Favor request of anyone who has had excess skin removed from tummy

pawoodhull

I am guardian of my mentally impaired sister. Before I got guardianship, she was talked into having gastric bypass. She isn't capable of understanding the surgery or what WLS patients have to do to make weight loss successful long term so although she initially lost about 90 pounds before she "re-stretched her stomach" (her surgeon's words to me last year), she has gained it all back and then some. Now it is being recommended that she have the tummy sag removed as she has constant rashes and infections. We are scheduling a consult and I would like to go prepared with questions. If you have had this done, would you be wiling to message me with what you think I should be asking and especially things you didn't ask but wish you had? I am not to the point in my WLS journey to have looked into this yet and want to be very careful in making this decision as her impairment means she is not able to understand this surgery any more than she understood the bypass. Thank you!

pawoodhull

Update. My sister weighs in at 300+. Her BMI is way above what every surgeon I've talked to says is acceptable. The fact that we are not removing empty or even near empty skin, but a very thick layer of fat along with the skin, makes the risk for this sugery so high no one will touch it. As I said originally, her impairment makes her sticking to any food program or any kind of WLS program impossible for her to do. Add to that she is still gaining, so the surgery would be a short term solution at best. Our decision is to continue to treat the rashes/sores as best we can. No surgery. Thank you to everyone who responded! I truly appreciate your feedback.

GalgoMomAnita

You are a wonderful sister

nilklynn

This is completely bizarre, but worth a shot I suppose. My fil had a horrible time with infections under his belly. A doctor that he was seeing for lymphoma randomly told him to try washing the infected area with standard head and shoulders shampoo. It cleared it all up within days. He's never had to go back to the dermatologist for that sort of rash again. Could be with a shot.