TT done yesterday!

Went into surgery yesterday at 7:30am. It was a 7 hour surgery, very long. Had an extended Abdominoplasty, Lipo and fat transfer to buttocks, and a breast lift without augmentation.

The first day was basically a nightmare. I can't believe the amount of pain. But just like that, it died down midday today. I am now able to walk (with a walker) and sit up fairly comfortably.

if anyone has any questions for me, shoot! I am going to be bored senseless for the next week or more.

Congrats to you and getting through your surgery!! I am hoping to have plastics this winter, so I will be watching you and your recovery.

Congratulations on a successful surgery!!! Can I ask who your surgeon is and how you would rate them? Are you in a hospital or home already?

Thank you!

My doc was Joseph (Joe) Michaels, in Bethesda, Maryland. The surgery was at Sibley Hospital in DC. I stayed one night, so I've been home since midday Thursday.

I'd rate Dr. Michaels at 100%. I found him easy to talk to but he never had a super casual air about him, he was all about the business. What I really liked about him was that I know he works with a lot of patients in a wealthy area who are going for a "certain look" that I am not, and he never made any assumptions and always ask the right questions to understand the type of body I was hoping to have. My family was really impressed with his bedside manner and communication during and after the surgery. His office staff was also stellar with communication and organization leading up to surgery.

Yesterday I was finally able to get completely undressed and take a look at everything, and I couldn't believe how amazing the results are. I could never imagine he could do what he did. He just has magic hands, plain and simple.

This was definitely the most painful thing I've ever been through. But I appreciated that the nurses and Dr never demeaned me regarding my levels of pain or made me feel in anyway that I was exaggerating, they made me as comfortable as possible and reassured me that the pain would be very short-lived, which it was. After two days I was feeling like I could move ahead and live pretty comfortably.

Thank you so much for your fast reply!!! I really appreciate all of this information. Dr. Michaels is actually on my "short list" of doctors that I'm looking into. I was wondering about him being in that area and how the cost is probably geared for wealthier clients. Can I ask if you found his pricing reasonable?

Like you, I also want a TT but don't want to be talked into a whole lower body lift or a circumferential TT. I don't mind that I have a little meat on my hips and rear, I just want the distorted, stretched out skin on my belly gone. Sounds like he was open to that without pressure.

I'm trying to gear myself up for the pain involved. I congratulate you on your bravery! I'm sure it's worth it in the end. I'm thrilled for you! :)

I paid $24k total. Others were slightly less, but really all the quotes were similar. For just the TT and breast lift it was around $20k, but I added on the buttocks fat transfer.

Dr. Michaels initially wanted me to do a 360 lift, but for some reason the idea of that gave me the creeps. So he did an extended TT but the incisions go almost completely around, so it was a good compromise (and a good way for me to save a bit of $).

I'm most excited about the mons area, which was a total mess before surgery. It is AMAZING now. Like I cannot believe the results, it's insane. He's a miracle worker.

Reach out any time you have questions!

Thanks a lot for all this information!

I read on here a couple of years ago to expect around $8K-$10K per procedure, with a 360 lower body lift counting as two procedures. I found that to be pretty much on the money when I was doing my consults. The surgeon I eventually went with was a bit more than that, but he's in Chicago (location can make a difference), and also, he insists on doing his surgeries in a hospital and makes you stay overnight at the hospital, which of course adds to the cost. The other consults I had do their surgeries out-patient (i.e., no overnight stay) in an ambulatory surgery center. I wanted the peace of mind, so I didn't mind paying extra - and it actually wasn't that much more than my other consults - maybe a couple thousand bucks. Again, the difference was probably mostly due to the cost of doing it in a hospital + the overnight stay.

Thanks a lot & congratulations on your surgery. I would actually prefer to stay as long as possible. I live alone and know I will probably need to hire a nurse if I don't go through a surgeon with a recovery house. That's actually one reason why I'm leaning toward Dr. Carmina Cardenas. Although on the flip side, I'm hesitant about having this done outside the U.S. I've read horror stories about that but her reviews sound amazing. I'm flip-flopping on that for sure.

a lot of surgeons in Mexico seem to use recovery houses - I think they're a great idea! Another surgeon in Mexico who's pretty well-known on OH is Francisco Sauceda. I actually did an email consult with him - he's much cheaper than US surgeons - probably half the price, as I recall. Dr. Carmina Cardenas is as well, from what I've heard. They are both very well-respected and well-trained surgeons - in fact, Dr. Sauceda at one time worked in the burn unit at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. If you end up going to Mexico, either one of them would be a great choice.

overall, there are excellent surgeons abroad, and some not so good ones. You just have to do your research to make sure you're getting a good one. And from everything I've heard, Dr. Carmina Cardenas is very good.

I know what you mean about going abroad, though. I was tempted but decided to stay in the US in case there were issues. Although I suppose most doctors here would treat you if you had a complication - but maybe you should check with yours first to make sure that's the case. Just for peace of mind. It'd be a huge pain to fly back to Mexico. But if you're covered on this end for potential complications, you may be fine.