Did you lose weight before your TT or other procedures for a better result?

When I had my bypass, people told me that before I have a TT that I should lose weight so that the doctor can pull the skin tighter. Right now I am ten pounds more than I would like but the only thing I want changed is for someone to remove my big-ole-tummy (see my profile for pre-TT photos). My surgery is June 12th and I stopped smoking three weeks ago and gained 4 pounds. I am wondering if I should lose a few pounds before my TT. I read that you should not go on a diet before surgery because your body will not recover as well or as quickly.

Also, I have read so many posts about people being swollen for up to a year but when I watch dr. 90210 and other shows like that, the people are up and about with no binders three weeks later and look great. What is with the swelling lasting so long? Is it because people are being to active the first three weeks. I was told that I really should not do anything except get up and pee the first two weeks. Then I read that you need to do a little walking a few times daily to ward off blood clots. It also seems that different doctors have different opinions. My doctor told me that I only needed to stop smoking two weeks before my surgery. However, for my lungs to get in shape I stopped a few days after my consult, it has been hell on earth. I wear the patches but I do need to stop those at least three weeks before the surgery because the nicotene messes with the ability to heal and can lead to more complications. After surgery, I am not going to go back to smoking

Teresa

i am also in the same boat.  I'm ten-12 pounds away from goal and I will be getting lipo done on my stomach and flanks.  Not going to kill my self to lose that extra before the procedure.  I figure if i get lipo now, and then i do lose another 10, i'd just look even better right?  Is that the same logic?

big-gurl, any lipo with cause more excess wrinkled skin.  if the doctor lipos and then does the tuck, you will look great - if you lose more afterwards, your result may suffer a bit, but I think that 12 lbs isn't that much to make a difference.  I know that I a little over 20 and it made a big difference in my flat tummy.  I had lipo on my thighs before my extended lift and it helped.

Thanks for your reply, I am going to start focusing on protien and vegtables with some fruit. I know I will feel less bloated, healthier and be able to loose some weight before my surgery. I would like to lose ten-15 pounds in the next 7 weeks. I think that I am carying alot of water.

Hi, when is your surgery? I am going to cut out some of my carbs and focus on protien, veggies and fruit. If I do that, the weight will come off. I litterely am having trouble breathing because the 4 pounds i gained I swear went all to my belly. My lower back is hurting, I can't wear most of my clothing. Since I stoped smoking, I have just ate whatever I wanted. It is time for a change. I want my TT to look as good as possible. I just contacted the doctor so that I can add lipo to my procedure.

How much is your lipo going to cost?

Personally, I believe that the closer you are to goal, the better your result.   Many of those people on TV are very slim and really haven't been obese ever in their lives.  Once in a while that show will have someone on who has lost massive amounts of weight, but what I've seen - the patients are usually just regular people who want a small tweak.  When we are obese and then lose weight, our body's circulation relies on that extra fat and skin for circulation.  When it's gone your body has to seek collateral circulation - which causes more swelling.

 You will find every doctor is different.  You really have to ask him/her the questions and go with their orders.  He/She is the one in charge of your care and if you have complications, they will be the one to take care of you. 

I looked at your pictures, you don't have a lot of excess skin that hangs down and the integrity of your skin looks good.  Did your doctor say if he/she is going to do some lipo of your tummy? 

I stayed eating mostly protein for a month before my surgery.  I wasn't dieting, but I was upping my protein more than anything else and I lost and I healed well.  That has been the way I've handled those last few pounds prior to plastics. 

Congrats on stopping the smoking.  You will heal better and you will be a healthier person.  I just wanted to say, stay away from second hand smoke during your healing time.  There was a friend of mine who had a facelift the same time I did and her incisions didn't heal well - when she saw her doctor he asked if she lived with a smoker and she said, "yes." -- he told her that was why the incisions behind her ears were not healing well and would have a worse scar.   I guess smoking is just the enemy of good plastic surgery outcome - even if you're not the one who smokes!

Wow, that was some awesome info and advice. For some reason, my doctor said that he will be able to get me flat and that I will not need lipo. I think that I really need to talk to him about what I want my results to be like. I am carying an extra 10 inches on my waist. Since I stoped smoking, I gained 4 pounds. I feel awful. It is even harder to breathe with the extra weight on my gut. I am going to have to get lip sculpting. I am in a size 12/14 and I want to be an 8. There is no way that is going to happen without alot of lipo. I just wonder how much more that will cost?

I called my doctor after reading your post because I have felt this whole time that I need lipo as well to get the results that I am looking for. If I want to loose 10 inches, I think that lipo and a TT should do that, is that what you think?

Teresa

Wow you are AMAZING!!!!!! Congratulations on your weight loss. I had a Roux eN Y  Aug 24 2010 and have lost 162lbs. I am 5'2", 65 F . Back in 1984 I had a TT and BL with implants after having lost 80 lbs. I unfortunately regained the weight plus an additional 110lbs.  I want to have PS but I also want to make sure I don't have a repeat  where I regain the weight. I have been VERY religious in recording my calsorie intake plus exercise 5 to 6x a week. I have been pretty stuck at around 150lbs for the past 6 months. My concern is if I do get below 150 to say 130lbs  ( Dream on McDuff) will this be a weight I can actually maintain?  Or should I just accept where I am. I have been at this weight for 6 months.

I agree about eating a bunch of protein after surgery - My gastric by pass Dr really impressed upon me the importance of eating  lots of protwin. How many g of protein were you eating POST-OP?

I will need to travel abroad for PS . I doubt (Ha HA) medicare will pay for any of my PS.. I would love to see any of your photos Before and after. I don't know how to even post my photos on OH at all - let alone my ticker.  Is there any way I can send you a private message   (Iam_with_the_Band)where I send you my E-mail? 

Thanks Sarah 

Look at my profile for my pix. I am not at goal (still about 20 away, 30-40 for my ideal), and I am very happy with my results. As the swelling has gone down I've lost a lot of inches. I'm trying to lose more weight so I can get my thighs smaller and face and arms, since I believe those are more effected by excess weight.

My surgeon recommended I not do my chin until I'm done losing weight as he said the face was very weight sensitive. My tummy looks great! I need to post some updated pictures because it looks even better now then in those pix which were one week out.

I still have some swelling, particularly in the mons area and just bellow my belly button, which I understand is common. I wear a binder still at 7 weeks out as that is supposed to help with swelling and shaping the body.

I could have gone without the binder at 3 weeks but I understand for the best results it's better to wear it up to 3 months. This is what my surgeon recommended and I trust him, plus a couple of my friends who are his patients also had great results with his recommendations.