Question:
What can I do about my LEGS?

I am post op since May 26th 2000. Started 382 now down 179lbs. I have a tummy tuck scheduled for April 26th which will make me very happy when my pannus is gone...HOWEVER...my legs are still humongous and very very flabby...I know that I will not get it approved by insurance and there is no way I can afford it myself. I also have the bat wing thing going on, but that does not bother me nearly as much as my legs. Did anyone else have a problem with their legs losing unproportionatlyy to the rest of their bodies? I will take all the feed back I can get on this one. You guys are the greatest! Thanks in advance!    — Lisa N. (posted on April 17, 2001)

April 16, 2001
The key to having the insurance pay for loose skin on the legs is medical necessity. Say, do you happen to suffer from rashes in the folds? Is your back hurting because your gait is thrown off because of the loose skin? If you just are one of those women with genetically heavy legs, just learn to live with it. But if what you require is reconstructive surgery due to the damaging effects of morbid obesity and the residual mechanically caused comorbidities, then see a sympathetic plastic surgeon after you have visited your family doc a few times documenting your rashes and pain. Failing that, mortgage the house. Good Luck!
   — merri B.

April 17, 2001
See my post in the previous question...all kinds of good info.
   — [Deactivated Member]

May 11, 2001
After a weight loss of 150 pounds 12 years ago I opted for plastic surgery to improve the appearance of my legs that looked like shirred drapes or a shar pei dog. I wanted to wear shorts and a bathing suit without being self-conscious. The surgery left scars from crotch to 3 inches above my knees. the more skin to remove, the longs the scar has to be. The scar has actually become thicker over the years and although the color is no longer RED, it is still noticeable. More importantly the thighplasty resulted in circulation problems and I would not do it if I had it to do again. The lymph drainage was significantly affected in one of my legs so it is almost always swollen. I developed a deep vein clot in the leg 7 months after the surgery that put me in the hospital for a week, put me on anticoagulants for months, and set me up for a recurrent infection in my calf that continues to occur occasionally now (multiple hospitalizations for IV antibiotics.) Sadly, after all that, I began to gain weight again (not the fault of the plastic surgery) and am now looking at weight loss surgery. I expect when I have lost weight again that I will choose to live with the apron (I also had abdominoplasty) and the drapey legs.
   — Anndrea H.