Question:
When do you consider having PS done?

I am 18 months out. My weight was steady for 6 months, but I still think I am probably too heavy for PS. All of my saggy skin is around my middle, hips, legs, ect... Yesterday I was able to "fold" my skin on my abdomen over to fit into a smaller pair of jeans. I am tired of all the jiggling and feel less attractive than before when I was 300 pounds. I wear a size 16 pant and am not satisfied with that. I joined Weight Watchers to help me loose another 30 or more pounds. Barix is having a free PS consultation for those of us who are former patients. I got an invite, but I am concerned that I would be wasting my time since I still see myself not finished loosing all the weight.    — Heather M. (posted on December 6, 2004)

December 5, 2004
how much more do you need to lose?Most ps will not do he operstion unless you are within 25pds of your goal Iwas at goal and maintained the weight for 6mts when dr did mine that was 8mts ago andd have still mantained my weight congrats on your weight loss Take Care Huggs Beth
   — wildbrat

December 5, 2004
I was still within 25 lbs. of my personal goal when I had my tummy tuck. I had been trying unsuccessfully for over 7 months to lose that last 25 lbs when I decided I had had enough of the rashes from the hanging skin on my stomach. My surgeon pulled me so tight that I couldn't imagine a problem if I do lose this last bit of weight. I actually carry the extra weight in my butt and thighs now. I guess it is a matter of how much it bugs you. With my surgeon he required your weight to be stable for at least 4 to 5 months, which I was.
   — ckreh

December 5, 2004
I started the PS process at 80 lbs above goal. By the time I went into surgery for the LBL I was 17 lbs away from my goal, which is much higher than most would choose, but it was a weight I was comfortable with. I was 217 going into surgery and 200 was my goal weight. I was wearing a tight 16W pants and like you had to "position" the panni to get them on. I came out of surgery having had 19 lbs of skin removed, theoretically 2 lbs below goal, but it took a few months before the scale reflected it, and a very tight 16 misses. I now wear a 12 misses but it took a good 3-4 months before 12's consistently fit. <p>You may find it easier to lose those last lbs after you are able to move easier without the panni and feel good about yourself. I'm sure the panni will account for some of the 30 lbs you wish to lose yet. I would start the process. Usually once insurance gives you an approval it is good for 6 months so then you can hold off a while longer and try and lose more. For me it would be time to do the PS and get on with life. I broke all the rules as my weight had not been stable for even 1-2 months. I was still in losing mode going into PS. However, I also knew that PS would remove a lot of skin and I wasn't interested in getting to goal and then having 20-25 lbs of skin removed. I've had 2 additional PS's and have had a total of about 25 lbs removed. I had insurance approval and I wasn't about to lose it, so I went full steam ahead. It hasn't caused any issues. I have had some minor revision work done with each subsequent surgery but it had to do with the quality of my skin I had left than anything else. I do not regrat moving forward with PS when I did. I was 12-3/4 months PO and down 225 lbs. I enjoyed my summer a ton more not having that huge hanging gut. Not to mention it pretty much resolved my low back pain issues. Each person has to figure it out for yourself. My PS is not one who "refuses" to PS until we are at goal or weight stable for X months. Personally I think it is none of their business when we choose to do it. However, he did make it clear that if I lost more than 25 lbs it could compromise the end result, but since I have no plan to lose that much it is not a problem. Any looseness or slack I have, which is very minimal, comes from the non-elastic severely stretchmarked skin I have. Nothing the PS can do about that. He can only work with what I give him. So factor your skin quality into the picture also. None of us are too likely to end up with beautiful elastic skin after being MO and SMO.
   — zoedogcbr

December 5, 2004
You should have Plastic surgery when your within 20 pounds of your goal weight. I had my tt when I weighed 140 (my goal was to weigh 130) and I was 9 months post-op. I knew I wasn't going to lose a lot more weight (I got down to 125 as my final weight).
   — Patty H.

December 6, 2004
I am about 17 months out. I am no where near my goal weight, but i was so big when I had my surgery I have a lot of extra skin. I have a huge panni. My doctor will not give me a LBL. but he said he would give me PS, a panniculectomy, to make me more comfortable. I am only really concerned about the panni, I have to fold my skin to fit into jeans that are huge around the waste. I have to buy pants about 2 sizes too big to fit my panni.Hope this helps a little
   — Holly H.

December 7, 2004
Dear Heather, The best candidate for plastic surgery is someone who has a body mass index under 30. It's really not so much about the weight, but the ratio of of weight over height. There are significantly more risks and complications for someone who is still obese (BMI greater than thirty). However, it doesn't hurt to have a consultation to hear the pros and cons of the surgeries. I hope you find this information useful. Joshua Kreithen, M.D. Lakewood Ranch Plastic Surgery, Bradenton FL - www.lakewoodranchplasticsurgery.com
   — Joshua Kreithen, M.D.