Better View of The LBL Outcome

Thank you for your responses.  It is comforting knowing others have felt the same grievances.   

I'm just posting better pictures of what I'm sad about.  I just keep getting more angry about it the less I wear my binder and actually see my bare stomach is various positions.  I'm trying to find peace and gratitude but it's hard.  Should I find second opinions?  Is this cause for revision (just not adding the excess to my breast lift like my surgeon suggested)?  OR AM I JUST BEING ABSOLUTELY OVERCRITICAL?

No, you're not being overcritical.  That's way too much excess skin to have left.  I think your doc made a judgment call to try to avoid the anchor cut, but you really needed the anchor cut to get all the skin.  Most docs won't talk revision until at least 6 months, some a year.  But I'd at least have the conversation with him (if you haven't already) that you're not happy and talk about when he can revise and what the finances are going to be.  Most surgeons waive their fees, but if you need general anesthesia versus an office revision, there are additional costs for the surgical suite/hospital.

Is the first pic post op??  

Yea, all my pics are post-op.

I had an LBL and when I sit and look down at my stomach, I can definitely see extra above/at my belly button.  I realized when looking at it front on in a mirror, though, that it doesn't look the same head on as from above.  And it's minimal, so I was glad to have avoided the vertical incision. When I stand, the area is completely flat.

However, your first pic is bothersome to me.  If that's post-op, then I agree, there is too much skin left over.  The second picture you have (standing with smooth skin, just pinching it together) is more like what I have when sitting.  The first picture with you sitting is not at all what I would expect post op.  I would definitely talk to your doctor about the revision process and yes, seek a 2nd opinion.  You have time since a revision can't happen right away.

I'm very sorry you didn't get the best outcome.  Even though we all know surgery is only an improvement and nothing is guaranteed, it seems your doctor was far too conservative in the amount of skin removed (and I say this as someone who went to a conservative doctor myself.)  I still think you look great and wish you the best in the remainder of your journey.

I have had similar results.  When I went in for my LBL I left it to the surgeon to decide if I should have the vertical cut or not.  The decision he made was not to do the vertical cut.  At my 2.5 month appt he said that we might want to consider a revision after I got to the six month point.  I think there are a lot of revisions - especially for people with large amounts removed.  I imagine it is very difficult to make everything perfect when working with such a massive change.  I'm trying to decide, based on my current state, if I want to have the revision as I'm really pretty happy with the result but agree it could be better.

Thank you. It is comforting to know that revisions after a massive weight loss are normal. Still disappointing though. The recovery was so awful!

I've heard as high as 50% revision rate.  FWIW, my surgeon says that if the first surgery was a 10, he expects my revision to be a 5-6 on the recovery scale.  The recovery from that first one was awful but that isn't everyone's experience I guess.  However, that is the number one reason I have hesitation about the next phase.

My recovery from the LBL was painful.  The incision was a piece of cake.  The muscle repair would have had me in tears but for the drugs.  I was functioning (mostly) 5 weeks out, but still wasn't walking completely upright.  And I had swelling that just wouldn't end.  So, yeah, looking at my next procedure was not a happy time.

But, I've had the long thigh lift done 5 months ago and lower face/necklift done 3 weeks ago and the recovery difference has been night and day.  Minimal pain during recovery, no horrible swelling, off the pain meds within days, back to work in about 10 days and able to work full days without being wiped out.  I have one more procedure scheduled (breast lift extended brachioplasty) and I'm hoping it goes as easily as the last two.  So there is hope that any revisions, particularly if they just involve removing more skin, will be a much lower number on the Richter scale!

Ditto what Terry said.  I did have anchor cut and I still have some lose skin above my belly button.  Breast lift help with that.  I am going to need a revision down the line...........not to mention the mons area ...........it is like having a third boob......  Just a side note:  I had a discussion with my PS during office visit re: anchor cut and right before surgery when he was marking me that I wanted anchor cut.  I think anchor cuts are avoided if possible because there is a greater chance of hernia and hematomas ect.  I did have hematoma that went away on it's own.............OMG did that hurt.  Thank goodness that LBL was otherwise not painful for me.