One week update on thighplasty
Happy to explain as best I can. I had the long incision - groin to knee. Doc said that he's never had a massive weight loss patient where he could get good results from the groin incision only. The markup involved hin drawing what appeared to be a watermelon slice shape that ran from my groin crease to my knee.
The incisions are very ugly right now. He does multiple layers of internal dissolvable sutures, then dermabonds the outer skin. So the scars are very raised, very hard, with lots of pulls and unevenness. If I hadn't been warned in advanced, I would have been a very unhappy camper when I saw them.
Ive been wearing the silicon strips for a few days and already see a lot of improvement, although they're still pretty scary looking. The incision in the groin crease is only about an inch long. The whole incision stung pretty badly when I first woke up, but once the pain meds kicked in, it was never more than a five...and usually more discomfort than pain. I can sit and stand without problem. For the first few days, I couldn't straighten out entirely because it caused too much stretch on my legs. Now I'm walking normally, just shorter strides.
I still take a lortab before bed, but don't really need it for pain. Just makes sure I sleep soundly. I'm heading back to work on Monday - probably could have gone back sooner but why pu**** I'm still in a compression garment and will be for several more weeks, but the swelling hasn't been bad. I saw my legs right after surgery and they were pencil thin. I'm looking forward to seeing them back down to that size again.
Oh, and I didn't have any lipo done. I think that can really affect pain level. If I left anything out of my babbling, let me know!
Thanks for such a great reply. So you didn't have any fat left on the legs that you didn't need lipo? I carried all my weight in my thighs/butt. I still have lots of fat plus the skin letting it hang to my knees. I had lost almost as much wight in the 40's and it didn't look near so bad as it is now in my 50's and post menopausal.
I had a face lift as I wanted a neck lift for my waddle and all four surgeons said I needed the whole face lift. It wasn't as successful as I had hoped but, it was due to complications.
What are the silicon strips?
BAND REMOVED 9-4-12-fought insurance to get sleeve and won! Sleeved 1/22/13! Five years out and trying to get that last 15 pounds back off.
My fat was pretty evenly distributed, although I felt most of it was in my belly. None of the surgeons I spoke to suggested lipo. We're all different, and the same approach just doesn't work for everyone.
The silicon strips are medical grade pieces of silicon that literally look like tape. After the incision has closed, you put it iver to help flatten and generally fade the scar. It's the same stuff used for burn victims. It's part of my surgeons protocol. I used it for the LBL incision and it's just a fine white line.
So it isn't something I can buy myself, the tape? My surgeon doesn't use it as far as I know.
I am afraid after researching more my surgeon is just talking pulling the skin together and I need fat removed.
BAND REMOVED 9-4-12-fought insurance to get sleeve and won! Sleeved 1/22/13! Five years out and trying to get that last 15 pounds back off.
I see silicon tape on amazon. I'm sure it's similar if not the same. But ask your doctor. Most of them have recommendations for minimizing the scars whether they provide the product or not.
Sounds like you need lipo along with the thighplasty. It's the only thing I know of that deals with pockets of fat.
