Loose skin after meeting your weigh loss goal
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spfldpam
Posts: 738 Member
At the time I didn't think it would bother me, loose skin. Now at 21 months post op it really does. I went to a plastics consult last summer and the cost is so expensive to have any remove. I would be self pay as my insurance wouldn't pay for it. I have worked out my entire weight loss journey upping my exercise as I got thinner but I still have this loose skin on my stomach and my upper thighs, saggy butt and those damn bat wings.
I am happy I lost the weight and had WLS but just wish I didn't have this loose skin. I went from 270 to my lowest was 124 and now around 135. Not as much loose skin as others I am sure but it is a pain!
I am happy I lost the weight and had WLS but just wish I didn't have this loose skin. I went from 270 to my lowest was 124 and now around 135. Not as much loose skin as others I am sure but it is a pain!
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I don't imagine I'll ever be able to afford or get plastic surgery, but I imagine I wish I could. I'm sure I'll have loose skin somewhere.
Just curious. I know it's different based on where you live, but what was the quote you were given and for what procedures?0 -
I know what you mean. I'm down 100 pounds and am just starting to see evidence of lose skin. My issue is that I don't heal well from surgical incisions. I have a history of keloid scaring and I would be afraid that with a tummy tuck I would end up with a whopping ugly scar.... I'm still losing weight, so it isn't an immediate problem. Thanks for sharing your experience with us!0
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I posted it on one of these WLS lists on here it was in May of 2013 so I don't remember the exact price but about $8000-$10,000 per procedure and I had asked about tummy tuck, upper thigh lift, butt lift, breast lift w implants and upper arms. The surgeon would combo 2 procedures so it was gonna be like $15,000 for 2 things and if ya add it all up it was close to $50,000!
YIKES!I don't imagine I'll ever be able to afford or get plastic surgery, but I imagine I wish I could. I'm sure I'll have loose skin somewhere.
Just curious. I know it's different based on where you live, but what was the quote you were given and for what procedures?0 -
Here were the prices I got:
Plastic surgery prices: This is the list of prices for the procedures at the Bari Plastics program in my town if you are a WLS patient and have been referred to that program
Bilateral Mastopexy (2 breast lifts) $6692
Bilateral Agumentation Mammoplasty/Mastopexy with implants $12,098
Bilateral Augmentation Mamoplasty with implants $6566
Barchioplasty (Bilateral Arms) $6232
Body Contouring:
Abdomnioplasty: $8052
Thigh lift: $6892
Hip/buttock lift: $6292
Mini face lift $6327
Full face lift $9389
These are just the plastic surgery charges and don't include hosptial stay and other stuff.
The above prices are estimates and could change. The price includes the surgery fees for the surgeon, anesthesia and hospital charges (including 23 hour observation stay if needed). If a hospital stay is longer than 23 hours there is an additional $450 charge per night for this. What do you think of these prices? I know you can get it done cheaper in Mexcio doing medical tourism but that stuff kinda scares me. This program is familar with WLS people and their skin and are experienced at working with them on plastic surgery.
I added up if had my upper arms, boobs, tummy, upper thighs and hip/butt done and it would cost me $34,034! UGH! They will combine procedures up to 2 as long as you arent' knocked out for longer than 7 hours also. I would be self pay as my insurance wouldn't pay for any plastics. I have to get a hernia repaired that they found along with the hital hernia they did repair when they did my sleeve so I would have the hernia repaired too if I did have any plastics done. This might save me some $, maybe!0 -
Does anyone know under what circumstances insurance would cover plastic surgery? I have heard that some will cover it but I am not sure what the conditions have to be. I have lost 140 lbs with about 90 more to go, and already I have a lot of loose skin. I will definitely need some nip and tuck and lift and refill!0
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OMG - knew it was expensive, but not to this degree. This gives me the motivation to work out as much as I can on my arms, thighs, and abs - not that it will do any good, but at least I'll know I tried what I could. Swimming is a good overall exercise, but I don't know if there is anything than can be done when we lose so much weight in so short of a time period.
I'm starting to put ankle weights (5lb) and wrist weights (5lb.) on first thing in the a.m. and wearing them all day. I don't know if these will help with toning or not, but I'm doing it. About 5:00 I get in about 15-20 minutes on my elliptical bike which also has arm exercise included.
I guess at my age (58.5) I should just be glad to lose the weight and cover up areas where I can't get the tone back. Easy for me to say at this point, but I'm doing everything I can do and if that's not enough, I hope to keep in mind that I'd rather be smaller, have more energy and stamina, loose skin and wear nice clothes again, than stay obese, have no energy or stamina and not find any clothing that fits or that I like.
I know I'll never be able to afford plastic surgery as #1 I'm on a fixed income, #2 I know Medicare won't pay, and #3 I scared of plastic surgery.0 -
Garber, my surgeon and I had conversation about this at my last appointment. Most of the time, if insurance companies will pay for anything, it's the tummy tuck and occasionally a thigh lift, provided that there is a history of skin infections from the folds of loose skin present in both areas. It really varies by insurance company, but my surgeon said he's had the greatest success at getting approval for his patients by having good data on their skin infections, etc. (so we documented the little red, raw patch that had appeared below my saggy tummy tire). Even for those of us who are strength training regularly, I think some skin is inevitable, so hopefully the insurance can help with at least those procedures.0
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IF you have skin breakdown from the left over skin rubbing over your body, insurance MAY pay. I know several people who've had their tummy tuck covered, but were on their own for arms\breasts, etc.0
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We had a plastic surgeon come to our support group last night. This is what he told us.
1) Get your PCP to document the EVERY rash you get. If you don't have that documentation, don't even go see a plastic surgeon if you are expecting insurance coverage of anything.
2) Most insurances will only cover getting rid of the apron effects of the abdomen. Some will cover the similar issues that carry around to the back.
3) If you are a runner and can prove, again with PCP documentation, the thighs are being irritated due to loose skin they MAY cover that.
Anything else is on your own dime. Facelift up to $14000, Breastlift, basic was about $6000 - 8000, same for the thighs and the buttocks.
Oh, and what is covered is not a Tummy Tuck. This only covers skin tightening with loss of belly button in cases of extreme WL. A tummy tuck, they attempt to either rebuild or retain the belly button and they also tighten the abdominal muscles while in there. Note to the ladies still in child bearing years, this is not recommended if you are considering having children still. The muscle tightening will make for a more difficult pregnancy and the pregnancy will undo that work.
Also to be understood, the skin removal is not a really painful process and, except for thighs and butt, heals fairly easily and quickly - serious about those exceptions- the tummy tuck, he emphasized, HURTS!
His cutoff is 6 hours of operation. He also will do only two items at a time, and they have to be on the same hemisphere. No back or butt and abdomen at the same time because the two procedures would work against each other. (He would have to leave the butt looser to allow for the tightening of the abdominal skin.)
So in a nutshell, that is what we were told last night. I am certain there are regional and or doctor variances. The key to it all is to work with your PCP to document everything/anything that may be related to this and bring that documentation to the plastic surgeon with you.0 -
My health insurance considers skin removal as cosmetic surgery and it actually states it won't cover it. My employer switched our health insurance carrier in July of 2013 and I looked over the giant book they give to find if they would. My old health insurance Health Alliance wouldn't either. Some will cover it if you have skin rashes but the plastic surgeron I went to for my consult that i paid the $100 consulting fee said he has never had an insurance co pay for skin removal for people who had WLS and this plastic surgery group is who my WLS program refers people to and the prices I listed were discounted prices for peple from the WLS program in my area.
I don't have any skin rashes. I do have a hernia they found while doing my sleeve that they didn't repair cause they repaired the hital hernia they found when they did the sleeve and I did ask my WLS surgeon if I had the hernia repaired and a tummy tuck if that might save me some money and he said it might. The hernia isn't bothering me and if they hadn't found it I would have never known i had it so at this point I am not looking to get it fixed. If it does start to bothering me or becomes painful I will and maybe look into have the tummy tuck done at the same time.
The plastic surgeon I consulted with said he will only combo 2 procedures at a time also for a limit of 5-6 hours being knocked out and he wouldn't do certain procedures together. He said breast and upper arms he would. Tummy and breast he would he wouldn't do a thigh and tummy together or a butt and tummy due to it beig too close in each to heal correctly and pain wise.
My WLS program usually has a plastic surgeon come every year at one of the group support meetings.0
