Still flabby after lower body lift

I had my LBL on Dec. 13, so it's been three weeks now.

I had a large flabby middle section above my belly button, and a large pannus.  Obviously the results are better than what I originally have but I still have flabbiness above the belly button. I honestly feel like it looks worse than some people's "before" pics. I never expected perfection, but you'd think that for 11,000 dollars I could expect the flabbiness to be gone. I don't know. I never had anything like this before. It's just a little disappointing.

Perhaps you needed the Anchor Cut.  I had to revise to the Anchor Cut when a TT didn't address my upper tummy skin.

Some doctors can resolve this issue with only a LBL or Regular TT, but others have to do an Anchor Cut.  did your doctor discuss this with you?

I agree that you probably needed the Anchor cut as part of the LBL - in all my research, the anchor cut is recommended when you have a lot of excess skin above the belly button because it's hard to pull it all down with just the lower incision. 

Did you talk to your surgeon at all about the different options or did the possibility of an anchor cut ever come up? Did you talk to him about his policies on  revisions/costs if you are unhappy with the results? 

Well he never said the word anchor cut,but he did some diagonal cutting up at the top and pulled it down.

I just took a look at your photos - Im not sure where he did the diagonal cutting at the top - I didnt see anything, but perhaps you need an upper body lift. Even after I had a LBL with an anchor cut, arms, and boobs - i still have exces skin around my sides (side boobs!) that require an UBL. It does suck to have flabby skin left over after all that surgery but it's part of the process. 

I know you might be disappointed, but focus on the HUGE difference pre and post plastics - great job done there!

I had the same issue with the fat from above the belly button below ribs.  My doc and I discussed Anchor cut but I opted for secondary lipo. I had the LBL and BL in one surgery and then had the "second half" of the surgery performed when I had  my arm lift a month later.  We did abdominal liposuction in that area.  I think my results are great.  I will post pictures very soon but after the LBL and before the lipo I had a real muffin top over my jeans, which is now gone.  I live in Dallas if you ever want to talk.  But maybe lipo is the answer???

I would think most surgeons would have recommended the fleur de lis to remove more of your excess skin. Mine is one of the few who can give a flat tummy with just the lbl. After losing 200 pounds I thought I would need it, but did not.

I am scheduled for a lbl with fleur de lis on 2/11. I have the excess skin mid-section and am expecting the pulling from side to side along with front down and back end up should work. Of course my thighs are a mess and will need another surgery but at this time aren't thinking I will do it.

Hope things work out for you.

Seiren - I am sorry that you aren't totally pleased with your outcomes.  I think your tummy looks great.  You called it flabby, it doesn't look flabby; maybe you meant just not as tight as you had hoped?

our tummy before and after PS look very much the same.  The only difference is my surgeon and I talked about the type of cut I wanted and expected outcomes.  I chose to have only the horizontal external cut with him doing an internal vertical corset stitch of my muscles.  I knew that I would still have some skin flacidity above my belly button but NOTHING what I had before PS.  Later if I choose, we can do a revision (at a greatly reduced cost) with a vertical incision and pull it tight if I am not happy how it settles.  I am 8 weeks out and even though I still have a little residual swelling in lower abs, I can wear my jeans pretty snug and still not have any type of a muffin top over them.  then again I am 45 and am ok that I do not have a flat or concave tummy.

Talk to your surgeon, explain your concerns and ask him about revision options that he offers if you are completely dissatisfied with how things settle and heal.

Pam