Lower Body Lift Surgery coming up ... please help me out
Hello Everyone. ok so this is my short story .. I had the sleeve surgery 2/2011 (260 ) and I am now 14 mo post op and I weight 137. I am at a healthy weight and I feel it's time to get the excess skin removed. I am scheduled on 5/4/12 for a lower body lift and abdominalplasty. My plastic surgeon is great and I feel very comfortable with him. I wanted to see if anyone on this board has had a lower body lift ( 360 incision) done ? If so can you please give me a heads up on to what recovery might be like ? My surgeon has given me answers to my questions, however I still feel that talking to someone that went through the procedure is extremely important. I am more curious as to how I would be able to move around being that the incision is around the entire body ? If anyone had this procedure and would like to share their experience ( both positive and negative ) I would so glady appreciate it. I know it's a big surgery and all but I ask anyone to please give me some of your personal experiences on recovery as far as time, pain level, moving about, sleeping and sitting down, getting up and down overall, anything to help me get through this with a clearer thought from a post op patient. Thank you so much everyone. This site is just wonderful !!
Hi there Alicia.
I am 12 days post-op from a lbl. I did not require any additional lipo, thanks to a year of gym time, but my surgeon removed 6.12 pounds of skin and tightened me up really nicely. :D I'm very pleased with my results.
I spent 3 nights in the hospital. Originally only scheduled for 2, but my blood pressure stayed really low, and 1 of my (4) drains was not cooperating. Once released, i came home and was able to walk up to our second floor with no problems.
I slept in a recliner the first 9 nights. Attempted the bed on night 10, only made 2 hours before i moved back. Too hard to maneuver, and it seems like the max amount of time i can spend in one position is 2 hours. Having the incision all the way around really complicates matters. Last night i made it for 5 hours, with lots of pillows and moving very slowly when i needed to change how i was lying.
The first week was the hardest. I didn't take much in the way of narcotic pain meds after the first 2 days, but i have been taking a muscle relaxer at night. It really helps, because by the end of the day i am tight and sore and having trouble getting comfortable. Hubby would help me into and out of the recliner when needed, but by day 5 i was doing pretty well on my own.
Swelling is a real issue at night as well. I feel a size larger by 6pm, and my energy is mostly gone. That said, i've been getting out of the house for a couple of hours every day since my drains were removed on day 8, and i've not really had much of what i'd call "pain" except right over my lapband port, which has always been a problem spot and i don't feel it is related to this surgery.
My surgeon has me in a compression garment that goes from just below the breasts to the middle of my calf. I bought an extra to have on hand so i could change and not worry about having a clean garment, since he doesn't want me out of it for more than 2 hours per day. The first day i took it completely off to change and wash was day 5, and i almost passed out from the change in blood pressure combined with low blood sugar. I'd been making sure to get in my protein, but not much in the way of carbs, and the sudden shock of activity was too much for me. So now i make sure to have oatmeal before gearing up to shower and change. LOL
Please let me know if you have any other questions, since i'm going through this right now, i've got a very fresh perspective to share. :D
I am 12 days post-op from a lbl. I did not require any additional lipo, thanks to a year of gym time, but my surgeon removed 6.12 pounds of skin and tightened me up really nicely. :D I'm very pleased with my results.
I spent 3 nights in the hospital. Originally only scheduled for 2, but my blood pressure stayed really low, and 1 of my (4) drains was not cooperating. Once released, i came home and was able to walk up to our second floor with no problems.
I slept in a recliner the first 9 nights. Attempted the bed on night 10, only made 2 hours before i moved back. Too hard to maneuver, and it seems like the max amount of time i can spend in one position is 2 hours. Having the incision all the way around really complicates matters. Last night i made it for 5 hours, with lots of pillows and moving very slowly when i needed to change how i was lying.
The first week was the hardest. I didn't take much in the way of narcotic pain meds after the first 2 days, but i have been taking a muscle relaxer at night. It really helps, because by the end of the day i am tight and sore and having trouble getting comfortable. Hubby would help me into and out of the recliner when needed, but by day 5 i was doing pretty well on my own.
Swelling is a real issue at night as well. I feel a size larger by 6pm, and my energy is mostly gone. That said, i've been getting out of the house for a couple of hours every day since my drains were removed on day 8, and i've not really had much of what i'd call "pain" except right over my lapband port, which has always been a problem spot and i don't feel it is related to this surgery.
My surgeon has me in a compression garment that goes from just below the breasts to the middle of my calf. I bought an extra to have on hand so i could change and not worry about having a clean garment, since he doesn't want me out of it for more than 2 hours per day. The first day i took it completely off to change and wash was day 5, and i almost passed out from the change in blood pressure combined with low blood sugar. I'd been making sure to get in my protein, but not much in the way of carbs, and the sudden shock of activity was too much for me. So now i make sure to have oatmeal before gearing up to shower and change. LOL
Please let me know if you have any other questions, since i'm going through this right now, i've got a very fresh perspective to share. :D
Highest weight - 224 Surgery weight - 201 Current weight - 155
Goal - (surgeon) 155; (personal) 138-bodyfat 20%
Goal - (surgeon) 155; (personal) 138-bodyfat 20%
Do you think that I would def need a recliner chair ? I dont have one so that is why i ask . I find that I always have lower side of blood pressure since I had wls last year. Is that what happened to you as well ? Will the compression belt make you feel so lightheaded after taking it off ? Did your appetite chance at all since surgery ? I was off pain meds within 24 hours of sleeve surgery. Do you think this pain is worse, same or better then your initial wls pain ? I am so scared and I am soooo sorry for all the questions. Were you able to tolerate the car ride home from the hospital ?
Hi,
I am 11 days post tummy tuck and have rented a medical recliner for a month.
It has a remote control and goes fully back for me to sleep, and far forward to propel me up.
It cost me 150.00 for the month, including delivery, pick up and set up.
Very well worth it to me ...... I have slept so much better than I expected to, and used less pain med.
I also,had a pain pump that lasted about 48 hours post op .... And that made me able to use less of the Lortab than with previous surgeries.
I am 11 days post tummy tuck and have rented a medical recliner for a month.
It has a remote control and goes fully back for me to sleep, and far forward to propel me up.
It cost me 150.00 for the month, including delivery, pick up and set up.
Very well worth it to me ...... I have slept so much better than I expected to, and used less pain med.
I also,had a pain pump that lasted about 48 hours post op .... And that made me able to use less of the Lortab than with previous surgeries.
The car ride home was easy. We have a CUV, so the height is just perfect. I put a pillow over my stomach, and strapped the seat belt over it. We only live about 5 miles from the hospital, so it was a quick trip.
I have had several abdominal surgeries. This is by far the most involved, painful, and long-time healing of any of them. The first week was the worst, but i have to keep reminding myself to take it easy so i don't tear my incision or cause damage. That said, i only used the pain pump for the first 24 hours, and the other pain meds rarely. I've taken nothing but OTC pain pills since about day 5.
My blood pressure has been wonky since i lost weight, tending to the low side. I always have trouble with anesthesia, so it was not an unexpected side effect. Since i made sure they were aware, no one freaked when it kept dropping post-op.
The compression garment is tight. Really tight. I think the change in pressure after having it on for 4 days, combined with the fact that i hadn't been eating much (and no carbs) was the issue. I've read that a lot of women have some type of reaction the first time or two they take it off - and some folks never notice a difference. My body is very sensitive to such things, so it reacted. Also, doctors vary in their requirements for a garment, so you might not have the issue at all.
I was told to rest at a 30 -45 degree angle, with something under my feet, for the first week or so post-op. Doc said i could manage it with pillows, use a chair, or rent a hospital bed. The recliner worked best for me. The bed was just not an option for the first week. I have several dogs that are used to sleeping on our bed, so i've been in the guest room. I don't like that bed much, and can't get comfortable with all the dogs in the master bed. So the recliner has been good. Last night i did sleep with the whole gang in the master bedroom, but i'm two weeks out at this point.
My appetite did change some. I really was not hungry much at all. I ate some applesauce the evening of the surgery, drank lots of water. The next morning i had a couple of bites of scrambled egg and a protein shake. Then cottage cheese for lunch, and more protein shake for dinner. And some hot tea. That was about the way i ate for the first week. I am down 12 pounds since the morning of surgery, even though the doctor only removed 6 pounds, and i am still swollen with fluid. I'm eating more now, but not a lot. My activity level is quite a bit lower than before surgery, though, so that has a lot to do with it.
I have always bounced right back after surgery, so i've been surprised at how much this surgery took out of me. But it's major. The incision going all the way around makes it hard to do much of anything. And it is a big investment, so you don't want to mess it up. That said, i'm absolutely thrilled at my results. My doc did a great job, and i'm sure i'll see more improvement as i heal up.
Good luck!
I have had several abdominal surgeries. This is by far the most involved, painful, and long-time healing of any of them. The first week was the worst, but i have to keep reminding myself to take it easy so i don't tear my incision or cause damage. That said, i only used the pain pump for the first 24 hours, and the other pain meds rarely. I've taken nothing but OTC pain pills since about day 5.
My blood pressure has been wonky since i lost weight, tending to the low side. I always have trouble with anesthesia, so it was not an unexpected side effect. Since i made sure they were aware, no one freaked when it kept dropping post-op.
The compression garment is tight. Really tight. I think the change in pressure after having it on for 4 days, combined with the fact that i hadn't been eating much (and no carbs) was the issue. I've read that a lot of women have some type of reaction the first time or two they take it off - and some folks never notice a difference. My body is very sensitive to such things, so it reacted. Also, doctors vary in their requirements for a garment, so you might not have the issue at all.
I was told to rest at a 30 -45 degree angle, with something under my feet, for the first week or so post-op. Doc said i could manage it with pillows, use a chair, or rent a hospital bed. The recliner worked best for me. The bed was just not an option for the first week. I have several dogs that are used to sleeping on our bed, so i've been in the guest room. I don't like that bed much, and can't get comfortable with all the dogs in the master bed. So the recliner has been good. Last night i did sleep with the whole gang in the master bedroom, but i'm two weeks out at this point.
My appetite did change some. I really was not hungry much at all. I ate some applesauce the evening of the surgery, drank lots of water. The next morning i had a couple of bites of scrambled egg and a protein shake. Then cottage cheese for lunch, and more protein shake for dinner. And some hot tea. That was about the way i ate for the first week. I am down 12 pounds since the morning of surgery, even though the doctor only removed 6 pounds, and i am still swollen with fluid. I'm eating more now, but not a lot. My activity level is quite a bit lower than before surgery, though, so that has a lot to do with it.
I have always bounced right back after surgery, so i've been surprised at how much this surgery took out of me. But it's major. The incision going all the way around makes it hard to do much of anything. And it is a big investment, so you don't want to mess it up. That said, i'm absolutely thrilled at my results. My doc did a great job, and i'm sure i'll see more improvement as i heal up.
Good luck!
Highest weight - 224 Surgery weight - 201 Current weight - 155
Goal - (surgeon) 155; (personal) 138-bodyfat 20%
Goal - (surgeon) 155; (personal) 138-bodyfat 20%
I had a LBL a four and a half weeks ago.
I worried about how I would be able to do anything with the incision all the way around my body as weak, but it worked out just fine. I would recommend a recliner, because I can only imagine how much harder it would have been sleeping in bed for the first couple of weeks.
I was only in the hospital for one night, and althought the car code home was not fun (I had a two hour drive), it was do-able. I sat in the backseat on one pillow, had a pillow behind my back, and had two pillows on my lap that I kind of leaned forward on. Make sure you take some pain medicine about a half hour before you get in the car, and have the driver take their time and try to avoid bumps.
The pain after my LBL was significantly worse than after my gastric bypass, and the swelling is still pretty bad.... That having been said though, everyone's body is different, and some people have less pain and swelling. I would do it all over again, if I had to, because the results so far are absolutely worth the short term pain and the hassle of a little swelling.
When you take off your binder, the first few times you will feel light headed, but as you heal that feeling will get better and go away.
If I could give any advice, it would be to stock up on pillows! In my opinion they are so essential in getting comfortable the first few weeks after surgery, and I am so glad that I stocked up prior to my LBL.
When you first try to stand up after surgery, take it slow! My overnight nurse tried to rush me to get up and I almost passed out. I was afraid to stand up again after that. My morning nurse however, encouraged me to try again, and insisted that I take it slow. She told me there was no rush, and to take it in stages. First we worked on sitting up, with my feet off of the side of the bed. I sat like that for make fifteen minutes, to give my blood pressure and everything time to stabilize. Then I slowly stood up, with the help of my husband, and before attempting to take a step, I stood still for a minute or two. I was able to walk across the room, and to the bathroom without feeling like I was going to pass out. TAKE IT SLOW!
Please feel free to continue to ask questions, I know I had a million of them myself before my surgery!
Congrats on the weightloss, and on taking the next step with plastics!!!
I worried about how I would be able to do anything with the incision all the way around my body as weak, but it worked out just fine. I would recommend a recliner, because I can only imagine how much harder it would have been sleeping in bed for the first couple of weeks.
I was only in the hospital for one night, and althought the car code home was not fun (I had a two hour drive), it was do-able. I sat in the backseat on one pillow, had a pillow behind my back, and had two pillows on my lap that I kind of leaned forward on. Make sure you take some pain medicine about a half hour before you get in the car, and have the driver take their time and try to avoid bumps.
The pain after my LBL was significantly worse than after my gastric bypass, and the swelling is still pretty bad.... That having been said though, everyone's body is different, and some people have less pain and swelling. I would do it all over again, if I had to, because the results so far are absolutely worth the short term pain and the hassle of a little swelling.
When you take off your binder, the first few times you will feel light headed, but as you heal that feeling will get better and go away.
If I could give any advice, it would be to stock up on pillows! In my opinion they are so essential in getting comfortable the first few weeks after surgery, and I am so glad that I stocked up prior to my LBL.
When you first try to stand up after surgery, take it slow! My overnight nurse tried to rush me to get up and I almost passed out. I was afraid to stand up again after that. My morning nurse however, encouraged me to try again, and insisted that I take it slow. She told me there was no rush, and to take it in stages. First we worked on sitting up, with my feet off of the side of the bed. I sat like that for make fifteen minutes, to give my blood pressure and everything time to stabilize. Then I slowly stood up, with the help of my husband, and before attempting to take a step, I stood still for a minute or two. I was able to walk across the room, and to the bathroom without feeling like I was going to pass out. TAKE IT SLOW!
Please feel free to continue to ask questions, I know I had a million of them myself before my surgery!
Congrats on the weightloss, and on taking the next step with plastics!!!
I'm 2-1/2 weeks out from a LBL with TT and BA. Mine was outpatient at 7:30 AM and I was in recovery by 11:00 AM. They wouldn't let me leave until I could pee on my own. For whatever reason, my bladder just would not release even though they kept pumping fluids in me. They finally sent me home with a catheter about 6:30 PM. Given how hard it was to get out of the chair, I'm grateful now they made me keep it in for 24 hours and it was really easy and painless to remove.
I'm only taking the pain killers (Percoset) at night but stop tonight. 1) the last several nights I've taken it more to help me sleep than for pain management and it's not really helping and 2) Tylenol seems to manage any discomfort I do have. But take them while you have them, it's just easier to get around if you don't hurt everywhere.
I had RNY and this is by far a lot harder recovery. For one thing your skin is being pulled away from the muscles, cut, readjusted, pulled and stitched back together. That makes for a lot of angry nerve endings. I actually find most of my discomfort (and it's not bad, just noticeable) at this point is areas that were moved but not actually cut.
Start working out NOW. I went from 2x a week from Jun-Nov (plus additional bike rides or hikes) to 3x a week in Dec & Jan. I was out of town for two weeks and had some back issues in Feb so probably only got in 4-6 work outs all month. Regardless, the more you can strengthen your core and legs, the easier it will be for you to stand and sit without using your arms. Granted I had the breast augmentation with my surgery, so not needing to use my arms to get up and down helped that area heal faster. Regardless, the more you build your strength ahead of time, the better you'll likely be with your results.
DEFINITELY get a LIFT recliner - you can rent them from medical supply stores - but I borrowed my parents. It was truly a godsend. I'm still sleeping in it. But I too can only go 3-4 hours until I have to get up and move around. It's being in one position for too long that causes everything to pool and stiffen. My hubby had to still help me the first 4-5 days but after that I could get up on my own in the middle of the night. Oh, and a raised toilet seat will help a lot too.
I didn't feel human until I had my 3 drainage tubes removed on Day 6. THAT was a nervewracking experience. Felt even better after they removed the staples and sutures on Day 11. Every day it gets a little better, but you will need help for at least the first week just to be safe.
I'll be honest, I didn't know enough about these type of details before my surgery so I wasn't MENTALLY prepared for the extent of the pain. My nurse friend kept stressing there wasn't a likelihood of complications because they don't open the organ cavity, but like I said, they're messing with a lot of nerve endings. Had I been better prepared mentally, I think my recovery would have been less stressful.
I'll be totally honest with you, this is a lot to put your body through. In my case, it was purely vanity - I didn't have so much loose skin that it was causing a rash or any other medical issue. This was simply about wanting a tighter, firmer body. I could easily justify the pain of the RNY because it was going to dramatically improve my health and extend my life and improve my quality of life. It's hard to justify putting yourself through this just so my girls would be firmer and I wouldn't have a muffin top any more. I'm sure I'll be glad I did it once everything is healed and where it belongs, but I sure won't put myself through this again. Don't get me wrong, I love my flat tummy and really like the cleavage, but man I long to stand up straight and more normally again.
I'm not trying to talk you out of the surgery, hopefully you'll be better prepared given these responses than I was. I talked to a friend who did her arms, boobs and tummy tuck several years ago and she said that was it. She originally planned to get a lower body lift and her legs done but she said forget it based on the recovery the first time around. So get as much done as you can at once and get it over with.
Good luck. Like I said, once everything looks normal again, I'm sure I'll be glad I did it, but just know it's a lot worse then the original WLS!
I'm only taking the pain killers (Percoset) at night but stop tonight. 1) the last several nights I've taken it more to help me sleep than for pain management and it's not really helping and 2) Tylenol seems to manage any discomfort I do have. But take them while you have them, it's just easier to get around if you don't hurt everywhere.
I had RNY and this is by far a lot harder recovery. For one thing your skin is being pulled away from the muscles, cut, readjusted, pulled and stitched back together. That makes for a lot of angry nerve endings. I actually find most of my discomfort (and it's not bad, just noticeable) at this point is areas that were moved but not actually cut.
Start working out NOW. I went from 2x a week from Jun-Nov (plus additional bike rides or hikes) to 3x a week in Dec & Jan. I was out of town for two weeks and had some back issues in Feb so probably only got in 4-6 work outs all month. Regardless, the more you can strengthen your core and legs, the easier it will be for you to stand and sit without using your arms. Granted I had the breast augmentation with my surgery, so not needing to use my arms to get up and down helped that area heal faster. Regardless, the more you build your strength ahead of time, the better you'll likely be with your results.
DEFINITELY get a LIFT recliner - you can rent them from medical supply stores - but I borrowed my parents. It was truly a godsend. I'm still sleeping in it. But I too can only go 3-4 hours until I have to get up and move around. It's being in one position for too long that causes everything to pool and stiffen. My hubby had to still help me the first 4-5 days but after that I could get up on my own in the middle of the night. Oh, and a raised toilet seat will help a lot too.
I didn't feel human until I had my 3 drainage tubes removed on Day 6. THAT was a nervewracking experience. Felt even better after they removed the staples and sutures on Day 11. Every day it gets a little better, but you will need help for at least the first week just to be safe.
I'll be honest, I didn't know enough about these type of details before my surgery so I wasn't MENTALLY prepared for the extent of the pain. My nurse friend kept stressing there wasn't a likelihood of complications because they don't open the organ cavity, but like I said, they're messing with a lot of nerve endings. Had I been better prepared mentally, I think my recovery would have been less stressful.
I'll be totally honest with you, this is a lot to put your body through. In my case, it was purely vanity - I didn't have so much loose skin that it was causing a rash or any other medical issue. This was simply about wanting a tighter, firmer body. I could easily justify the pain of the RNY because it was going to dramatically improve my health and extend my life and improve my quality of life. It's hard to justify putting yourself through this just so my girls would be firmer and I wouldn't have a muffin top any more. I'm sure I'll be glad I did it once everything is healed and where it belongs, but I sure won't put myself through this again. Don't get me wrong, I love my flat tummy and really like the cleavage, but man I long to stand up straight and more normally again.
I'm not trying to talk you out of the surgery, hopefully you'll be better prepared given these responses than I was. I talked to a friend who did her arms, boobs and tummy tuck several years ago and she said that was it. She originally planned to get a lower body lift and her legs done but she said forget it based on the recovery the first time around. So get as much done as you can at once and get it over with.
Good luck. Like I said, once everything looks normal again, I'm sure I'll be glad I did it, but just know it's a lot worse then the original WLS!
HW: 280 SW: 262.5 CW: 150
GOAL!!!! One week shy of my surgiversary!
LBL, TT, BA on 3/2/12 - Dr William Rigano
GOAL!!!! One week shy of my surgiversary!
LBL, TT, BA on 3/2/12 - Dr William Rigano
I agree with loverofcats....I seem to be dragging my feet too. I don't worry about the pain as much as I do possible complications with incisions and healing. I just can't seem to get there mentally, yet, but I want to. I'm trying to figure out why I'm hesitating. I wanrt the surgery, hate my butt especially, but keep dragging my feet.
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