Curious

I was wondering a ballpark figure of a pani and apron lift/removal.....not sure of terms

This is such a challenging question to answer because of terminology and different doctors' fees and hospital fees and everything else. Maybe I can try to help with the terminology, though?

Panniculectomy - this is the removal of the panniculus which is the apron of skin that hangs down. This is ONLY the removal of the panniculus. It involves no body contouring, no muscle tightening, no nothing else. Some people are SUPER happen just with the panniculectomy. I doubt I would have been.

Tummy Tuck - This removes the skin and tightens muscles, but only in the front. If your back looks awesome, this is a good procedure. (Is this also abdominoplasty? I feel like we need a plastics FAQ to explain all the different surgeries. But then different doctors even use different terms for the same procedures so argh!) There are varieties. Some have a short scar so just do the front, some go from hip to hip, some are extended and go a bit beyond the hips.

Lower Body Lift - I feel like this is what most people who have been SMO need (which I realize is not everyone on OH!) This is the full shebang and goes all the way around the body at the stomach. So it removes the excess skin, pulls up the lateral (outside) thighs, sometimes includes a mons lift and transfer of fat to the butt to keep it round but sometimes doesn't depending on doctor, tightens muscles, and involves contouring as well as just "removal." This was a concept I hadn't understood prior. Contouring is like an artist chiseling a beautiful sculpture out of a a block of marble and making it look like something Michelangelo would have done. Just removal would be more like... Picasso in his cubist period or something ;)

That's what I've got. Price is HIGHLY dependent on surgeon, so really you need consults and to ask. I honestly have no idea how much my surgeon would have charged for just the panniculectomy and I've only been thinking of my plastics in terms of the ENTIRE cost for everything which is like $50,000.

Please do make sure that you do consult(s) with plastic surgeons who are board certified and who have extensive experience with those of us who have lost a lot of weight. Our skin is different and we have different needs that those who are just getting a mommy makeover. :)

You may have no idea, but will they do a mons lift with just a tummy tuck or is that only part of LBL? I don't think I need LBL, as my back is smooth now (or about 90%). If I need anything there it's probably just some lipo. Things are getting a little droopy down south though

I've actually been tempted to post pictures of myself and be like "So if you looked like this what would you have done?"

It seriously completely depends on the surgeon. For Dr Michaels? Seems likely.

And I know what you mean about wanting to send pictures. Sadly, from my understanding, plastic surgeons are more about "what bothers you and what do you want done?" Since, to be "perfect," we'd all probably need everything :P

But that's basically how I went into my consult. My big questions were what can be done, what should be done, do you think I'm even ready to start this or am I fooling myself? However, I also knew at that point that I needed/wanted everything I'd heard about below the neck. So arms, boobs, LBL, and thighs. I hadn't known about UBL but once we talked I knew that was on my list too.

I think in the long run, all I really need to be happy is a TT and breast lift + augmentation (maybe natural augmentation if I'm a candidate). If I could throw in the mons at the same time, that'd be awesome. My back, legs, and arms are pretty smooth given I'm nearing 130lbs of loss. I do have a chicken neck that I'd love fixed, but I've heard sometimes that takes care of itself as time goes on.

I have a bit of chicken neck too and figure that's something to consider when I'm in my 60s when, based on my mom's features, it would happen anyway. Seems foolish to deal with it now when it doesn't bother me and just have it come back later!

One thing that is worth thinking about, at least it was for me, is that surgery in one place can make other "problems" seem that much larger. So it can be tempting to fall into the "one more surgery" trap. Having had an LBL, even with all the swelling and bruising I still have, I can totally see how this would be possible. I was already planning a breast lift/UBL, but if I hadn't been planning that before? The results from the LBL might have inspired me to go back for another surgery just because now my boobs/upper back look even worse than they did :P (They don't really look even worse, because I'm a pretty realistic person, but I can see how someone could get sucked into that way of thinking.)

Just food for thought.

Yeah, I could see how that would happen. I can already pinpoint areas that drive me nuts but I'm going to have to live with. Like, I have these dimples in my knees that didn't use to be there. I mean really? Loose skin on your knees?

One of the things that bugs me is my calves, but Dr. Michaels is going to "see what he can do about them" with my last surgery. There really isn't calf skin removal but I feel like my calves are hella huge. So.. we'll see :)

Can't seem to resize my image, so it might be huge...but seriously what is this? When I stand up it kind of droops . What is hilarious is that I have tiny legs and always have. I have gained 1" on them since surgery with working out in fact!

HAHAHA. I have no idea, but it's sort of cute! :D

For me, the big push to getting my thighs done was this one time when I was doing yoga at home, and mostly naked as a result, and I went into a shoulder stand so my legs were straight up in the air and I was just mesmerized by all of my thigh skin that was then hanging in the opposite direction. That was THE MOMENT when I really solidified my realization that "yeah, thighs are on the list." :D