 weeks off from work but I was piddling around the house a lot and hardly took any pain meds....so I am hoping the same for this surgery.  I am paying for the whole enchilada out of pocket but my plastic surgeon has said he will give me a new belly button but I didn't want the muscle tightening right now (especially because I'm paying for it).  I just really don't want to go back to work and have everyone asking me if I'm pregnant.