Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

2,848 topics in this forum

I was banded in November and I've lost 50 pounds with another 40ish to my goal of 120. My body is not keeping up with the loss. Clothing I wore the last time I was this weight is still too tight. My bra size has not gone down. My thought was to wait until I was about 10 pounds from my goal before consulting with plastic surgeons. However, I can not see myself 40 pounds lighter my body majorly smaller. Does it take time for the body to shrink to the new weight? Should I reach my goal and then wait a period of time for plastic surgery?:thumbup:

The more I have time to think about my choice of surgeon, the happier I am with who I chose. I just got an email from the person that first suggested her. She had her surgery on the 25th, and she seems SO happy right now. I have to admit, I'm jealous! She had her pain pump removed today, along with one of her drains, and she says her results are fantastic so far. The surgeon even sent her flowers! I admit, I'm worrying about whether I'll really be able to afford this financially, but I KNOW I can't afford to NOT do it, emotionally/psychologically. God, I can't wait until I can schedule a surgery date!

I'm shopping for a surgeon in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I have it narrowed down to a few, but a Google search doesn't yield much in the way of customer reviews. Any ideas?

After reading the posts sounds like alot of members are having lipo, what results did you have with the lipsuction/ liposculpture. Please share as the ones of us with lots of weight to lose, will definately need to get done I think, my tummy and legs not to bad - but ah the arms.:wub:

Has anyone had their TT with Dr. H. I just love him, and because of the experience with my band am considering using him for the TT too.

What's the difference between tunescent liposuction and regular lipo? Cheryl

Has anyone had lipsuction did it get rid of your cellulite?:teeth_smile:

Hi Kat, Wanted to know how your plastic surgery stuff is coming along? I met the best plastic surgeon last week. I am so glad that I got a second opinion. I go in on 4/21 for my TT and thigh lift. He doesn't have to make an incision down my entire thigh but rather just at the top. That is what sold me on him. How is your insurance approval coming along? Julie

those serious, INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH foundation garments I see people on TV shows wearing PRIOR to getting their tummy tucks? I'm at least a year out from being ready to schedule surgery and my pull-on girdles aren't struggling to do the job. Going to a smaller size only makes the fight to get into them harder, but it's like putting a cup of batter in a muffin tin -- the spill over ain't purty! I need something MAJOR, even if I have to hire help getting it cinched! Pam<----having "I just have to be 18 inches again, Mammy, I just have to!" rigors!

I have a friend who had a bad cut on his hand (granted, this is FAR from PS), but he used tea tree oil topically and I was amazed and how well, fast and smooth it healed. Has this been recommended to anyone by their Plastic Surgeon or has anyone used tea tree oil? I was just wondering if there were any anecdotal accounts out there of people who had used it successfully. Thanks!

Is 30 to 40 minutes walking a day enough excercise? opinions please.:crying:

I've been thinking about arms lately. My biceps are 14 inches now. They were 16 inches at my highest. I love weight lifting, so I am sure I will have plenty of muscle, but I am wondering how small I can expect my arms to get (12, 10, 8 inches....?). You never hear much about arm sizes like you do about busts, waists, and hips. For those of you who have lost a lot of weight, how big were your arms when you started and how big are they now? Are you happy? I've seen some pictures of lapbanders with great looking arms from workouts (TamifromAl) and from brachio (Enterprise), but I have no idea how big their arms actually are. I'd love to get some feedback from f…

Good Morning. Has anyone had their TT and Lipo (waist and hips) done in a day surgery clinic and gone home the same day? How was it? How about spinal instead of general anesthesia? Cheryl

I am getting close to goal, and I am realizing that I do have quite a bit of excess skin that is not going away and it really bothers me. I am at least a year away from having the time or money to have any PS, but I was wondering how soon I should consult a plastic surgeon and how long is the process from consult to surgery? Any advice is welcomed. I think I am going to need a tummy tuck, upper arm tuck/reduction, and a breast augmentation (this one is optional, but I would really like to have it done).

I'm wondering if anyone has heard of Mesotherapy? It is a spot reduction treatment in which a medication mixture is injected under the skin into the fat...it supposedly encourages the fat cells to let go of the fat they are holding and at the same time increases blood circulation to the area thus encouraging the tightening of skin. I'm being long winded but let me continue. It is supposed to be able to reduce celulite. They are also touting it as the complementary treatment for lipo because Meso is supposed to return very SMOOTH results whereas Lipo sometimes gives uneven results. Don't have to go under the knife, but it takes between 5-15 sets of injections (some contrav…

Dr J Lo, Thanks for answering my prior question on Brachioplasty and dog ears. I had my srugery on 2/14/08 and looks like I did not get them, however I am not 100% happy with my resluts. I have no loose skin at all, which I am very happy about, but I still have fat, flabby arms. I am really bordering on asking myself why did I sacrifice having these long scars and still have big arms? My PS felt he really didn't need to combine lipo with the procedure, so now I am wondering if this is why my arms are still so big and flabby. Did I walk into this with unrealistic expectations? I guess I trusted his opionion at the consult, and now I am second guessing myself. I am schedu…

Anyone had liposuction/sculpture done on arms, tummy, thighs. Dont want scars from surgery, was wondering how effective it is especially on the arm section. My tummy, thighs not as bad as most I think.Did your arms look much improved?:wub:

I'll make this as clear as I can, but it's a lot clearer in my head than it will be on "paper" -- methinks. My skin is a joke. While I don't necessarily NEED plastic surgery, it's definitely my only option for something that resembles a human body. I have 40 - 50 pounds left to lose before I'm at my target BMI. When I look in the mirror, it looks to me like there's a lot more than 50 lbs of fat left to lose. This isn't just a distorted body image thing, I really do have a huge stomach, thighs, top part of my butt, etc. I've been looking at various PS websites and a lot of the time when I see someone's "befores" I think -- wow, they're still pretty fat, I wonder wh…

I lost 4 lbs on Weight Watchers this week. That puts me 8 lbs away from having plastic surgery!

I talked to her today and she said 8 lbs will not make a difference for my tummy tuck. That being said I am still going to try and lose it prior to surgery. I am looking at late April for my tummy tuck.

Hi everyone. I've been following all of you through your TT surgeries. What an inspiration!! Now I need some advice. After watching LBT-Cosmetic Surgery, I know this is the place to go for help and answers. I feel like I know you all. So, here goes. I was approved for a panniculectomy last week. I went to see my PS yesterday. She said that her fees would still be $7,400 for a full tummy tuck, $9,400 for it to go around a bit in the back, so as not to have 'dog ears', and $11,900 to have the whole 180 degree lower body lift. On top of that, I would have to pay for part of the surgical room costs (she would be starting/stopping a clock during surgery). I have no idea how …

I have lost a little over 120lbs and I feel great. However my belly, arms, and boobs sag like crazy. I really want to have plastic surgery, however my family and friends say that because I am young (26) that with enought exercise they will all shrink up and my skin will tighten. I don't believe this. I am not wanting to walk into a tummytuck or boob job right away because I want to start having kids in the near future. I would love to get my arms done. They are one thing that I have always been embarrassed about and I would love to have them "normal looking." Does anyone believe that exercise will shrink them or is plastic surgery the answer for this. I still have…

Ordinarily Tricare does not pay for PS of any kind, but might if it is medically necessary. Has anyone gotten them to pay for anything? This is really silly to ask right now because I have not even been banded now, but the loose skin when I have lost weight in the past has always been so demoralizing to me.

Have you had or researching PS? Do you have any doctor recommendations? Thanks!

I had a tummy tuck, lipo and a breast lift with implants on 02/21 and I had my drains from the tummy tuck for 9 days after the doctor removed the drains I had to go back on the 4th day because I was still having swelling from liquid in my lower tummy so he removed it will a large needle, I had some more removed on Saturday and I have to go back again tomorrow because I am still having draining has anyone else had this happen?? He said everyone is different and that unless I am completly off my feet the liquid will subside but it will take a while. Also I had a breast lift with implants and my implants are still kind of high so my boobs don't look really round yet how lo…

I need a thigh lift. I am more terrified of this than the tummy tuck. Did you have an incision down the innner thigh? Did you also get lipo on the inner and outer thigh? What was your recovery time? I am thinking 2 weeks off of work, is that realistic? How much was the cost? I heard it was very painful so I'm pretty scared. How was your experience? How much did you lose, from what size, how much fat, etc. Sorry for all the questions!

And we have a winner, I think! :blushing: I REALLY liked this surgeon. We just sort of clicked, if that makes sense. She's slightly more expensive than the other two I had consults with, but she includes some lipo with the tummy tuck, and the others didn't. Her price is $13,570 for everything (TT, BL, lipo, medication, pain pump, night in hospital, anesthesia, etc.). She's not super-commercialized, which I really like (that was one thing that made me a tad uncomfortable with surgeon #2). In fact, I wouldn't have even known about her if I hadn't gotten a PM from one of her patients on MMH. Her site never came up in any of my searches. She's supposed to be a top surgeon…

LJM and Karey - I didn't catch how long you were in the hospital when you had the surgery. My dr says I'll be in 3 days. My sister was an outpatient. Anyone else have to stay a few days?

I talked to my sister tonight and she is totally against PS. The most she has lost is 60 lbs. She could totally use a TT BTW. Anyway, my stomach hangs over my thighs, my thighs hang and droop, my boobs are almost an A and sag and my arms have excess skin. She says its the easy way out! So what if I spend $20k on my body. I use to weigh 320 lbs for Christ Sake. I am so sick of opinions. I am so ready for a transformation. She has never lost 120 lbs before! Someone please make me sane for wanting this!

Hi Everybody! I am at the very early stages of my plastics journey, but have already benefited greatly from all of the information, pics, and blogs that many of you have so generously shared. I am nearing my goal weight and am hoping to have a TT or an LBL sometime in August or September of this year. I have not yet chosen a plastic surgeon and was hoping to get some names of good surgeons who specialize in Bariatric patients. I live in the Caribbean and would need to travel off island no matter who I see, so I am very flexible as to the location. Therefore, please feel free to provide me with the names of anyone who you think is good in the US, Mexico or So…

I know what everyone is going through trying to find a great plastic surgeon - so I want to share mine! If you are in NYC (or willing to travel), Matthew Schulman is great. He specializes in weight loss patients and has great credentials. I had a tummy tuck and my breasts done and am thrilled with the results. I am scheduled to go back in June for my arms. I originally found him because he spoke at my supprot group a year ago. I was impressed, so I did my research (is "googling" considered research?) and found more about him on ObesityHelp.com and his own website i(madisonavenueplasticsurgery.com). I don't think you will be disappointed.

This is my plan. Please tell me if it is totally unrealistic. I have around 48 or slightly less to my goal, which is 10 lbs. less than my doctor’s goal. I have lost a little over 1 lb/week. I was averaging a little more weight loss until the last month. I got out of the routine of logging my food. As a result, I have not lost as much as I could have this past month. I’m logging again now and working on making it a routine. I’ve started looking into PS and have been following many of your journeys. I am planning BL with TT or possibly a LBL. I was originally thinking I’d like to have it done in December. I’m now thinking I’d like to have PS in August (around mid month, w…

Found out today that my insurance will not cover PS. Who else has paid out of pocket and how much? What procedures did you have done?

I am 30 lbs from goal. My goal is 3 more months to lose at least 20 lbs to get ready for PS. What can I expect when I meet with the plastic surgeon? I am looking into a TT, lower body lift with lip and a breat augmentation.

Hi everyone, I'm going for my breast augmentation on March 27th. I'm having submuscular placement of saline implants via armpit incisions. I'm embarrassed posting my pics, but I'm going to do it anyway, all the plastic surgery pics are so inspiring and helpful so I figured I'd go ahead. I was a C before the weight loss and breastfeeding, now I'm a deflated B, I'm going for a full D, maybe DD, not sure yet. I'll post my before pics later. I really appreciate it when people post their plastic surgery pics, so I hope this will maybe help someone else make their decisions on breast surgery anyway. I'm nervous and excited, can't wait to wear a bra and not be consta…

I have lost over 100 lbs and I'm 32 lbs from goal. My breasts have gone down to an A/B from a nice C. I tried on my B cup the other day and it was indented on my left side, my smaller breast. So now I"m close to an A. Long story short, my mom had a friend who had implants a few years ago and within a year she had them removed. I know I am not her but I fear that my mom will be upset with me for doing that to my body. My clothes fit fine but it is more difficult to fit things with bras inserted like swimwear. I would like to go to a D cup as that is what I was when I breast fed. I am also scared they may be so obvious because I am only a B. I don't want them to lo…

I met with the best Plastic Surgeon today. I thought I would need a lower body lift but she said I looked really good and she could do an extended tummy tuck. She also recommended a lower thigh lift, breast lift with augmentation and my arms. She said she didn't have to make a complete incision to my elbow on the arms and just a small one under my arm pit. I was very happy with that. She sent me home with brochures on breast augmentation. I am a little nervous about that. I will know later in the week if my insurance will cover any of it. I am 12 lbs away from having surgery. She wants me to be 20 lbs from goal. Julie

Good Morning, I am scheduled for Brachioplasty next week. During my first consult the surgeon told me that I would not need drains, is this common or is it purely a judgement call by the surgeon? He also told me that since my loose skin goes all the way to my elbow I would probably end up with dog ears. I just can't seem to find any pictures of what dog ears look like. Is this common with patients that have a tremendous amount of loose skin? Thanks

Has anyone had or heard anything about laser liposuction? I have seen a few billboards & such around town & was wondering about it?

Hi! I am still about 50 lbs. away from visiting Plastic-ville, however, how much time do they require you to take off. I am sure it is different depending on the procedure done. At this time I am thinking about a TT and breast lift. Any info. would be greatly appreciated!

Hello Everyone: Is PS a definite for eveyone who has been banded? Are there people who loose over 100#s and don't end up with loose skin? Is there anything that can be done that can reduce the chances of you having to have plastic surgery? The reason that i am asking is becuase i was jsut recently banded. I see tons of people getting TT and all kinds of lifts and such and i am terrified of having to have all that done. I can not afford to have that done for one thing. Any advise on reducing the chance of having to have plastic surgery?

Not sure what to think, honestly. I like this surgeon, too, probably just as much as the first one. This one charges about $600 dollars more for a TT/BL than the first, though. There are some differences in the way they do things, but I'm not sure which I prefer. The first surgeon doesn't use a pain pump, the second one does, but said that I might not need one since she didn't think I'd need much, if any, muscle repair (she said that's the most painful part of the recovery). #1 would use an anchor incision for the BL, #2 would use a lollipop incision. Both said that I probably won't need an implant unless I lose a lot of breast tissue over the next few months. Both…

Dr. JLo, Have you done a TT on a patient with a large gallbladder scar? My scar is about six inches long diagonally on the right side. I've been told that this may be a problem. I, also, have scars for lap band surgery, 2 c-sections (vertical), hysterectomy (horizonal), and appendectomy. :thumbup: Has anyone out there had a TT who had a scar gallbladder? Thank you.

Hey hey everyone!! I am 4 weeks post operative tummy tuck and was wondering if anyone has any advice about starting exercise routine!! Doc says 3 weeks. I am totally not feeling like taking off on a big run yet. Anyone got any suggestions??? Thanks a bunch! Tracey

Hi guys, I feel much better now, I feel like I have been travelling forever! Finally got back to the kids yesterday. I thought that I would do a quick breakdown of how it went while I can still remember. Feb 11th went down for surgery at 8 in the morning didnt come out until 2pm, he said that it was more complex than he thought it would be due to a badly adhered scar from my appendix and other things. I remember that I went into shock in the recovery room (it something that I do a lot when I have had an anaesthetic) so I had to stay there for quite a while, so that they could get my blood pressure under control. They ended up putting special heated blankets on me t…

I have been giving free information seminars in Houston at University General Hospital for 6 months or so. Typically they are Thursday nights from 7-9. My staff comes too, and can answer questions about anything from insurance, financing, recovery, etc. In fact, my manager's mom was on the show Big Medicine and she took care of her so she has a lot of helpful advice ! Anyone interested can give us a call at 713-526-5550 to check the schedule. Im also planning a big obesity related event in Dallas for May with lots of patients telling their stories, various professionals, vendors and surgeons coming too. Let me know if you'd be interested and we can get you a pre-re…

Hi Dr LoMonico, thanks in advance for your insight. let me first mention, i sent your office an email about my arms and was extremely impressed with the fact that it was you that responded. impressed the heck outta me! :smile: ok, enough sucking up :tongue: what is your opinion of a PS who does consults without a female present? i went for a TT / Panniculectomy consult and the surgeon did not have anyone else in the room and i was pretty much nude except for my bra. now, nothing happened, but i specifically did not choose that PS due to that fact. it was my first consult, so i didnt speak up like i should have, but it was very awkard... :eek: i have receive…

Hi Dr. I want to know if most Dr's tighten the muscle under the neck when they do a neck lift? What is the procedure called when the muscle is tightened. I have creping under the neck (had it before I lost any weight) but I don;t want just a face lift. I had one ps consult before the band, but then my husband had some health issues and I realized that if I was going to get banded, I should wait to lose my weight before having surgery. That surgeon did not mention the muscle under the neck. Do you tighten it, when you do neck lifts? I need a lot of surgery. My thighs, my neck and face and a panni. My arms aren't great already, but not sure I want that long scar. Is…

Hi all- Question: when would be the appropriate time to go for a breast reduction consultation? I was banded 11/2/07 and have lost about 60 pounds, with approximately 60 more to go. I imagine that the right time would be when I reach goal, but I can't help thinking how nice it would be to have them reduced now so that exercise would be so much easier! I want to run! I really can't do so for fear of black eyes (or concussions) for myself and those near me! I'd need a cast-Iron sports bra to stop the bounce. I am a 40DDD now. Anyhoo... if I had the BR surgery before I hit goal, would they shrink and be too small/deflated?? What do you all think?? Thanks in advance, …

This is just a general question, I actually haven't had my band surgery yet but at 26 I have a huge stomach,and have for most of my life even. At one point when I lost a lot of weight my stomach still had a lot of extra skin. That being said I know that to ever get to a wear a 2 piece bathing suit I will have to have a tummy tuck, but I have not had children yet and wanted to know if any one has an opinion on if it's better to wait till after I have kids or do it now. I've heard that if you haven't finished having kids or not had any at all ps won't tighten the muscle underneath they'll just cut away the skin. Anyone that know anything more or has an opinion please I just…