Got a quote today for an extended abdominoplasty and breast lift...

I had my first plastic surgery consult today, with a local surgeon who specializes in PS and body contouring for people who have lost tons of weight. A kind OH member sent me this guy's information because he presented at her support group and I was super impressed with his website, his credentials, his before and after pictures, and the fact that my mom checked him out and none of his patients have died :)  It's a more "boutique" kind of practice, where the doctor answers his own emails and has a nice and comfortable office.  In two weeks I have a second consult in George Washington Hospital (the kind of place you are just a number).

Anyway, I was nervous about the consult but they made me pretty comfortable.  I had to get fully undressed and put on a robe.  The doctor came in and we talked about my weight loss and goals and what I wanted done.  He was very complimentary about my loss and told me they don't like to do PS until you have been at a stable weight for at least 3 months. He said if you get a tummy tuck and then go on and lose 15 lbs, it will affect it significantly.  So I am probably 6 months out from PS, sadly.

Now there are a million posts on the PS forum here and everyone has a doctor who will do a different combination of things or keep you under anasthesia for a different amount of time, and of course they all charge various amounts of money.  I can only report on this guy.

He had me stand up naked in front of a mirror (that is a humbling experience, let me tell you) and we discussed what I want.  He flat out said having a breast lift and implants at the same time would be a bad idea (I have read this before).  He said he will use all of the tissue I have (even including from the side) to do a lift and construct me nice shaped, perky breasts.  He said with the stretching and damage to the skin and tissue, doing a lift and then putting a 1 lb implant in it would be detrimental, but that if LATER, I want to go bigger (than a small C which is what he thinks I will end up with), he can easily give me implants.  

I thought my arms were my second priority but after he pulled and prodded my stomach and showed me what he could do with an extended tummy tuck (side to side) without a vertical cut, I was sold on having that.  His price includes a mons lift too.

Then he showed me what a full lower body lift (LBL) would do for my ass and thighs and though I wanted to avoid that, I do think that I am going to have to lift the back of me.  But since my breasts are a priority, and he does not want to do a 12 hour surgery to do a full LBL along with breast lift, we talked about me starting with a breast lift and extended tummy tuck, and then 3 or so months after, do my back (connecting to the front incisions, and using some of my tissue to create an ass since the rear lift will leave me with no ass) and do the arms in that surgery too.  

I got a quote and for the breast lift, extended abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), and mons lift, the total price is $18k.  That includes his fees, the operating room fee at the hospital, the anesthesia, and the overnight at the hospital.

I am pretty bummed that I have to reach my final weight and then stay at it for three months but I am not going under the knife and then effing it up, so I am following doc's orders to a T.  I am also bummed that I can't do boobs, arms, tummy and then be done, but I know once my front looks good, my back will look even worse so I am pretty much resigned to the fact that I am having two surgeries in 2015.  Sigh...

I am going to see what the other doctor says and of course I am not in a hurry since I am still losing weight (11.2 lbs lost in month 10 - today is my ten month surgiversary!).  I also want to see what comments I get - like "That's crazy expensive!" or "That's what I did - good choice" or "You're an idiot" lol.  Open to all comments/ideas/etc.  Thanks!

Hi Em -

First off - I am SO SO glad to see someone posting again on this board!  Let's get it started again as I am having an extended TT and hernia repair on October 23 - 6 days away!-  and am definitely excited and freaking out at the same time.  

MY PS sounds similar to the one you saw yesterday in that she doesn't do multiple procedures at the same time - so I will consider having the back side lifted if necessary after the TT and must wait 3 months minimum like you.  While my surgery is covered completely by insurance - yay! - it would cost for the extended TT 6,300€ or US$8k all inclusive of surgeon fees and a 4 day hospital stay.  For my arms it is €5k and the same for an inner thigh lift.  To finish the LBL €6k.  

I can't wait to see what kind of responses you get to your post.  I will definitely share my experience and photos!  

Oh as as for stable weight etc - my PS wasn't too concerned about that, but i am at goal and don't really want to lose anymore weight - just this horrid flappy skin.  We are the same height I think - 5'4"  and I have to tell you that if you want to lose more - do it now.  Once you get down really low weight wise - every single pound makes a huge difference in how clothes fit and how loosey goosey the skin looks and feels.  Well at least in my experience.  For me I hit "goal" at 12 months = 135 pounds.  At 14.5 months I now weigh 129 lbs and the clothes I wore at goal are crazy big.  Just something to think about.  Since you aren't even a year out I think you still have plenty of time frankly to loose more and you most likely will even if you aren't really trying to so don't jump the gun too quickly even though I totally get why you want to!  LOL.  My hernia needs repairing asap - so that is why we are doing it this early out.   Anyway - hope some of this helps - Ashley

Hi Ashley!  I am so excited for you :)  I can't wait to see your before and after pics.  Yeah, I am gonna have to hold my horses and wait.  I am not at my goal weight, I have not stopped losing, and I need to be patient.  I can just barely handle being naked in front of anyone with these saggy boobs lol!  But oh well, what's another six months, right?

On the one hand, I am envious of people who get everything done at once, but I see other posts of people saying they had 1 or 2 procedures and can't imagine having to recover from 4.  I would rather not have an exhausted surgeon who is 10 hours in, slicing me up.  So I will trust his judgement.

Thanks for your words of encouragement :)

I have been maintaining at 129lbs since last January, around a 100lbs lost.  I am scheduled for Dec 16 to have a circumferential lower body lift, breast lift/aug and arms. I know it is a lot at one time but I wanted to have one hospital stay, one recovery etc.  It will be $30,000 or $26,000 with no augmentation and just a lift. My doctor said since I am in perfect health I can have it all done at once rather than break it up. I will probably have an inner thigh lift a few years down the road.  I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty nervous about recovery and scars but know it will be worth it in the end.  I am having the anchor (fleur de lis) incision because of the extra skin above my belly button and the lack of elasticity in my skin. 

WOW you are tiny!  Awesome news that you are heading towards your PS date!  Your price sounds similar to mine.  I would kind of love to do my arms along with a BL and tummy tuck but I also trust the doctor if he says to do two at once.  I saw tons of before and after pics from my doc and the scars were not that bad.  Definitely not bad when you consider how AMAZING the bodies looked after!  I will take a scar that panties cover up to have this body looking as good as these after photos :)  I agree that it will be worth it - I saw a post by LauraInTexas (who looks AMAZING) and she said having had PS helps her stay on track - she is not about to gain weight and mess up a body that looks so good and that she spent a lot of money on.  I kind of feel the same way - PS is kind of an insurance policy of sorts.  And don't even think about an inner thigh lift yet - based on these pics, you may be able to live with the wrinkles that are left because the LBL can do some AMAZING things for you :)

congrats! just a question who is the surgeon you saw I am researching surgeons and want to be thorough.:)

I sent it via PM :)

Could you send me the name as well, Em?  I'm in the DC area and will begin researching docs further down the line.  Thanks!

I am having multiple procedures....LBL, Breast lift (no aug), arm lift....all in one 6-hour surgery on Dec 11th by Dr. Capella in Ramsey NJ.  I am paying $19,900 all-in, which I think is a really great price since he is considered one of the best post bariatric plastic surgeons in the country.  Being in DC...you are not that far away from him...you might want to look him up as his practice does handle 'out of towners'.  He is also one of the most caring, kind respectful doctors I think I have ever met.  You would NOT feel like a 'number' at his practice.

At my first consult with him in May I weighed 141 lbs....which was 11 lbs above my goal of 130 lbs. (I'm 5'3").  I told him I needed to lose another 11 lbs before the surgery & he said 2 things to me that 'stuck'...(1) He anticipates removing 5-6 lbs of fat/skin from his examination of my body...which he expects me to keep off after the procedure & fluids/swelling go away & (2) he wanted me to stay at a weight I felt comfortable that I could maintain...meaning if I can maintain at 141 lbs & be happy with what/how much I am eating than that would be better than losing too much before surgery & then gaining some back because it could affect the results.  Now I did not take his advise....I NEEDED (mentally...or maybe I am just mental ;-) to get to goal & I am currently fluctuating between 129-131 lbs.  I completely understand wanting to get to goal weight for this type of procedure.

Good luck to you!

Thanks for the input, Karamay!  I know that Nikke just had those exact procedures with him, and I love the idea of "one and done"...so I am tempted.  I am more concerned about having to drive back 4 hours to him after a week to have drains removed, and then a week later...I am at a new job and so I am hoping to only take a few days off for surgery and then get back to my desk job working from home, and if I have to constantly take a day off to drive 4 hours each way, that's a deciding factor.  Then again, it would be nice to have all those things done at once and I have seen Nikke's before and after pics (she is only 2 weeks post op) and she looks AMAZING.  Plus your price is slightly higher than mine but includes arms and butt...hmmm...something for me to think about for sure.  I assume Dr. Capella has other awesome doctors who work alongside him, unlike the guy I went to see who works alone and therefore it takes more hours.  Damn, now I have to think about this because I guess I could afford to live in a hotel for two weeks for the price differential :)

Thanks for giving me something to really think about!