Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Can any one recomend a good dr in the Chicago(aurora) area for either lipo or a tuck for a man. im looking but dont want to puck the wrong one for the job. i was banded a almost 4 years ago and have been at my desired weight for 3(170 lbs)from 288 so i think its time to get rid of the saggy belly and love handles so any help would be appreciated

I ran into a friend of my mother's the other day, my mum had told her about my sleeve. I found out she has had it done too and lost 195 pounds, she is three yeas out now. She mentioned the saggy skin and said she had her tummy tuck at a local hospital for FREE because she donated her excess skin to the burn unit. Apparently if you have a few pounds of excess skin and donate it (via tons of forms) you can get it for free! Anyone heard of this before??

Hi what silicon scar strips and cream are you using or have used and where do you buy it from. I will have to buy it online as I don't live in the US Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

So I'm off to Bangkok on Wednesday to see 2 surgeons that I'm interested in for my plastics. Body Lift, Arm Lift and Breast reduction with lift. The 2 Drs I'm seeing are Dr Chartchai at Samitivej Sukhamvit Hospital and Dr Komwit at Bumrungrad International Hospital. Very nervous but I've done all my research and I have all of my information and questions so it's just a matter of deciding which one I think I will be the most comfortable with and the one that will be able to give me the results I'm looking for. Then pay the deposit and book it in for early August. I Guess this is when it all starts to become real. October will be my 3yr sleeve anniversary so I'll really …

I had my 1st plastics consultation with Dr Josef Hadeed (of Atlanta and Beverly Hills) and was wondering if anyone has heard of him?

I'm officially scheduled for a tummy tuck (ugh I hate the word tummy) and brachioplasty in two weeks! Give me all the advice you've got! How much pain were you in? How long did it take for you to not be in pain? How much pain were the drains, literally and figuratively? We're there any sitting/sleeping positions that were more comfortable than others? Any gadgets or props that were especially helpful? Any kind of clothing that was easier to get in and out of? What did you eat? How much did you eat given that you weren't able to exercise? How much help did you need? I'm staying with my brother for the first 48 hours but then I'm on my own. Should I prep a weeks worth of me…

So I haven't been on much in the last couple years. Just steadily keeping my weight from fluctuating too much. I am having a TT and breast augmentation on 5/2 with Dr Michael Salzhauer (aka the real Dr Miami) in Bal Harbour, FL (Miami area). It's all paid in full. It was about $12,000 that I took the last 14 months to pay off. I started at 350 (give or take since I don't know how much I got up to really) I'm now at about 200. I went as low as 170 but looked unhealthy. I love my curves as they are now. However, the pain the excess skin causes on my back is more than I can bear. Everyone keeps asking me "are you excited??", "aren't you terrified??", and "are you sur…

I'm less than 3 months out from PS and plan on having Breast Reduction/Lift, Arm Lift and a Body Lift. Plan at the moment is Body Lift first then the others in a second procedure. Now I'm starting to think should I do it the other way around with the Body Lift last because the Arms will be the only part on show so I should give them the most time to heal in regards to scars. My question is will the Body Lift surgery pull my breast down ? I've had saggy boobs for to Long the last thing I want is to have them fixed and looking great, then wake up after the Body lift to find them too Low again. ( I'm not getting any implants ). I have an appointment with the PS at the end o…

What determines if you need a tummy tuck vs a lower body lift? I definitely need some help in that area but am not sure which way to go or what the real difference is in results, price, recovery time, etc between the two. I know the lower body lift is the more extensive of the two but in terms of results is it worth it?

Hi all: On May 20th, I had an abdominalplasty and brachoplasty. So far so good, except that I have gained about 10lbs! I am scared of my mind. Has this happned to any of you? Any suggestions as to what I should do? I was thinking of doing my post WLS diet. Just Protein shakes and Soups. What do you guys think? Thanks!

Omg - I had laser hair removal done for the first time yesterday. OUCH!!! Has anyone else had it done before?!? I had laser treatment before to remove a tattoo and it was the exact same feeling (I compare it to being hit by bacon grease from a frying pan over and over again.) When I had my tattoo removed, the doctor applied both a numbing cream and I had him inject me with something to numb the site. Yesterday I went to Kaiser (new treating facility) and she said it wouldn't be as bad as it was less intense lasers. She lied! I have given vaginal birth (one natural, without drugs) and i swear, the pain was worse. I have a really high tolerance to pain so for me to say thi…

Ok so I had my first PS consult today. I went to Dr Peter Fisher in San Antonio (thanks to several folks on here who highly recommended him). He said good things - I was a good candidate, at a good weight (in fact wouldn't lose anymore than 5 or 10 more pounds IF that), had good muscle tone, had a good figure already, etc. All good things to hear. He wants to do everything in 2 procedures: First procedure - Lower Body Lift (which includes tummy, butt, lipo of thighs and some thigh lift) and brachioplasty - procedure last 8 to 12 hours! Second procedure (no less than 3 months later) - Thigh lift and Breast Lift / Augmentation - 4 to 6 hour procedure I am not nec…

For those of you that have had a thigh lift, how did you decide if you were going to have the groin incision or the half leg incision? Obviously no one wants a scar from their groin to their knee if they can avoid it, but I just don't want to be disappointed in the decision I make, after spending all that money. My legs no longer rub together, so that makes me lean toward the groin incision, but I just want to know how much they will still move around after that procedure. I am constantly pulling up my leg skin up, to try and determine exactly how tight they can get it with just the groin incision.

Ok, My Hubby's insurance company didn't cover my WLS because it is excluded from their plan and I am pretty sure plastics is to, but I have Medicare and they paid for my WLS and I have been going to my PCP for months every month to get her to document about my rashes and stuff. Do you think Medicare will pay for my plastics since they paid for my surgery? My boobs are sagging down to my belly button.... lol and one of my boobs has always been a lot smaller than the other one, if I get a breast lift, will they fix it so they both will be the same size? This is what concerns me about a breast lift. The difference in size is noticable. At what weight did you get plasctic…

Hi, I'm about 7 weeks post-op VSG. So far, things are going well, no complications. I've lost 52 lbs. yay! Anyway, I had septoplasty with a small bit of rhinoplasty two days ago. It was outpatient, but recovery really sucks. I think it hurts more than the sleeve did. Fortunately, they were able to do everything from the inside and not have to cut the skin from my face. However, my throat is raw, my mouth hurts and the packing and inner/outer splints make chewing and swallowing difficult. I haven't been eating much as a result. I manage to get in my fluids and about a tablespoon of steel cut oatmeal with Protein powder in. Today I tried to get down an ounce of shredd…

Has anyone had any luck on reducing the appearance of their scars. Want to wear a bikini without the world knowing I had surgery.

After 3 c-sections and losing over 55 pounds, my lower abdomen is a wreck. I am scared of getting a tummy tuck and came across cool sculpting. I had a consultation and was told I am a perfect candidate. I am just not entirely convinced it will work, despite the photos I've seen. Has anyone had any experience with this (positive, negative or indifferent)? Thanks in advance for your insight!

I'm still losing weight, but at this rate by the time I hit one year post surgery I should be ready. I have always had very large breasts. I have worn cup sizes as high as H. My breasts have become so flat after losing almost 100 pounds. They are still large but they hang, and look like pancakes from the side. Plastic surgery was just not something that was accessible to me before, but this is been on my mind a lot lately. Terrifying as it seems, I feel that I really need and want my breasts lifted when I get to my goal weight of 175 pounds. Can anybody guide me on where to begin? I would love so much to hear stories of successful breast lifts from women who have lost a l…

I finally picked a surgeon here in NJ who is amazing (Dr. Capella). I think he wrote a few textbooks on post-weight loss reconstruction. He's certainly done hundreds of them, and I trust him completely. My lower body lift is scheduled for August 8th. Honestly, I dreamed about this, but never in a million years thought it would happen to me. I've lost all my excess weight but figured it would be YEARS before I could even start to think about doing an LBL, but this year I forced myself to get over my financial fears and just do it. Now I'm looking for advice on what I can do pre-op to make recovery easier. I want to hear what worked for you, both pre and post-op. I'd …

Had surgery on 4/21 and still not sure I am happy or not? I hope I can do some firming up because I still don't like the way my arms look.

I am considering fluffing up my face after weight loss surgery. Post-op nearly 21 months now, I'm a great-looking 70 years old, have lost 100 pounds, and am maintaining well at 135 pounds. My goals in this area are to (1) look like me, (2) look well rested, (3) look a little younger (but not a lot). Suggestions? Stories? Got questions of your own? Please share them here. Many thanks in advance!

Fox New had an interesting story about removal of excess skin on their website today. It gave a first hand account of Diane Haro who lost 114 pounds through dieting, exercise and therapy. She then had surgery and removed around 10 pounds of extra skin. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/05/11/what-its-like-to-have-10-pounds-excess-skin-removed.html

I just got the call from my Surgeons office today that my insurance approved my whole extended tummy tuck with musle repair not just the pani removal. The office manager even seemed supurised she said she has only seen that a few times they usually only cover the pani removal and you have to cover the rest. I don't have to pay anything for my tummy tuck. I am scheduled for Aug 19 so i still have 3 months to loose the 19lbs i have to get to goal. I cant explain how excited and scared i am all in one. The office manager told me that she thinks why i got approved is because i took pictures every single month of my rash for the last 6 months and i was also getting infections …

I have been given these codes for plastic surgery 30177 for abdominal skin reduction and 30171 for Arms and Legs. Has anyone been approved by Medicare or their private Insurance for these surgeries since the beginning of 2016 because I believe that knew requirements were put in place in January making it harder for approval now. If you have can you tell me what your requirements were and how Long it took to be approved? Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Hello Ladies and Gents, Quick question, so having dropped over 200#'s I have now I have that lovely saggy skin issue, I can handle most of it, but the thigh's are killing me. It's causing issues (friction, and swinging in a most fugly fashion) and my insurance did not even cover the surgery, that was out of pocket. So, anyone have any idea on how to get insurance to cover it when I think its medically needed? Thanks a bunch!

I am researching dr emmanuel mallol and Dr fernandez goico for TT and breast lift. I would love to hear from anyone who has had work done by either of them. I am super nervous about going out of the country. Thank you Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using the BariatricPal App

I had a brachioplasty and a breast lift on 4/21. I was just wondering what the average time to get back to "normal" is? Normal as in having normal range of motion back with your arms, being able to bed over without discomfort due to the lift, ect. Because everything is so tight right now and my boobs have never been this tight. Thanks

I need to have labs done pre op (CBC & BMP) and also an EKG. My surgeon recommends going through your PCP. How did this work? Did insurance cover it at all? I'll be due for my 2 year post op sleeve labs anyway, which I believe will include the blood work, but I'm not sure how to go about getting the EKG ordered! Just curious what others did! Thanks!!

I am planning on getting whatever reconstructive/skin removal surgeries that insurance will cover. I just received notice that my insurance is changing to NY Medicaid and Medicare. My question is, should I stay with Medicare or go to a Medicare Advantage plan? Who is easier to deal with and covers more? My choices are: Empire MediBlue Essential ***, UnitedHealthcare MedicareComplete Choice Essential (Regional PPO) or just plain Medicare. The Medicaid stays just Medicaid whichever way I go.

Just finished my first round of plastic surgery. I have an amazing nurse friend taking care of me. The plastic surgery team is the best in class. It was worth every penny and every minute I had to wait for it (my doc has an over year waiting list) and every bit of pain so far. You are all worth the effort this part of our journey entails. Everyone should be given the chance to experience this. Stats: Pre VSG weight 350 Day of VSG 320 Pre plastic weight 200 I had a breast augmentation and extended tummy tuck. Here are some post TT and augmentation pics. I know how important this is to see by pre bariatric patients, post bariatric, during stalls, when you're fee…

I have two of each of the following for sale. They are in excellent condition. Hand washed only. Never dried in a dryer. These are the best compression garments on the market. Having two garments is nice because you can hand wash one and let it dry while wearing the other. Marena Mid-thigh girdle with suspenders - Large - $40 Perfect for tummy tuck or lower body lift. https://marenagroup.com/fbt-1st-stage-compression-suit-with-suspenders-mid-thigh-length/ Retail is $99 Sizing information is available on their website and is accurate. Marena 3/4 length sleeve vest - Large - $35 Perfect for arm lift, breast left, and/or breast augmentation. https://marenagr…

So I have been researching plastic surgeon's in my area and I have booked a consult with a plastic surgeon I have heard very good things about. I am not planning on having surgery until the Fall of 2017, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to talk over what I want done with the surgeon and get prices etc. I reached out to the office yesterday evening via the web site and gave them some idea of what procedure(s) I wanted done and they emailed me back this morning with some info and some "average" prices. The cost includes the surgeon fee, hospital fee (overnight stay), anesthesia fee, as well as all pre-op and post-op surgical visits. My consult is on Monday August 1st. I …

I had a plastic surgery last week, just to get the ball rolling. My insurance takes so long to do anything that I figured, even though I'm still 19 pounds from goal, why not? To my surprise, the surgeon said he'd be willing to operate as soon as the end of May! Did anyone else have plastics done before hitting goal? Did you lose weight after plastics, and if so, how did that affect your skin? If I went ahead with the surgery at the end of May, I'd be having a tummy tuck and brachioplasty.

I had my final consult for my breast augmentation yesterday. I think I'm starting to get excited! I'm all all paid up. It's set for 4/25. I'll have to get some sharable pictures (before and after) I do have some issues to address - a second surgery on them may be required. We are just going to do the BA and see if I'm happy. Since I'm planning an extended mini-thigh lift and belt lift this summer, anything else I need done (excess skin removal under the arm, or a slight lift) will be done at no additional cost then. So the deets... estimating 350cc (but will have 300-400 on hand). Like most woman, both sides are not created equal, so one side could be 325, a…

Well I had my brachioplasty and breast lift yesterday. We got home about 9 or so last night. It went good and I have absolutely no regrets, but I am so very sore. Not really any pain, but just sore. If that makes sense. Have to keep compression garments on for 72 hours and then I can take off and take a bath.

Has anyone who had a panniculectomy/TT also had their FUPA (sorry! Don't know a nice way to describe it) also modified/trimmed up during surgery? Is that done? I haven't had sleeve surgery yet, but I'm expecting there to be extra material there and didn't know if that's considered a separate area to tweak ($$) or if it's pulled tight enough with the TT/panni? Thanks in advance!

I finally have a consult set up for next Wednesday with a plastic surgeon. I'm going in for a lift with implants and possible tummy tuck. I need all the information I can get before I go. I want DD implants. I've always had big boobs and I want those puppies back! Soooo if you've had them done tell me how it went. How painful was it? Are you happy with the results? Did you go under the muscle or on top? Cost? Anything I should ask the surgeon? Did you have a combo like what I'm considering? I've read through some post but it's easier to just make my own. Thank you for any knowledge you could share. I'm excited and beyond ready!

Can anyone recommend a olastic surgeon in Nashville? I will need the works! Abdominoplasty, brachioplasty, breast lift/augmentation and legs!!

Hi. I am considering plastic surgery. Does anyone have any suggestions or info about who is good for surgery after massive weight loss? I would love recommendations. Thanks.

Finally got to take a shower tonight and saw my scars and swelling for the first time. Wow is all I can say. I know the swelling will go down and the scars will fade, after all I'm only 72 hours out of surgery, but man oh man. I feel like Frankenstein! Not a pretty sight at all!

For anyone that had plastics, did you use FMLA or vacation for recovery? Did your surgeon have any problem filling out FMLA paperwork and how much time off did they approve!? Additionally, were you able to use short term disability during recovery? I'm planning on a body lift this summer, and am hoping to take about 6 weeks off. I know FMLA will protect my job...but disability would allow me to get paid, versus taking the time unpaid. Just curious as to what others have done! Thanks!!!

Here it is 6:22 am and my surgery is at 10:30 this morning! I am nervous and excited at the same time!! Saying goodbye to my deflated balloons and bat wings!! Thoughts and prayers would be appreciated!!

I have a question for those of you who have had plastic surgeries. I have reached my goal and have lost 370+ lbs from my heaviest ever recorded (300+ from when I started the effort that led me to a sleeve gastrectomy). That said, I am a man with extra skin everywhere. I have started meeting with plastic surgeons and have it narrowed down to two. I still have some questions pending with both, but thought I would seek advice on this board before I choose one and have him start the insurance paperwork for whatever I can get covered (likely only pannus, if they will even cover that based on what some doctors said - my skin is all over so the pannus itself may not meet requi…

Okay, so I'm probably counting my eggs before thy hatch, but I want a tummy tuck but I'm only 24 and at some point I would like to have kids. Is it crazy to wait for a tummy tuck until after I have kinds way off in the distant time? I don't want to get a nice new tummy then stretch it out again. Anyone else have a similar experience or thoughts? I also want to get other work done, so I could do that and wait on the tummy just seeing what others have done.

Edited to say: 1 month photos on page 5 of replies Well, i went to Mexico to Dr Sauceda and had fairly extensive work done. I started with 7 drains and am now down to 1. I still have stitches in. So far, my results look great and I am very pleased, but it takes 2 months to see your final due to swelling etc. I still have a bit of a poochy tummy but I think it will be flat once the swelling goes down. I was very pleased with the surgeon and his care team. I loved the 3 nights and 4 days of clinic supervised recovery - excellent pain management and nursing care. Then, I was released to a hotel were I was bandaged and checked daily by a nurse and the doctor visited each …

So, I'm paying my deposit this week for my spiral thigh lift in September and for some reason I'm really hesitating. I guess because it's so far off it feels weird to be paying the deposit this early? It just doesn't seem "real" yet. Plus even just the deposit is a fair amount of money and that has me freaking out a little, though I do get the deposit back completely if I change my mind more than 30 days before surgery. So I really don't know why I'm hesitating, but I am.... Seems weird because usually when I decide something, I've decided and I don't look back.

Well, I went to my first plastic surgery consult today. I went in with such high hopes. This is the surgeon that my bariatric doc recommends, as he has extensive experience with body contouring in post op bariatric patients. His work is phenominal, and he seems like a great guy. I had seen him once at one of our support groups where he came in and talked about plastics. At the time, he was in private practice and stated that each "phase" of surgery generally ran between $10k-$12k. That was about a year ago. Since then, he has joined a larger, very prestigious, plastic surgery firm. Today when I went in, everything seemed to be perfect. He told me I was a great ca…

The truth is I am only 6 weeks out on Monday but from the start of my process and now the sleeve I have already lost 65 lbs. I am an older lady and I can already tell that my arms are gonna look like crap on a cracker. Since these are harder to hide in the summer in Texas the arms will probably be the first things I attend to down the road. One odd thing I have noticed about myself and I noticed it before surgery is that my left arm is heavier and fatter than my right arm, to me its an obvious difference. I have a couple questions I would like to ask from some of the Plastics veterans. 1. Do I need to wait until I have reached all of my goals to have brachioplast…

I just lost about 80 pounds and I am super excited! The only problem is my skin, especially in my facial area, is starting to sag. I was looking to get a facelift in the orange county area from Dr. Cory Yeh, who is double-board certified. I have heard nothing but good things about him. Any one have experience with him. Thanks so much in advance