parisshel

I had a tummy tuck--different from your surgeries--but just to share that the final result is not set until up to 12 months postop. Your shape will keep changing as fluid leaves and the new taut skin adjusts. I remember thinking that I had no waistline post TT but eventually my hourglass shape emerged. It tooks months for the sweliing to go down and the true shape to show itself. Also your thighs may look bigger because edema (water) moves downwards with gravity. This will clear eventually. However my thighs looked shockingly large to me postop because I had never really seen them without my belly hiding the tops of them. Once my belly was gone...everything looked really different down there! I hope that with time you are going to love your new body. Every single day I am thrilled when I look at my nice, flat tummy. BTW I am 63 and did my surgery when I was 60.

Thanks for this additional information and I'm pleased you are on the other side of this and recovering perfectly. Totally agree on continual checks/barium swallows for those of use who still have bands. I've had mine going on 9 years now and do a barium swallow each year just to check placement, flow, etc. Like you, I no longer fill but that doesn't mean I should not check it for viability purposes.

This sounds like a painful and stressful experience. I'm sorry you had to go through it. I have a question about "hooks" and how they embedded into your intestines. The band, which goes on the upper part of the stomach, is not near the intestines. Did you surgeon say it had migrated? Can you ask them how this could have happened? In any case, I hope by the time you read this you are feeling much better.

Coming up on two years post-tummy tuck. While I never had any raised portions of the hip to hip scar, the color continues to be quite visible. I have used scar cream from the moment I was authorized to do so. I also never exposed the scar to the sun for the first year post-TT. So I did all the right things in terms of promoting the least-visible scar possible. I don't anticipate any change at this point, although scars I have from decades ago have lightened considerably, so maybe there is hope if I have patience! In the meantime, I just concentrate on how happy I am with my flat and toned tummy!

I echo the advice of those above: do your research on a different type of WLS other than the lapband. Even if you find a surgeon to place yours, there are fewer and fewer surgeons and fill/unfill facilities so if you have issues down the line, you may not find someone with the background and experience to help you out. Lapbands were a big trend years ago but are seen as arcane now. Today's trend is the Sleeve...this also may one day go the way of the band. The Gold Standard is the Bypass which has decades of data supporting its efficacy. (It is also reversible if needed.) With that said, I have had a band in place for almost 8 years. I'm one of its rare success stories with no issues. While I never made it to goal (my starting weight was similar to yours), I'm at a weight that is fine for me. No significant regains really, but when I do start climbing back up the scale, I know what to cut out. Not sure if I still have restriction/hunger dimmed by my band....I do a lot of the maintenance work myself. I had loose skin but I'm much older than you. It wasn't due to "quick" weight loss---my weight came off at the same rate as a traditional diet such as WW. It was just from having been obese. So two years ago, at age 60, I had a tummy tuck. It was absolutely life-changing. Best thing I ever did for myself. Not only do I love my tummy for the first time in my life, but having had plastics ensures that I keep my weight off and keep exercising....I would never want to ruin the results of the tummy tuck. Here's a photo of my tummy now---90% of this is the tummy tuck, 10% of it is my core work that I do every day to keep everything strong and toned. Sorry this photo is so large....something happens when I upload photos to this site. Normally it is much smaller! Good luck as you move forward but please: do your research, talk to other WLS patients to see their experience with the different surgeries out there.

I waited awhile before telling my (then) BF that I had been much larger and had had WLS. It wasn't any big deal to him. My weight loss left me with significant loose skin, especially the "apron" which had my tummy hanging down to my upper thighs. I was embarrassed greatly by my "apron" and always wore lingerie in bed to cover that part of my body. I finally decided to get a tummy tuck 6 years after my WLS, even though I was not at my goal. My WLS surgeon and the plastic surgeon agreed that since I'd held my weight loss for so long that it would be fine to go ahead with the tummy tuck. It was TRULY the best thing I've ever done for myself. My sense of self is completely different. I no longer have so much shame around this part of my body. When my BF broke up with me and I starting dating again, my WLS and tummy tuck made reentering the world of dating so much easier on my mindset. I had so much more confidence. I know that should I find a new partner, I would at some point share that I had WLS. It is obvious I had plastics, because the scar from a tummy tuck is quite large and evident. So I would be open about that, too. I figure anyone worth developing a strong connection with will take this information with acceptance and even admiration for me. Below, a current photo of my tummy. 90% of this is the tummy tuck, 10% of it is my core work that I do to keep my tummy flat and toned. (I don't know why the photo is huge; sorry!)

Thanks for starting this thread. We went into lockdown in March, opened up a bit in the summer, and locked down again in early November. I knew with the initial lockdown I'd have to pay attention to two things: exercise (we were allowed one hour outside each day, limited to walks within a 1 km radius) and my food. In the initial lockdown I gained 2.5 kgs, which apparently was a national average! I know this was due to reduced activity + having food a mere 5 steps away from my WFH set up. Right before the November lockdown my BF up and announced he didn't love me anymore, leaving a two-year relationship with no discussion. I turned a sow's ear into a silk purse and spent that lockdown working out and eating cleanly, knocking off the weight I had gained in the spring and getting back towards my best weight. I'm a bandster, and stress tightens my band so all of these events have made it easier to eat healthfully since I'm rarely hungry. We are now semi-locked down, with a curfew, but I take advantage of the mornings to walk 5-10 km every single day. I'm not sure this helps weight-wise, but it is vital for my mental health! Foodwise my fridge is stocked with the kinds of foods that keep hunger at bay but that I enjoy: proteins, veg, fruit...you know, the classics!! Keep well, everyone!

I had a tummy tuck last year, at age 60. I had some significant post-op complications, but now that I'm on the other side of all that, I can say that this surgery was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. Never too old, as long as your surgeon says you are eligible, healthwise, for plastics!

This sounds like me. I'm a longhauler, too, 10 cc with 5.0 cc fill. I can eat pretty much everything, just smaller bites and much slower. No one likes to go to lunch with me because I take so long to finish my food! But still....love that my weight is stable and I had a tummy tuck last year to complete the transformation. Both procedures totally worth it...it is quite freeing to live in a body that I'm not ashamed of.

Thanks. I meant to say abdominal binder and not compression garment. How quickly I've forgotten all the aftermath of this surgery! Thanks for explaining how the fluid gets released. Good information on the lymphatic massages. I do these from time to time, especially for my legs because the TT disrupted my lymph system (but things are reknitting themselves even now) and I get a lot more fluid build up in my legs.

Yes, I had also read that there is a correlation between higher-weight TT patients and fluid-related complications. (I had forgotten about that until I read your post.) I think, given my weight, my surgeon should have inserted drains as a precaution. I also had lipo; I forgot to mention that.

My surgery was done in Paris, France, where I live. I chose the top plastic surgeon in the city, vetted him carefully. He had done hundreds of TTs, and said that mine was the first time he'd ever had a complication. (Of course I can't check if that is true.) The initial surgery went well and I only stayed one night in the clinic. I started developing a fever a couple of days after the initial surgery. I called the surgeon's office and the medical secretary didn't seem alarmed about this. (I should have immediately requested to be seen...but I wasn't mobile enough at that point to get to his office. + I trusted the secretary. Big mistake on my part.) Luckily I had visiting nurses coming to my home post op to change my dressings. It was a nurse who saw my abdominal skin turning yellowish (indicating infection) and she felt my lower abdomen which was hot. My lymph glands in my upper thighs were also enlarged and very painful; I could not sit or walk. On day six she said she suspected I had an infection. By that time I had an extremely high fever, I alternated being freezing cold and trembling to sweating so much I slipped off the hospital gurney by the time I got to the ER. They scanned me and saw all the fluids collecting in my lower abdomen...fluids that, had I had drains, would have drained out of my body and I would not have developed an infection. They got me back on the operating table immediately (I was very close to dying, with my system shutting down due to the scepsis), reopened the abdomen along the same line as the initial surgeon (so I don't have a double scar) and cleaned everything out. After that they put in three drains, I had heavy antibiotics (they had to put in a PICC line for these). My red blood cell count was so low they had to give me 2 units of blood. Nurses cleaned my drains and changed the dressings 3 x day for a week until they deemed me healthy enough to go home. The drainless TT relies on the surgeon's ability to do a "quilting" stitch when reattaching the inner muscles. The quilting stitch, as I understand it, makes so that fluid can't collect. I'm not exactly sure where the fluid goes, however, as it has to go somewhere! In my case, the quilting stitch did not do the job of keeping the fluid from collecting and it just sat there inside of me with nowhere to exit. Eventually it would have probably seeped out of the wound area, bursting through my stitches. Additionally, my surgeon did not think a compression garment was necessary. The second surgeon was astounded at both the idea of a drainless TT and lack of a compression garment. I'm now 15 months out, and all of these complications are behind me. I love my tummy....truly a work of art. It's a firm slate, and I never get tired of looking at it. However, the aftermath was indeed traumatic and something I will never forget. My takeaway is this: fever is NEVER normal post op. It is the first sign of infection. I should have gotten myself to either the hospital or my surgeon's office at that point.

Hi! I had a drainless TT that went very wrong. The fluids collected in the site, I got an infection that turned sceptic and I almost died. Emergency surgery to reopen the site one week after the initial TT, necrotic skin removed, drains put it, blood transfusion and one week in the hospital. And I had one of the "best" plastic surgeons in the city. I would not recommend it, for obvious reasons, but "your mileage will vary."

Do what makes you feel fierce, strong and happy. I had my lapband placed when I was 54. Next Tuesday I'm getting a tummy tuck. I just turned 60. Is that too late? Who cares? I want to live the rest of my life in a body that makes me feel good and healthy. I cannot wait to have a flat, toned tummy.

Thanks so much for this comforting information, Tashaplus3. I appreciate it. You look great!

Hi everyone! I have an AP small lapband, surgery done 2013. Lost around 70 pounds and am scheduled for an abdominoplasty in early May. My surgeon is of course aware that I have a lapband in place, but he hasn't addressed how this affects the surgery he is going to do on me. Are there any Bandsters in this group that have had this done? I read a scientific article (old, dated 2012) about possible complications due to the port and tubing and the muscle stretching involved with the abdominoplasty. Of course I'll bring this up with the surgeon but wanted your input as well. TIA!

What a great idea! I wish my partner had the mindset of a WLS person. It sure would be nice to be with someone whose eating and exercise habits were more in line with my own.

It's a shame that the photo you chose to illustrate your thoughts here just enforces the stereotype of the fat stupid female--indeed, she looks almost mentally-impaired-- powerless over food. I personally find this offensive, especially used in an article which is targetted towards people who might be sensitive to this stereotype.

I am fascinated by stories from different cultures. I also can't imagine how difficult it must be for her. I had no idea that clothing only goes up to size 12 there. I suppose buying clothing online is certainly an option. The stigma regarding obesity must be overwhelming. Is bariatric surgery even something people know much about? There are certain shops that carry plus size...which means up to size 18 here. The styles are just awful...like plus size used to be in the States 40 years ago...huge flowery drapey caftans. Yes, there is an open stigma against anyone overweight in Paris. It's better looked upon to be an adulterer (see the French President, or Dominique Strauss Kahn's story) or a smoker (no stigma whatsoever) than to be fat. Especially female and fat, because beauty here is highly valued for women. I'll never forget the time my sister in law (French) was pregnant, and she went to see her OB/GYN. She wanted to quit smoking for the future baby's health, and the OB/GYN told her to keep smoking, because it was better to not gain too much weight during her pregnancy, which she certainly would, if she cut out the cigarettes cold turkey. Can you imagine? There are several centers of bariatric excellence here in France. They serve the French of course, and also other europeans who come here for the surgery. I know they do not do lapbands in Switzerland, for example, so the Swiss come to France if they want a lapband.

This is a timely article for me to read. I've always kept my band a bit looser, not so I could overindulge, but because I had a deep fear of ever getting stuck. Having a "looser" band allowed me to choose from a variety of foods (I still did not eat bread, Pasta, rice or potatoes, as these were poorly tolerated by my band and in fact I didn't need them in terms of calories). I greatly enjoy my salads, raw veggies, etc...things that bandsters with too-tight bands avoid. I never once had to reach for a Protein shake, Soup or other (except after a fill of course). Now, due to an ill-advised course of anti-inflammatories that made my stomach swell immensely (the organ, not my tummy), I am living the way-too-tight experience. I cannot for the life of me see how someone would want to live this on a daily basis. I cannot even drink Water without PB-ing (unless it is warm, and unless I take tiny sips). I'm living on yogurt (takes 2 hours to eat a little pot of yogurt), hot tea, soups (again, two hours to drink a bowl) and right now I've been staring into my tuna fish since noon. (It is 2:30 pm and I haven't made a dent in it). I went to get my band unfilled but the radiologist who read the fluoscopy said my band is fine. It's not my band that is tight, it is my stomach that is swollen. With double doses of Nexium over the next weeks, the swelling should go down so he suggested I just tough it out until then rather than get an unfill, and then a refill...etc etc. This episode has given me a real taste at what some people opt to do with their lapbands and I just can't understand why they'd do this by choice. It's certainly not enjoyable, nor no way to live in the longterm.

My heart has always felt a pang when I saw a very obese person out and about, and now even more so, when I know (think, perhaps, is a better word) there is a sustainable way for us to get to a healthy, mobile size. It was an odd coincidence, but last Tuesday, afterI had my one-year band consult with my bariatric surgeon, I was taking the bus back home and a massively obese woman got on. It is very rare to see 400-500 pound women in Paris (I'm not sure where they put them!) and I just speculated on what hell her life must be here. She easily filled the two bus seats and spilled over those. She had obviously just come from the bakery and was carrying a fresh baguette (which I imagined other people thinking "That's the last thing she should be eating."). I wondered how she bought clothing here, where the largest size is a size 12 (and that is considered a plus size). Being just fresh from my one-year appointment, where I got so much positive feedback from my surgeon, I wanted to tell her there was a way out of the Obese Ghetto. Of course I didn't say anything, but I so very much wanted to convey this hope to her...that she should not just throw in the towel. I watched her struggle to get up and off the bus at her stop, and then shuffle/walk into her building. It was just so sad...this lack of mobility, lack of being able to move freely in the world. Now I'm depressing myself and will stop here.

What a fantastic proposal you've created. (Is it normal that we can only view 11 out of the 24 frames?) Are you a WLS patient? I'm curious to know what prompted you to use this as your capstone project. In any case, it seems terrific and I'm sure will complement the current apps available. I'll be following your creation...and good luck. The preliminary storyboard looks quite promising.

You are doing great. Keep listening to what you band is telling you as it is a great guide. That chest pain is talking to you!

I totally get this. When my surgeon reviewed my fluorscopy films from my first fill (and I was down 36 pounds) he said "You are doing this all by yourself. You have practically no restriction" and he showed me how my pouch wasn't "pouchy" enough to be physically effective in keeping me full. I felt really proud nonetheless! He did say, however, that a more-appropriate fill would make it easier on me for when my wantpower wasn't enough, so I could another fill last week. I can see what he means.