I don't think too many people on here have had an FDL. I was wanting one, but two of my three consults recommended doing a standard one first and then doing the FDL cut during my next set of procedures if it was still needed (I was kind of borderline). As it turned out, I didn't really need it. I'm not sure if the recovery on an FDL is tougher than a standard abdominoplasty, but recovery even on the standard is kind of rough - but I had lipo and fascia tightening (which some refer to as muscle tightening), which supposedly adds to the pain. The first week was pretty bad - getting in and out of bed was a painful affair - but after that, it was mostly discomfort.

Congrats! When is everything scheduled for? or has it already happened?

I was thinking t probably also depends on how much fat you have in the particular body part you want to operate on. For example, my legs are now at the stage where my thighs wouldn't touch if it weren't for the excess skin, whereas my "bingo wings" still have a bit of fat in them. I will probably try to keep losing until my BMI is at the low end of normal, so that I have a bit of buffer for regain. I expect to be there by the end of summer, so that might be a good time to begin my research.

Great Job! I can't wait to (hopefully) be at that stage in my own journey. I have several friends who have undergone surgery and all have been at different stages so I believe it is up to the surgeon and your personal situation. I went with a friend of mine to a consult and she was in a similar situation as you (very close to her "healthy" BMI range) and the surgeon stated he would actually prefer her NOW since she has somewhat plateaued for 6-7 months at this weight and with plastics, she will be very close to her preferred range to which, she may be very happy with the results and not need to lose any more.

I know there are a ton of articles in the library that pertain to Plastics that I found and will refer to when it's my turn! https://www.obesityhelp.com/articles/category/plastic-surger y-procedure

Good luck! Can't wait to see how your journey progresses!

if you don't get a response here, check www.realself.com It's a site where patients review doctors. All kinds of doctors, but the majority are plastic surgeons. Many people post before & after pictures, too. I used it (plus this site) to come up with my short list of surgeons - then I did consults with my top three.