the belt
I assume you're talking about a lower body lift, circumferential body lift, belt lipectomy?
If all goes well, you can expect the skin removal part of it to go pretty easily. But keep in mind that it's major surgery, and it's a serious recovery. The most significant part of the pain comes from the muscle repair. The less the muscle repair, the less the pain.
I had surgery in the surgeon's operating suite and spent 2 nights in their recovery "hotel" (really nice hospital room). It was suppose to be one night, but I was dizzy and nauseated whenever I tried to get up on the first day, so opted to stay for an extra night. I came home and was on my own from there.
Getting up is HARD, but do-able. I didn't get a recliner, but it's not a bad idea. I just used my bed and lots of pillows tucked around me to relieve pressure points and help get into position to get up. Emptying the JP drains was unpleasant, but not painful or difficult. Changing the dressings was no big deal.
I was put in a compression garment while on the operating table. It held me in - tight! And it got to be a security blanket. I was more comfortable with it on than off. Hard to explain, but you'll totally get it after the surgery.
The only issue I had was a small opening at the top of my butt crack. The surgeon said it was an area of high pressure, and such openings are common. It never caused me any pain and closed up on its own within a few weeks. I've read that other people have spit stitches (dissolvable stitches working their way through the skin) and had small openings along the suture line.
Other things you can expect - swelling (and it can go on for a lot longer than they say - I'm 10 months out and still have a little swelling in the evening); zingers (nerves regenerating, feels like a static charge); numb areas (particularly along the incision line and between the belly button and the incision line).
My butt looked very flat and high right after the procedure. It was swelling. Months later, when the swelling was totally gone and gravity re-asserted itself, my butt was back. It was still reduced and smooth, but the shape was back. I thought he had put my bellybutton too high, but it dropped into perfect position within a few months. Some results you'll see immediately, but you really have to be patient to see exactly what the surgery has done.
And plan on going through some post-surgical depression, "what have I done to myself," and being hyper-critical of the results. Keep your "before" pictures close at hand so that you can truly appreciate what your surgeon has performed.
And take your pain meds religiously! Hope you have a successful and complication free procedure.
I forgot 2 things that are pretty common. You'll be hunched over from the muscle repair. If you can borrow a simple walker from someone, it'll make life easy. You won't need it for long - maybe a week or two - but it really takes the stress off of your back.
And, if you have any kind of compression garment or binder, take it off or undo it while you're laying down, then give your body a few minutes to adjust your blood pressure. Then sit up and give your body a few minutes to adjust your blood pressure. Then stand and give....well, you get the idea. Otherwise, you'll get woozy and dizzy and possibly faint!
What wonderful, informative replies you're getting! Thank you for asking the question. I've got an abdominoplasty/lower body lift/lipectomy/some combination of those on my to-do list (maybe in 2015) so appreciate getting all this information well ahead of time. I wish you the best as you prepare for your surgery and with smooth, easy healing afterward!
5/27/14 - Extended abdominoplasty with hernia and diastasis recti repair
12/20/14 - Breast reduction/mastopexy with bra line back lift
