Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Just had surgery with Top Plastic Surgeons Dr. Juan Bernardo Baltazar Rendon. I feel extremely foolish. After the surgery, care provided was horrible. I had a big tummy tuck, lipo in 6 areas and a small leg lift. They treated me with Ketoralec (an anti inflammatory postoperative;y). I am now 5 days out and have run out of those pain medications. I am trying to get home for some care. They wanted me to take Tramadol but it interacted with a medication I take and I had serotonin syndrome after surgery. It was hell. Then they said dont take tramadol but they would not give me anything else. I am a Nurse. They also did things like wound care without gloves and hand washin…

I had stage 2 (lipo) done today. I'm feeling good. The leftover Percocet from stage 1 is a blessing. Dr. gave ok to use it instead of the typical prescribed Vicodin. I will probably have a small amount of loose skin on the thigh gap and love handle areas but nothing that a tiny nip/tuck won't take care of. I'll post pictures in a couple of months when most of the swelling is gone. As far as the TT recovery (7 wpo), I can now ride my bike; cough/sneeze/laugh without tearing up; but still no heavy lifting. I consider house cleaning heavy lifting (wink,wink) so I guess hubby will have several more weeks of maid duty. I was still wearing a compress garment 23 hours a day even…

I had my TT (muscle repair, no lipo*) on 1/10/22. Recovery was what I expected pain wise but not time wise. For some crazy reason I thought I would bounce back in a couple of weeks - NOPE! The first week I needed help doing everything (except wiping my hiney - thank God). The drains were removed on day 8 which did not come quickly enough. I haven't had any major complications, just a minor (small hematoma) that resolved on its own. I'm still a bit tender but I can now sneeze/laugh/cough without my eyes tearing up. My scar is healing ahead of schedule (per surgeon). I tried silicone tape (week 3) but it made me itch so I just massage my scar with coconut oil daily b…

Does anyone have this in size M and is willing to sell?

Tummy tuck (included muscle repair no lipo) on 1/19/22 I am 2 weeks PO tomorrow The good: I felt the pain was less than I imagined. I felt sore (and still do slightly) of course but it was far less than I anticipated. The horrible pouch, AKA Joey, is GONE! What a relief! Good riddance to Joey! At my appointment yesterday I was told I am healing VERY fast and ahead of the curve. They said I look more like 4+ weeks. Everything looks good! I’m pleased already with my results even with the above the suture line swelling mid line. The bad: Constipation experience 2-3 days post op (I’ve blocked it out). I won’t get graphic but dear lord this was not good! The…

Hi, I have scheduled my TT surgery for next month. I know the surgeon mentioned that I will be given a binder but I have read that most people buy a faja. A faja is a girdle; right? What ones do you recommend? I would like to be prepared before the surgery. ? Thanks much!

Greetings all, Hope everyone is doing well! I am down appx. 80 lbs (would like to lose another 30 or so) and I can already tell that an arm lift will probably be a necessity in the future. While I am aware that PS is not an option until I hit and maintain my goal weight for awhile, I would like to start to research plastoc surgeons in my area. Any recommendations on plastic surgeons in the NYC/Weschester County area? Or within 2 hours? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated on specific surgeons and overall on recovery from a full arm lift procedure. Thanks in advance!

I am scheduled for an arm lift next month. I live alone and will be traveling out of town for the surgery which is approximately 2 hours from where I live. I am planning to stay 3 to 4 several days in a hotel near the hospital and will hire a 24hr home care aide while there. Does anyone have experience hiring a home care aide after this type of surgery. Also I am little worried about not having help once I go back home. Will I need to hire a home care aide for a couple of hours a day then? Any advice would be greatly helpful. Thank you in advance!

49yr Male, 5/18/20 VSG HW 382, SW 309, CW 217 First visit to the surgeon was 6/27/19 and first nutritionist visit was 7/3/19. Had a long pre-op program then was delayed by COVID-19, so wasn't sleeved until 5/18/20. Lost 73 pre-op, 92 since - for a total of 165 lbs down! I hit 218 in mid Dec 2020 and have been maintaining in the 213-222 range over the past 9 months. The next step for me is getting rid of the excess skin on my stomach. I carried most of my weight in my abdomen and it shows. I feel like this is the last thing I need to complete my transformation. While I could live with it, I am tired of "tucking" my excess skin into my pa…

Friday I had a 5 hour Vertical thigh lift - My third round of major PS following WLS. Before and after this procedure I have used lymphatic massage techniques. It is a game changer! Still feel lousy but this is the least amount of post surgical misery I have experienced. It is early though and this procedure has high complication rates. For more info on lymphatic draining, swelling, https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-perform-lymphatic-drainage-massage. Ask your PS. May not be the only factor but wish I knew about it for previous procedures.

Hi all, I'm 16 months post-op and down almost 100lb. While I'm still about 20lb from my original goal weight, I'm not sure I want to keep that goal. I'm down to 150lb, size XS-M / 4-8 (depending on clothing styles & cuts), and feel comfortable where I am. Also, my husband (and others) think if I lose any more weight, I'll start to look unhealthy. I've been at my current weight for about 6 months now and this extra skin is really starting to bother me. It's visibly "bulky" under my clothes and makes me a bit self-conscious. I'm really only interested in a tummy tuck/panni. Just wondering how long I need to/should wait. In order to have insurance pay for it, do I n…

Has anyone had the fat removal surgery? And could you please explain a little about it. Thank you

I had a gastric bypass in February of 2020. Since then, I have lost 150 pounds. I received notification about 2 weeks ago that my insurance approved my request for an abdominoplasty. I thought if I was approved, that it would only be approved for a panniculectomy and that I would need to pay the difference but because of some issues, they approved the full tummy tuck!! My surgeon initially scheduled me for February of next year but then called me last week with an opening for this Thursday! In just 2 days! I am so excited and nervous all at the same time. I think I have everything I need but I wanted to ask if anyone had any recommendations or suggestions for …

I got a breast lift and implants this week! I’m so excited! Before I got fat I had no boobs. I was like a 34A. When I gained weight I carried a lot of fat in my breasts. I went up to a 44G. Losing 110 certainly deflated them. I had no volume on top at all. I got gummy bears. 375ml on left and 275 on the right trying to even them out. So far it looks like they are pretty evenly sized now. I still have a lot of swelling. The incisions are so itchy. Can’t wait to go bra shopping in a few weeks!

Hello! I’m currently looking for a plastic surgeon in the Boston area for a tummy tuck and a breast lift. Does anyone here have a surgeon they used and loved? I had two consults. Neither surgeon impressed me. I felt rushed at both appointments. Both quoted me around 25k and said they don’t bother trying for insurance payments. Was this your experience as well?

Sooooo. I'm around 70-ish lbs from my goal weight and I've already scheduled a tummy tuck and lipo for February '22. I know it's early in my journey to do so (I'm only 9 months post-op). But, I can't stand the flapping and hanging. I figure, since I haven't had kids yet, that any more loose skin I develop would be a great starting point for a pregnant belly a few years down the line (thats how it works right?? Like reinflating a balloon??). Or, this will just be my excuse to get a mini tummy tuck and an boob lift. Anyone else have an "early" surgery? How did your results fare after losing more weight? Regrets?

I’m now 18 lbs from goal, which if I continue on my trend I should hit in October. I want a lower body lift, arm lift, and breast lift done. I met with two surgeons today, and have a third consult next week. I was very surprised in the different opinions/approaches of the two doctors today. Both were very nice, personable, and professional and per their photos have good results and good reviews online. Here’s what they had to say: Arm lift: Doc #1 said he could do all three procedures on the same day. He said my arms would have a great outcome, would require a compression garment for 2-4 weeks, each would have a drain in for the first 7 days. Doc #2 does arm lifts as…

What scar cream do you use? I was using skin medica but it’s so expensive. What did you use???

Although I have some time before I can actually have any contouring done, I think about it constantly. I originally wanted to go with a mommy makeover, but the thought of surgery recovery again is not very appealing. Does any one have any experience or know anyone who has any experience with using Sonobello after weight-loss surgery? Any advice would be helpful. Sent from LadySunshyne using BariatricPal mobile app

I know some people say they are afraid to have plastic surgery because of the scars they will have afterwards. Well, I know everyone doesn't scar the same way but I think mine are pretty typical. I would rather have this scar all the way around my body than the rolls of loose skin I had before it was removed. I took these this morning when I realized yesterday was my one yr plastic surgery anniversary for my lower body lift and brachioplasty. These pictures are my hips and the scars are easily covered by underwear or bathing suit.

I read a couple of posts from people who were told by Kaiser that skin removal and other post bariatric plastics are not part of their plan. I don't want anyone to suffer for years as I did because of being told the wrong information! I'm learning to push back when told NO since often times the people on the other end of the phone tend to not have all the answers or are told to derail people with questions from learning the real truth in order to save $ Anyway, there was a class action in 2015 against Kaiser sparked by post WLS denials. And as it turns out this can have repercussions for insurance that systematically deems skin removal as an elective surgery tha…

I really haven't posted any pictures here before but thought I'd share these. Last year I had 360 lower body lift, abdominoplasty and arm lift. Nine days ago, Aug 16, I had a "dermal suspension, parenchymal reshaping, auto autologous" breast lift, and upper body lift (back). I took these pictures this morning. This is me with no implants. Basically, they just use your own tissue to create new boobs. Docs who specialize in body contouring after massive weight loss often use this method when you don't have enough elasticity in you skin to support implants long term. They use the "side boob" tissue, upper abd tissue and the sagging part of your own boob to create new boo…

In Florida, only 4000cc of fat may be removed during liposuction, which equals approximately 7-8 pounds or 3.5 liters. Additionally, if a patient is having more than one procedure, such as a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) and a tummy tuck, only 1,000cc of fat may be removed.May 5, 2021

Hello I am close to being 9 months post op. I recently began discussing getting plastic surgery with my husband, and parents. They are all trying to talk me out of it. They think it isn't necessary because they think I do not have enough extra skin, I am too old (52 this yr.), I will be in too much pain, etc. I am getting frustrated with them, and won't talk to them about it anymore. I know its my body, and I can do what I want, but it would be nice if I had the support from them. What, if anything can I do to gain their support? Have any of you dealt with this before?

Hi everyone, I’m in need of a lower body lift with bbl, breast lift with implants, back lift, and eventually a lower face lift. I’m so overwhelmed trying to find a surgeon or narrow my choices. I have had a consultation with Dra. Cardenas in TJ but I was a little surprised by the pricing. I was quoted 13,500 for lower, 13,000 for upper, and 12,500 for lower face lift. I live in CA, I’m not opposed to travel but I would like a few more quotes before I make my choice. Can anyone recommend a surgeon that specializes in after weight loss lower body lifts? Any feedback regarding Dra Cardenas?

I’m looking at having an extending tummy tuck with lipo, and a breast lift/augmentation sometime early next year and the costs are going to be roughly in the 25k range (insurance won’t cover any of this as it’s an elective cosmetic procedure and my insurance doesn’t cover anything related to weight loss). I’m curious what most of you that had more costly surgeries used for financing? Did you do a personal loan, Care Credit, other financing options, or credit card? Any tips would be helpful!

Courtesy of BitCoin spiking up in price, I may be having my tummy tuck sooner, rather than later. It's not covered by insurance, so I'll have to pay out of pocket. Although I have loose skin everywhere, it only bothers me in two places: my tummy and under my chin. The tummy because it makes me look pregnant, LOL. I'm small everywhere but there. And the chin because it ages me. So I've scheduled a couple of consultations with local surgeons and we'll see what happens!

I didn’t think I would be heading for another round of PS, but at 6 months post op from my tummy tuck, breast lift/augmentation and arm lift I am now planning to get my thighs fixed. I’ll go back to Dr. Earle in Miami for it. He is amazing and I trust him and his team. I’m booked for a thigh lift with him next March. However, I want to get de-bulking lipo done first after I get back to Seattle after my summer living and working in Boston. Anyone have this done prior to a thigh lift? Anyone here have lipo in Seattle and have someone you can recommend? Thigh pic for reference.

Hey everyone! I just wanted to ask if anyone ever heard of and/or had a procedure called "cool sculpting" done instead of traditional plastics? According to my doctor, I might not be a good candidate for traditional, invasive plastics because of all the surgeries I've had on my reproductive organs (long story). He suggested looking into cool sculpting instead. If anyone has had this done, did you like the results? Were you satisfied? I'm not super self-conscious about my "pooch," but it would be nice to "even/smooth" things out. Thank you for your help!

Five days until my Full tummy tuck, Breast lift w Augmentation! I am so excited but getting pretty nervous now that it’s fast approaching. COVId test is on Monday! Did anyone second guess the CCs they chose? I find myself saying: Are they going to be too big? If I go down on CC will I wish I had stuck w the original CC I chose. Think it’s just nerves. I know I chose right for myself. ?Glad I have my PS buddies @chubrub and @kristieshannon and past PS peeps to look to for helpful hints and support!?

Hello everyone! It has been quite some time since I’ve posted! I’m s/p SVG in 2014, circumferential body lift in 2017. Ive maintained about 100lbs weight loss. Very happy with my body lift results, but after a few years, am really considering thigh lift, brachioplasty, and breast lift. The thighs are my #1 problem spot by far. Looking for info/experiences for people who have maybe had, or are planning either thigh lift or spiral thigh lift (which is where I’m leaning). Just starting this process, so pretty uninformed at this moment, lol. Also, if you have an surgeon recommendations in the Sacramento area, that’s a bonus. I LOVED the surgeon who did my body lift, …

First of all, I want to share some stats/background. I am 47 years old (46 at time of WLS). I was 264 at my highest weight, which is also my weight before starting the pre-op diet. I was a plus size 20-22 in jeans, and a 2X in tops. My surgery date was 7/6/20. I reached my chosen goal weight of 150 on 2/26/21. My current weight is 132. I wear a S/XS in tops and a 0 or 2 in most pants/jeans. I am pretty tall at 5’8”. My bra size went from 40DD to a 34B. I love my new body, being the fittest in my adult life, and being healthy. With that being said, I really miss having boobs. The loose skin on my butt folds uncomfortably under my tailbone when I sit or lay down. …

I’m just under two weeks away from my tummy tuck, BL/BA, and arm lift. I’m nervous and excited! This truly feels like my reward for all of the hard work I’ve put in to lose my excess weight. I’ve got my cute swimsuit picked out for my before & after pic which I will post here. For those who’ve gone before me, any last minute advice?

????????????????????? ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Whaaaaaaaat? Again?!?!? That's right ? I decided to once again go ahead and (silently) more have plastics done. This time more skin removal with a twist. I'm very happy with the results so far. But i am just a few days post op Procedures: Posterior back lift + lipo + fat transfer Where: Miami (Same surgeon) Why: The same reasons as before... I wanted/needed more work completed When: May 28, 2020 With all that's happening in the world right now, I wasn't certain I should create this post but I will try to update this thread regularly ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ ?????????????????????

????????????????????? ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Whaaaaaaaat? Me too? That's right ? I decided to go ahead and (silently) have plastics done. This mommy had a makeover yesterday and is very happy with the results so far. Still very early in my recovery but I wanted to document as much as I could before I forgot. Procedures: Mommy Makeover (breast lift w/o implants and extended tummy tuck with lipo of sides) Where: Miami baby! Southbeach body here I come ? Why: the usual reasons... I've been thinking about it forever and finally took the plunge When: Jan 03, 2020 Still early out and I'm pretty laid up so ill update when I can! ❤❤❤❤❤❤…

I had my arms and a fleur de lis TT revision about a year ago. The scars on my stomach are fading to a light pink and some spots are almost skin color. My arm scars are still a very dark pink and are wider than the scar on my stomach. I know with time they will fade more but does anyone else have some areas that faded much faster than others? The plastic surgeon did a steroid injection a few weeks ago to an area on my belly because it was raised. It's been 6 weeks and it has helped so I am thinking if I should have more areas on my arms injected. I know we are not supposed to have any steroids after WLS but the plastic surgeon said the dose is less than 1% of what an…

Hi everyone following drastic weight loss I’m in desperate need of a body lift plus BBL. unfortunately bbl procedure has been banned in the United Kingdom for the foreseeable future. I don’t mind travelling. Can anyone recommend a surgeon that’s experienced in both these procedures? I’m quite concerned about the safety of bbl and from my research it seems that the EVL lipofilling is the safest way so looking for a surgeon who uses this technique. thank you! Xxx

Hi All, I’m nearly 9 weeks post arm lift and panniculectomy. I still have about a quarter size open incision in both arm pits. My surgeon treated it about two weeks ago with silver nitrate, and I’m going back next Thursday for her to do it again. I’ve been keeping in clean and dry per the instructions I received and it doesn’t look infected. My arms are still very swollen and I’ve continued to wear my compression garments nearly all day. Did anyone else have an experience like this?

Scheduled for my next round!! I had gastric sleeve in 2015 and have maintained about 100lbs weight loss. I had a circumferential body lift with thigh liposuction in 2017, and absolutely LOVE the result. I was living in Colorado at that time, but moved to California almost 2 years ago to be near family. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever do a round two, but am blessed the opportunity presented itself. This time I’m going in for a thigh lift, extended brachioplasty, and breast lift (without implants). I’m scheduled for August 18. Can’t believe it! From what I understand, the breasts and arms won’t be too bad, but the thigh lift is always a difficult one to rec…

I have a consult to try pulsed dye laser. Anyone tried it? successful?

Not sure if is the swelling, or the stomach muscle tightening, or just recovery in general but man is my restriction in full effect right now! I’m 16 days post op and can eat far less than I did pre PS. Dinner tonight was a quick & easy charcuterie platter as we’re in the middle of a bunch of house projects. A small slice of cheese, one small slice of prosciutto, and 2 small crackers and I’m feeling that full to nearly puking sensation. Anyone else experience this after their PS?

I've been reading a bit about non-surgical and minimally invasive skin-tightening options and I am coming across a procedure called Renuvion—which I guess is often done in conjunction with liposuction. Apparently, it stimulates skin from beneath to promote production of collagen. I'm wondering if any of you have heard of it or had it? I am basically to my goal and have been for about a year, but have some loose skin in my upper and lower abdomen and upper thighs. I'm not sure if it is worth going the entire LBL or TT route for... so was interested in all the options. I'd love to hear if any of you have heard of this.

So I am basically brand new as I just got my VSG last month, but I'm looking ahead to a year from now and the work I already know I'll need done. I know that for best results your weight must be stable long term, and most people end up waiting about two years before their body/tummy/thigh stuff. But what if I JUST want breast and arms? I feel like if I could feel good in a tank top in a year that would just be such an incredible win for me, my arms in particular have been a sore spot my whole life... is it AS crucial that you be exactly at goal and stable for those procedures to have ideal results? I also would love recommendations for surgeons for these procedures! …

Found out last month that both @rs and I had Arm Lifts scheduled for the same week, just two days apart. @rs got the deed done yesterday, and I'm heading in for it tomorrow morning. We thought it would be fun/interesting/just-something-to-do to start a thread where we both could post to document our progress for a one-stop view of two different experiences of the same procedure. So here we go! @rs @ms.sss

Hi All, I had both my arms done yesterday and a pannulectomy. I have mild discomfort in my stomach, but if feels like I have knives stuck in my arm pits. The dr went a little lower to correct a flap of skin that hung outside my bra from my breast reduction... but god this pain is real. I’m staying on top of my pain meds but it barely dulls it. Anyone have a similar experience!

I'm considering this surgeon for a lower body lift. Her consultation was extremely thorough and she even made me aware of a few plastics techniques that will fix my side/back skin, but that other plastic surgeons in the NYC metro area were not performing (Fleur de lis). I sent her photos and she completely addressed every area of my body. I feel confident in her abilities. BUT...I want to see if anyone here has any unbiased reviews on this doctor. Going to Mexico for PS scares the crap out of me, but my insurance won't cover it even in a medical emergency and my funds are limited. Thanks in advance!

I'm 3 yrs out from surgery and my weight has been stable for 2yrs. My face and neck are driving me absolutely crazy because I now look 10yrs older than I am with a turkey neck and overall sagging skin on my face. What should I know/consider before possibly getting a face and neck lift? If you had this done were you happy with the results?

I got sleeved November 2019 got Pregnant December 2019 gave birth August 2020 during this time I've lost 120lbs. I now want to get skin removal any doctor's you recommend in Arlington/DFW area? Is it worth it to consult right now or wait since it's only been 5.5 months since delivery?