Question:
Question about Hernia Repair with tummy tuck?

I am 2 months shy of being 2 years post-op..I have been having some pain in my right side for the past couple of months. I ended up in the ER on Saturday and they ran some tests and found out I have a ventral hernia on my right side. I was told I would have to have surgery since it was causing me a lot of pain. I went to my doctor on Monday and he referred me to a surgeon and then to a plastic surgeon as well since I have a large hanging flap hanging off my stomach. The doc said that we can try to get it approved with my insurance as part of the hernia repair... I have some questions.. 1) I haven't lost all of the weight I want to I weight 180 right now (still considered overweight due to the fact that I am really short) and I want to be about 140 will they do plastic surgery on me??? 2) Does anyone have Aetna Patriot for there insurance and have had a tummy tuck with a hernia repair?? Any helpful suggestions on how to get this approved would be helpful...Thanks    — Dusty S. (posted on September 24, 2003)

September 24, 2003
For the best results, a tt should be done when your within 20 pounds of your goal weight. You should ask the PS how much skin and fat he thinks he'll remove if he does a tt and then decide. If it's only going to be 5 or 10 pounds you may want to wait. If they approve you once for a tt, they'll approve you again unless you change insurance carriers.
   — Patty H.