360 body / trunk lift

Anyone have this and willing to share story/pictures?

I had my plastic consult yesterday and he suggested a 360 trunk/body lift with outer thigh lipo, mons lift, and abdominal wall tightening.  This wasn't an option I looked into much.  If anyone is willing to share I would be more then willing to listen.

How was recovery? How long before returning to work/workouts?

How do you feel about your results? Things you would have done different.

What was your WLS weight loss? How much skin/fat was removed during Plastic surgery?

The surgeon is convinced that insurance will pay because I have a weight loss of greater then 100lb, but if you paid out of pocket how much did it cost you?

I saw 5 different plastic surgeons for consults and the one I selected was the one who wanted to do the LBL in two stages.  I saw before and after pics from all 5 doctors, and the one who did the surgery in two stages had amazing results.  The scars were barely a thin white line after 6 months compared to others with 1/4" thick scars (or thicker!!).  I saw both pictures and several people who had the surgery.  It ends up costing about the same, so money isn't an issue.

He told me that the reason he does this with bariatric patients is because the skin has been stretched so it's lost much of it's normal elasticity, which can be further reduced if you are over 40.  He does an extended TT first and allows that to heal so he sees the results, then he does a butt lift that extends to the front on your sides and further tightens the stomach 6 months later.  The results look like the stomach of a 20 year old who has never been overweight or had children.

The other benefit he said is in healing.  When you have the TT you can lean forward without pulling the incision in back, potentially making it much wider than it should be. 

I just had the first half of the surgery 2 weeks ago and I am already amazed at the results.  The doctor removed from my bikini line to two inches above my belly button. I had lost 155 lbs.  The remaining bypass scars are now at my bikini line instead of over my rib cage.

My insurance will not cover anything more than a panniculectomy after weight loss, and that is only if you have at least a 6 month history of treatment resistant infections under the tummy flap.  They also do not pay for repositioning of the belly button because the belly button only serves a cosmetic purpose.  I just paid for what I wanted myself since insurance can be so restrictive and not give me the results I desired.  

The Posterior Body Lift is $6,000(surgeon) + $2,000 (anesthesia/OR)

The Abdominoplasty was $5,095 (surgeon) + $2,000 (anesthesia/OR)

I ended up having a mastopexy($4,000)  along with the abdominoplasty, so I received a $1300 discount for having them done at the same time since I was already in the OR and under anesthesia.  I plan to have a brachioplasty done at the same time as my posterior body lift and that is $3800.

I am having my LBL in two stages, as well. I had the TT in April and going next month to complete the LBL.

I'm a week and a half post LBL with vertical incision, lateral hip lipo and mastopexy.  The first 3 days I remember thinking weren't as bad as I had expected them to be, but looking back now I realise they were utterly dreadful.  Mind you, I developed pneumonia very early that responded nice and quickly to coughing up some gunk and IV antibiotics so that would have played a role.

My doctor doesn't like staging the LBL, he thinks he gets better results doing it all together.  The back incision isn't giving me grief and he says it rarely causes problems.  I am finding the breast lift  side of things pretty simple also.  I'm yet to stand fully straight, but from my perspective at the moment, I'm glad I have just the one recovery.  I think the tummy tuck portion is what I am finding most challenging and the rest is kind of blending into the background.

LBL was not something I had ever considered, I thought I was going to ask for a straight forward tummy tuck.  Got to say though, the results I have so far (still quite swollen) feel almost too good to be true.

Oh, I lost 100 pounds (I'm 5'3'', 128 lb pre-plastics).  I thought I had fared *reasonably* well in the skin department, despite the drastic plastics I've just had, but the difference is amazing.  I think he took 2 pounds with the tummy tuck, another pound with the vertical incision and 3 pounds from the back.  Or thereabouts.  He didn't have his notes with him and I was in a bit of an anaesthetic fog when I asked.

Things are different in Australia, I spent 5 nights in hospital and all I can say is thank god for that.  Like I said though, I did have pneumonia.  It still cost me a bomb despite insurance kicking in (basically they cover the hospital and theatre fees except for the lipo), close to $30K out of pocket which is CRAZY but I have waited a life time for this and prefer a new body to a new car ;) .  The only thing I'm not sure on yet is the lipo, he only took 100ml from one side and 120 from the other and I can't see yet to know if its made a difference or worth the $4K (mostly theatre fees) it cost .  That is the only part I am second guessing, even despite agonising over the vertical incision which I am now thrilled with.

Sorry if this is a bit rambly, I was under general anaesthetic for 8 hours (!) and am still not completely over the effects.