Anyone have PS without complications..

Okay, I am getting concerned about the recent posts regarding complications.. I am worried because I have my surgery coming up soon. I just need know.. do WLS patients have a more difficult recovery or is it something more common..I have selected a PS that mainly serves WLS patients and came highly recommended by my Bariatric Surgeon..

I expect a perfect surgery and recovery.. sorry but if we are shelling out all this cash, this is something that  I expect. For crying out loud, I could buy a new car or go on several awesome vacations..


Thanks,

Michelle

 In general WLS patients do have more complications, partly because the surgeries tend to be more extensive. If you're a 'normal' non-WLS patient going in for a TT chances are they're not gonna be cutting off 10lb of skin, know what I mean? In addition, my hematologist (blood specialist) said that he is seeing more and more WLS patients referred to him due to bleeding problems only discovered during plastic surgeries after their weight loss. He rarely is able to diagnose an actual disorder but he says it's only now being recognized that WLS patients can develop hemostasis issues which didn't exist before their weight loss. It's so new that nobody has investigated it yet. But he definitely sees it. We can have complications or prolonged recoveries because we're more likely to have nutritional deficiencies. Have you had a full blood panel taken recently to check? 

You should envision a perfect recovery but I think some of it is simply out of our and our doctors' hands. A doctor has no control over your body once you leave their office, and you have no control over certain aspects of your recovery. For example sometimes your body will decide to spit an absorbable stitch and it can start to work its way out and get infected. Or despite scrupulous care your belly button might get infected. You might slip just a bit stepping out of the shower and pop open a little section of your incision. Stuff can happen, no matter how much you pay for your surgery. I paid over $25,000 for my surgeries (way above the average cost for what I got, BL/BA+TT) with one of my area's most prestigious surgeons, and ended up getting the crap end of the stick. Not because my doctor wasn't good, he is extremely skilled. (His bedside manner is something else entirely). Because my body didn't cooperate. 

I think it's wise to be worried about complications, because it's realistic. I really pray that you don't have any. There are plenty of people who don't. But they're not motivated to post much about their surgeries here because they don't need as much support. It's kind of a self-selecting crowd here. So I think it can be a little misleading if you go by what you read here. I don't know if we're the majority or not. 

If you were to get a complication, like say, a small infection in part of your incision, and it was a real hassle for 3 weeks, but you still ended up with a flat tummy or perky boobs or whatever in the end, would it be enough for you to say "this surgery wasn't worth it"?. Probably not, because you've gotta live in your skin for a looooooong time and a vacation in Hawaii is not gonna make you look fabulous in a dress for the next 40 years. I think you've gotta believe that your body is worth more than those material goods. If it's something that really bothers you, you should make an informed decision, get the best care, go into it confidently, and do your best to stay healthy and take precautions. I have a $4,000 hospital bill to tack onto my plastics total due to complications and I am still in the thick of it, but when I bend over I don't have rolls of skin hanging and slapping against each other. That's worth it, to me, because I was so freaking miserable and self-conscious. I don't care if I'm still paying this off 5 years from now. It was worth it. I couldn't have done anything differently, so I've gotta accept what's happened and go forward from here. 

Lizzy, I know you have had a tough recovery..I cant even imagine.. I have had quite a few surgeries before WLS. God only knows how my body will react post.. I recently had my iron (RBC, Ferritin etc) , B12, folate, calcium, B6, B1, Thyroid, Pancreas enzymes, LIver Enyzmes, Calcium, electrolytes checked.. due to  my Low normal ferritn levels..I know with my upcoming surgery I wanted to make sure everything was in line.. 

My TT surgery is 9800 (that's with a 2k discount), I am not planning my BL/BA until next year. I had a wide selection of PS but  chose the  practice that had the most experience with WLS patients. I believe  FL, CA and NY probably have the best PS in the country just do to frequency and competition.

I will try to remember that the forum is where people go who need support.. folks with no complications probably dont show up here..

Thanks,
Michelle

I believe for most of us, recovery is tougher because of our weight loss surgery. That being said, many people go through recovery with little if any complications. These people rarely post on forums such as this. I had a smooth recovery until the 4 week mark when I split a small hole in my incision. It was smaller than a dime, but did freak me out. It healed in 2 weeks. Looking back, it was not a big deal.

Expecting a perfect surgery (and by that I assume you mean a perfect result at the end) and a perfect recovery is expecting too much, in my not-so-humble opinion. For most of us, our bodies are a mess from years of neglect. Even the best surgeon will have a tough time making us look "normal" again. And our surgeons have no control on how well we take care of ourselves and our nutritional needs post-op. I think we all need to hope for the best, but expect that there may be complications.

Laura

 I had two surgeries and no post-op complications what so ever. Totally easy recoveries. My surgeon was amazed at how quickly I was off meds and running around. 

I did develop some keloid scars at about 6 weeks out. They are ugly but not a health issue. 

Thanks for the positive feedback.. I think I can do it now..

Michelle

 no issues at all with my lower body lift.  infection with the arms though.   From watching this board and seeing many others come and go....I have only seen one or two people that have regretted having surgery.  Most are thrilled with the results once they have finally recovered and the complications are a distant memory.  Kind of like child birth I guess.  LOL

Hey Michelle!

your RNY was 1 week after mine!  and i had a complication free tummy tuck on 9/6/11.  pain was pretty bad the first week but was managable with meds.  so very happy with the results!  would do it again in a minute.  my tummy tuck wasn't as extensive as most as i only had 3 pounds of skin removed where lots of folks have 10+ pounds removed but removing those 3 pounds of skin from my belly removed thousands of pounds off my shoulders!  that skin drove me nuts!  it was all i would see when i looked in the mirror!  i know this sounds pretty stupid but it didn't even feel like it was part of my body!  it's expensive and i had to pay out of pocket but it was worth every penny!

best wishes to you!!

jenni

Thanks Jenni,

I was freakin out a little bit.. thanks for the reassurance.

Michelle

Michelle, I had virtually no complications.  Seromas that reabsorped on their own was all I had.  I had no spitting stitches and no openings.  I've had Brachioplasty with Lipo, Extended TT and then returned a year later for LBL/Anchor Cut TT/Flap Aug Butt Lift/full thigh lift with Lipo and hernia repair - 3 days later had a full face/neck and eye lift!  No complications and I've healed well.

Okay, about being a perfect surgery and perfect recovery because you're paying cash - well, that's another story.  You're having major surgery - you were once obese and you have excess skin as a result of being obese.  Our bodies have to seek collateral circulation post surgery so there will be swelling and the skin just isn't like others.  Take your time off of work and life and rest, follow your doctor's orders and hope for the best, but realize sometimes in life perfection isn't an option, whether you're paying cash or letting the insurance pick up the tab. 

Life is life.... we deal.