Two months post op from my LBL and Thigh Lift

I am so happy to be 2 months post op now...I feel great, back to my old self.  This surgery was so much easier than I had thought it was going to be....And it's not because of my age, I am on the older side for this type of surgery (60 years young) I attribute it to my incredible surgeon, Dr. Victor Gutierrez.

I started planning this surgery a whole year before.  I had planned on going to the surgeon who did my first plastic surgery, but wanted to get a second opinion, since my original surgeon wanted to re cut my open RNY scar and do a vertical cut.  Well not having a big stomach but rather being more bottom heavy, I found that to be strange.  It turns out so did all the other Plastic Surgeons I consulted with.  Turns out that Dr pretty much does all his LBL that way...So glad I decided to check out other doctors.  I ended up traveling out to Beverly Hills and LA for consults and doing online consults with even more doctors 10 in total until I finally decided on my surgeon of choice.   I joined support groups and did a lot of checking with past patients of the Doctors I was considering.  It came right down to the beautiful work, I had seen my surgeon do.  I was pretty much all set to go with a different Doctor when I made the change.  I went with a Doctor that didn't have the huge online following as some of the others, but turns out didn't mean he wasn't as popular.  Turns out not everyone makes up their mind for a Doctor due to the internet...who knew???  Anyway my surgeon turned out to be the most caring surgeon I have ever met.  Time was never a issue with him. He spends all the time a patient needs before and after surgery to feel completely comfortable.  I flew into San Diego, where rather than just send a driver, he greeted me there and drive me down the half hour drive to his clinic.  He likes to do this so he can get to know his patients.  That afternoon I was treated to a very nice lunch with him and his assistant Elsa.  That evening I had a 2 hour mark up, and then the next morning was surgery. Dr. Gutierrez uses twilight sedation, so you don't wake up with that heavy anesthesia hangover....Dr. G, used 4 to 5 layers of internal stiches with my LBL so after only a week I was able to return home.  I was able to do with no problem at all since I never once felt any pain.  He told me I would not feel pain but really didn't believe it, until after surgery and I found out for myself! He told me it was due to the gentle way in which he handles the tissues...Well not sure if that's true but it worked in my case...When I returned home I went for 6 hyperbolic (oxygen) treatments to insure a good healing.  Since I was 6 hours away from my surgeon I wanted to make sure I had a great healing with no infections, so I opted for the treatments...We have a private Hyperbolic Center in Phoenix where many of the local Plastic Surgeons send their patients. I  am glad I did, since my healing seems to have gone just fine.  I was back to work in less than 3 weeks and feeling pretty good by 4 weeks and now at two months I am back to my old self.  Only difference, I am still wearing my support garment as told to do....If anyone would like additional info on my surgery or surgeon just feel free to message me!     

I'd love to see pictures of your scars at 2 months out! 

I want to get some taken...My hubby doesn't quite understand when I ask him to take pics of me naked so I can post them on the internet...Go Figure!!!  Lol, I may need to wait until my daughter comes over for a visit and have her take some... 

I am delighted that your surgery turned out so well for you. And I had no idea that you are 60yo. You look so much younger!!! WTG!!! 

There are some plastic surgeons who have a heavy internet following because they market themselves well. That does not mean they are good surgeons! But to be fair, it doesn't mean they aren't either... still it always causes me to scrutinize them. And as you know I am not a fan of going outside the country for surgery but there are good surgeons everywhere and as long as a patient does her research well, she should end up choosing the surgeon who is right for her. Congrats on doing your due diligence!!!

How much did the hyperbolic treatments cost, how many did you need, and how did you find a place that does them? I have read that they are very good for healing.

I am so happy for you, Dee!!!

I have a good friend that lives in the same town that I am in, and she went to FL to have her LBL, she stayed a month and while she was in the hospital there got a nasty infection that took what seemed like forever to go away.  She had it when she returned to AZ, so that's how I started looking into hyperbolic treatments, it was really for her.  I knew they were the only thing to save someone with that flesh eating disease, so thought they must be good for all infections...Well after checking, I found a clinic in Phoenix that has a discount rate for local PS's.  They gave me the same rate, so I ended up getting 6 sessions at the discounted rate of $125 per session.  I was able to use my health savings plan, so there was no out of pocket charge for me and they also invoiced the insurance company as wound care, so who knows I may get it covered by my insurance company.  I looked at it as a insurance policy for good healing since I wasn't all that close to my surgeon.  Not sure if it was due to the sessions, but all my incisions were completely healed by two weeks, and the scaring is pencil thin...Going outside the country for surgery can be scary....I think that's why 5 miles south of the border is as far as I am willing to go.  I found it to be very safe where I was.  I either was at the clinic or recovery or at a very nice Hotel, where everyone spoke English, I never felt like I was even out of the country...I even went by myself this time...It was my big adventure!!!     

Thanks! I was about to ask about the cost of the treatments myself when I saw the next person did already! Another note to add to my to-do list of things to check on.

Even going outside the state you live in for surgery can be scary. My follow up appts in NJ are so much more difficult than my follow up appts in IN where I live... plus there is just the scariness factor of being so far away from my surgeon that I just cannot get into a car and drive there. 

Good for you for being so pro active in t=your healthcare. Do you mind me asking how much your bey lift cost, all inclusive, except for the travel expenses? 

For everything the LBL and the thigh lift with expenses, it was under $10,000.   And I didn't need too, but I drove out (6 hours) a couple weeks ago to go for a follow up. mainly so I could take my friend with me (the one who went to FL for her LBL) It turns out she is having my surgeon do a full revision on her not so good outcome, from the FL surgeon.  The funny thing was she was totally opposed to me going to MX in the beginning...But it's like you said, you can find good and bad surgeons anywhere...

Wow, your poor friend!!!! Did her surgeon offer to revise her or did she not even bother going back after sun a bad experience? What work did she have done with him and what is she having redone? Does she have to pay the full price for her revision surgery? I wish her well!

So the $10k included travel or not? How many hours was your surgery? Does your thigh lift scar go down to your knees? Thanks.

Did you wakeup during the twilight sedation? I had that for my facial plastics and it was very nice not to have the anesthesia hangover but it was nice not to have the big hospital bill -- I did wake up during surgery! 

That pretty much was everything travel was under $200 since I am so close...I didn't wake up during the twilight sedation, that I remember...I don't even want to say how long my surgery went...didn't I tell you what happened???  I stopped all meds and aspirin as I was instructed, but the week before surgery in order to up my protein I started eating two very powerful protein bars, which were chocked full of vitamins without even thinking, so I turned out to be a bleeder, Dr G had to go very slow to make sure each little vein was not bleeding...thus I now hold the record for his longest surgery....I felt so bad when I found out.  He asked me what I  had been taking, nothing I said, then it hit me the protein bars!!!!  How stupid was that!!! I am just so glad I was in the hands of a very careful surgeon who made sure I was okay...and didn't just let me bleed...And with my friend, well it's almost the same price to fly back out and pay for the OR and anesthesia then a place to recovery....She had a 2 hour consult with Dr G and really feels he knows what to do.  I found out that 3 out of 5 of his surgeries are revisions from other PS's work, so I am pretty confident he will do a great job on my revisions some day, when I save up the cash....pretty much out of it these days and the hubby wants a new car...I wish I was one of those paid reviews I hear about...Lol     Oh an no I didn't get the long thigh lift like I wanted, he didn't like the look of my veins in my legs....I swear the veins looked worse after I had that surgeon work on them...I told Dr G that my vein surgeon said they were all closed but he still wasn't buying it, so he opted for the groin lift, which did a lot more than I thought it would...I still would love the long lift like you got...that was my biggest disappointment.