Question:
Has anyone who has had LAP RNY and Reconstructive Surgery ?

I went for a second opinion plastic surgery consultation today at 2:30 p.m. Even though I am quite happy with the first surgeon I went to and will be returning to him January 30, 2003; I heard it was always good to have second opinions and speak with several plastic surgeons after all your life will be in his hands. Anyway this surgeon I went to today came highly recommended from Internet searches and people online. His office was very nice and inside a hospital building. He had several degrees displayed and the symbol for the American Plastic Surgery Association on the wall. He was nice and willing to answer any and all questions I had. I changed clothes and slipped into a paper gown and lil blue thong for my inspection/consult. He was grabbing my skin and looking at me and analyzing my problem areas. He told me what I already knew needed to be done. Tummy Tuck, Arm Lift, Thigh Lift, and Breast Lift. The part that I did not like was the way he said he would have to cut my stomach. He said I would have a cut from breastbone down to pubic and then hip to hip as well for the Tummy Tuck. I wanted to leave his office from that point, but I stayed to hear what he had to say. After all it was a free consult and all I was out of was parking money. I had LAP RNY to avoid a scar from breastbone to pubic area for a reason. I have had other PS consults and they all said hip to hip would make me nice and flat. I would not be a super model, but I do not expect that. Can anyone who has had LAP RNY and reconstructive surgery tell me if they were cut from breast bone to pubic and then hip to hip as well for their tummy tuck. I will not be using this guy, but I just want to get input from you all who had LAP RNY and a tummy tuck.    — Skyedancer4u1 (posted on January 6, 2003)

January 6, 2003
actually what he suggested will give you the best results go visit Plastic Surgeon sites with pics notice how the part under your Boobs those Fat rolls they start sagging down the whole tummy has a saggy elephant skin look what this pS suggested would tighten you up around and up and down I had a TT and wish they would have done the from breast to belly button would have made my clothes fit better and I would have been so much smaller please before deciding go visit these sites grab the skin under your boobs can you grab a hand ful? the lower TT will not get rid if this
   — Kathleen M.

January 6, 2003
I had a lap RNY 33 months ago, and was so happy that by one year post-op, I could hardly find the little incisions at all. Then I had my plastic surgery consult and discovered that the reconstructive approach known as an "anchor incision" (breastbone to pubic area, then hip to hip) would give me the best results. It was explained to me that the standard hip-to-hip tummy tuck works beautifully for those pear-shaped people who have carried most of their weight at the bellybutton or below. However, for those unfortunate apple-shaped people like me, who always carried alot of weight between my breasts and waistline, the anchor incision is best because the surgeon is able to pull in all that excess skin from the sides in toward the middle, giving the back a nice sleek look and eliminating those rolls above and below the bra strap. At my age (57) I never dreamed of strolling down the beach in a bikini, but I really did want to be able to wear nicely fitting clothes without having to wear those one-piece support garments to hide all the lumps, bumps and bulges. I had the anchor incision surgery last year and couldn't be happier with the results. My surgeon didn't use any external sutures or staples, so I just have a thin pink line down my abdomen which is quickly fading to white....I have had stretch marks worse than this :-) The incision took away my lap RNY incisions as well as my long gallbladder incision, and I will never have a support garment on this body again! Most of us who were so happy with our lap RNYs and the lack of any major incisions, have a struggle with the decision to have reconstructive surgery which will leave us with an incision larger than the "open" WLS patients. It IS a trade-off, but this was a great decision for me, and I would make the same decision again in a heartbeat. Best wishes!
   — Diana T.

January 7, 2003
Sounds like you went through the same thing I did. The first plastic surgeon wanted to cut me from my breastbone down to my pubic bone and then hip to hip. I told him point blank that I had lap surgery so I could avoid huge scars and I wasn't going to trade fat for huge scars now. I went to see another plastic surgeon and he recommended hip to hip only with muscle tightening. He told me the breastbone cut was only for someone who had a huge amount of skin above the belly button (I was a lightweight at 248 before my rny)and I had just an average amount above my belly button. I went with this plastic surgeon. He did a fantastic job and my tummy is as flat and tight as it can be. Remember, there are a lot of plastic surgeons who will do surgeries the "old fashioned way" because that's all they've ever done. My plastic surgery is a young doctor who doesn't want to leave scars all over your body. If different plastic surgeons are telling you the same thing, then you probably need that type of surgery that requires more incisions. However, if you get a difference in opinions in several doctors, only you can make the decision who you will believe. Also, look at pictures of other patients who look similar to you prior to surgery to see how there surgery turned out. It gives you a good idea what you'll look like afterwords. Good luck in finding a doctor who you believe in.
   — Patty H.