Plastic Surgery (excess skin)

jeanine89
jeanine89 Posts: 95 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hi everyone. I just had my second n last plastic surgery to remove excess skin from a large weight loss. My first surgery was last June and I had tummy tuck or sorts and skin removed from back. I took about 8weeks to heal and the results are night n day different. My second surgery was last Tuesday for removing skin from upper arms and inner thigh. I'm still in hospital due to major complication of internal bleeding and formation on large hematoma in right thigh and had to have emergency surgery on said thigh less then 24hours after coming out of OR. This is my 6th day in hospital due to the complications I experienced after and for added pleasure I have a kidney stone that was present for almost two years decide it wants to pick this week to move out. Doctors are still trying best to get me home but it's not looking like I will be getting out until tomorrow night at earliest. So what I wanted to open discussion about is how many other people have had plastic surgery after their weight loss and what they think of the results. (Ps. Feel free to add me a friend)
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Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
    Great job on your loss!
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    It didn't happen to me personally but one of my best friends did a tummy tuck and belly button reconstruction after have 3 babies.... her stomach looked AWESOME... I've NEVER wanted plastic surgery but after seeing her.... I have been considering it...


    but now shes pregnant again so I'm actually really curious to see what he stomach will look like after.
  • jeanine89
    jeanine89 Posts: 95 Member
    Thank you I actually lost 150 lbs n weight in the 130s
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
    Sounds like your surgery was for very good reasons. Sorry to hear about the current struggles in the hospital and I hope you get out soon. It is actually good that you are sharing your surgery complications. I think many people think that skin removal is a quick and easy procedure instead of the fairly invasive surgery it really is.

    I am considering having my extra skin removed. I am not 100% sure I'm done having kids, so I want to wait until that is decided.
  • minties82
    minties82 Posts: 907 Member
    I would go for it 100%, but it is either buy a house or buy a new body. House wins.

    Well done on the huge loss!
  • jeanine89
    jeanine89 Posts: 95 Member
    I didn't realize how intense it was until my first surgery. The swelling n drains are very painful and depending on surgeon the drains my stay in for weeks. Just an idea of what a drain is.. About 18 inches of tubbing inside the wound with 24 inches outside draining into a small bulb that has to be emptied many times a day n held in place by only 1 stitch which means every movement u feel pulling at the site and have to keep the bulb n tube secure somehow (very hard to wear most clothing). With my tummy tuck n back skin surgery I had 8 drains 4 of which removed in 1week and 2 more each week after (3weeks) with my arms n thighs I have 1 drain in each limb and have been told I'm leaving hospital with some if not all 4. Whenever it is I do get to leave that is
  • jeanine89
    jeanine89 Posts: 95 Member
    Btw for anyone considering the length of healing is based on size of incision and the size of incision based on amount of extra skin, age, ect
  • jeanine89
    jeanine89 Posts: 95 Member
    minties82 wrote: »
    I would go for it 100%, but it is either buy a house or buy a new body. House wins.

    Well done on the huge loss!

    Lucky for my my insurance covered both the surgeries and my hospital stays. However, I loose the insurance when I turn 26 in June. You can get it covered if u get a few doctors to say it is medically needed. My first surgery was approved with in days of submitting my paperwork. The second was flat out denied in less then 24hrs and I filed an appeal which went through to my knowledge this is rare for arms/thighs but I had new evidence as in I went to even more doctors for even
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
    jeanine89 wrote: »
    Thank you I actually lost 150 lbs n weight in the 130s

    Incredible!

    I wish you the best and hope you get to go home soon.
  • bainsworth1a
    bainsworth1a Posts: 313 Member
    so sorry to hear of your complications but I agree with others thank you for posting this. I know I will need skin removal surgery when I get to my final goal but I am also very concerned about complications. I will have to weigh carefully the risks of surgery because there are also risks from the excess skin.
    I appreciate your honesty
    I hope you get well soon
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,196 Member
    I hope that your recovery improves soon!

    I should probably have extra skin removed from my abdomen at some point. It isn't just a question of weight loss in my case--I had a very large tumor for several years which stretched out my skin in that area.

    I've already had lots of surgeries (brain, abdominal) so I know what that is really like, how painful and inconvenient that really is. I also know that I tend to get very painful adhesions after surgery, so that's slowing me down too.

    I'm not sure if I will ever be willing to go through surgery again for something that is not a life-or-death issue. Maybe. I'm not there yet.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,196 Member
    jeanine89 wrote: »
    I didn't realize how intense it was until my first surgery. The swelling n drains are very painful and depending on surgeon the drains my stay in for weeks. Just an idea of what a drain is.. About 18 inches of tubbing inside the wound with 24 inches outside draining into a small bulb that has to be emptied many times a day n held in place by only 1 stitch which means every movement u feel pulling at the site and have to keep the bulb n tube secure somehow (very hard to wear most clothing). With my tummy tuck n back skin surgery I had 8 drains 4 of which removed in 1week and 2 more each week after (3weeks) with my arms n thighs I have 1 drain in each limb and have been told I'm leaving hospital with some if not all 4. Whenever it is I do get to leave that is

    Do you think that your weight-loss experience and going through the surgeries is going to inform the kind of doctor that you become?
  • xX_PhoenixRising_Xx
    xX_PhoenixRising_Xx Posts: 622 Member
    I can't really help, but I've also lost a bit over 150 lbs. I'm really undecided about this surgery - I'm in Australia so I'd have to pay for it. The loose skin isn't great, but I have so much of it and I don't heal very well at the best of times. I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your experience and I hope you get to go home soon. :)
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    You accomplished a lot with the weight loss. I hope that you make a full and happy recovery from the surgery. :)
  • jeanine89
    jeanine89 Posts: 95 Member
    RodaRose wrote: »
    You accomplished a lot with the weight loss. I hope that you make a full and happy recovery from the surgery. :)

    Thank you
  • jeanine89
    jeanine89 Posts: 95 Member
    xX_PhoenixRising_Xx wrote: »
    I can't really help, but I've also lost a bit over 150 lbs. I'm really undecided about this surgery - I'm in Australia so I'd have to pay for it. The loose skin isn't great, but I have so much of it and I don't heal very well at the best of times. I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your experience and I hope you get to go home soon. :)

    It really is such a personal decision some people have excess and no issues with it. For my I didn't care how it looked but that I would get tiny sores under the tummy skin n back. My arms n legs were not as medically taxing but I would have problems exercising because the skin would go one way while I'm going other n cause pain that was just not managed well. Sorry you have to paid on your own but I have heard u can take out loans or do payment plans
  • jeanine89
    jeanine89 Posts: 95 Member

    Do you think that your weight-loss experience and going through the surgeries is going to inform the kind of doctor that you become? [/quote]

    That's something I been thinking about actually because I can relate personally to the patient unlike many of the doctors and nurses I have had. I went to see a dietitian a long time ago and was so discouraged as the tiny women told me what I shouldn't eat. If I would go into same field I put my before pic right on the wall as an ice breaker. I would be way more willing to talk to someone who really knew the struggles
  • jeanine89
    jeanine89 Posts: 95 Member
    azulvioleta6 wrote: »
    I hope that your recovery improves soon!

    I should probably have extra skin removed from my abdomen at some point. It isn't just a question of weight loss in my case--I had a very large tumor for several years which stretched out my skin in that area.

    I've already had lots of surgeries (brain, abdominal) so I know what that is really like, how painful and inconvenient that really is. I also know that I tend to get very painful adhesions after surgery, so that's slowing me down too.

    I'm not sure if I will ever be willing to go through surgery again for something that is not a life-or-death issue. Maybe. I'm not there yet.

    Thanks I'm still in hospital (day 7) and was just told I'm staying at least another night.

    For me it wasn't just I got sore that's is what allowed me to get covered by insurance. My issue is I worked 5 years and looked at myself hiding parts of me that I didn't want people to see. That isn't what someone should be doing at any size. I Couldn't wear shorts or even a skirt above knee because the skin would droop out the bottom. Nothing like being a size 2 and having skin popping out instead of fat. After my tummy was done I would have to still wear at least sleeves that go to elbow due to what my brother so wonderfully called the "flying squirrel" excess skin. I wear a small x-small top but with the arms I had to but larger so that I could get my upper arm in the sleeve right.

    I love my body and I love myself but no one deserves comments like "what's wrong with your arms", "that shirt looks tight on your arms", you must have huge biceps". People sometimes don't have a filter and yes that means adults who should no better.

    My tummy tuck made me feel amazing and actually see the results I was working for. I saw me in the mirror and was happy. I will always have scars and stretch marks but I don't care about that they are just reminders that I been through a lot and I'm still here
  • jeanine89
    jeanine89 Posts: 95 Member
    bainsworth1a wrote: »
    so sorry to hear of your complications but I agree with others thank you for posting this. I know I will need skin removal surgery when I get to my final goal but I am also very concerned about complications. I will have to weigh carefully the risks of surgery because there are also risks from the excess skin.
    I appreciate your honesty
    I hope you get well soon

    The complication I experienced is actually really rare with thigh lifts. That's why I have the all the doctors from the plastic surgical team stopping in including residents and students so they can see and better treat if they would ever have someone with this again. The reason it's taking so long for me to get out of here is I'm having trouble bouncing back from the blood loss due to lack of protein consumption. The hospital is now aware they don't have a good enough selection of high protein veg foods and I'm getting supplements in the form of shakes finally when they realized I couldn't get from a menu with options of pizza, pasta, n rice dishes as the only veg dishes to choose from.

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