Plastic surgery

Hello, I'm 11 years post RNY. I lost over 140 pounds and I've successfully maintained my weight loss even after 2 pregnancies. I've suffered from back pain for the last several years. I've gone through months of PT. I think my pain may be stemming from the extra skin I carry on my lower body. Has anyone else had this issue? Did plastic surgery help and did your insurance pay for it?

Thank you!

Megan

Although I am not carrying any excess skin, I sympathize with it being painful. Usually to get insurance to pay to remove it, you need pictures and evidence of doctor appointments and medicine to treat infections from the excess skin. But check with a plastic surgeon and see what can be done. I paid for my own tummy tuck, but had not had any skin infections. If possible check with the surgeon who did your weight loss surgery for a plastic surgeon who works with weight loss surgery patients.

Hello! I have had two reconstructive surgeries since my RNY in 2005: one in 2007 (breast reduction/lift & abdominoplasty), and one in 2018 (brachioplasty, thighplasty, bra roll removal, mons lift, liposuction to my torso, and a Brazilian butt lift). The only one my insurance paid for was the breast reduction due to severe rashes I was receiving under my breasts (they were hanging down to my lower abdomen, as I started out a 48FF). They however refused to cover the abdominoplasty although I had rashes there as well.

I hear you about the back pain though. The breast reduction and abdominoplasty took that away! The other procedures were mostly about skin removal (and plumping up a very flat and saggy backside).

I hope this helps!

Unfortunately, the insurance company people are aware that excess skin **without excess fat** weighs very little for most people (if you lost 300 pounds, it would be a different situation), and therefore it doesn't really contribute much to back pain... and they therefore often explicitly exclude back pain as even a partial justification for removing the excess skin. Rashes from where the skin overlaps are the usual medical condition for which insurance will cover the sin removal.

Note that removing the lower apron of skin only (a panniculectomy) is different than a full tummy tuck (abdominoplasty). It is generally much easier to get insurance approval for just the panniculectomy (but the aesthetic result is often much less appealing than for abdominoplasty with muscle tightening).

You may be able to check your insurance company's requirements online to see if they explicitly exclude back pain.

Lora