I just saw my lap band doctor last week and he referred me to the PS. I been having really bad rashs in my belly button and under my belly. I have a really bad panni i have always had it and since loosing 85lbs it is so bad it hangs below my pubic area (completely covering). The lap band doctor told me that i really need to have this taken care of because of the infections that i keep getting. I have to wear shapwear everday just to hide it. I am very lucky that my insurance does list a abdominoplasty as a covered procedure i just have to prove that i have rashs (which won't be hard to do). But i keep hearing from everyone that i should wait till i get to goal and i should maintain my weight for 6 months first. I am only about 35lbs from goal and it will take about 3 months to get insurance approval (have to prove rashs for three months). I hope to be about 180lbs when i have this done. Do you think i should wait or do you think that because my panni is so bad it wouldn't hurt to have it done. If i have it done at 180lbs that is only 20lbs from my goal. I don't think 20lbs would make that much difference on my belly. What do you guys think? I do see the PS next week. I just want to have good results.

Hiya Reneek. Well done on losing so much weight and I can really sympathise with your position, having just had my abdominoplasty 10 days ago (and I am delighted with the results).

The things to consider, I suppose, is what kind of cosmetic result you will have. You don't mention your height, but if you are 35lbs from your goal weight you need to think about how losing that extra 35 lb (which you will hopefully do either before or after your abdominoplasty) might alter or detract from the cosmetic result so carefully crafted by your surgeon when he or she carries out the abdominoplasty. Heavens forbit it, but you might even find that having had your original panni removed, you develop a second one, albeit smaller, when you lose that last 35 lbs.

Of course, that would be worse case scenario.

Having said that, these rashes (I had them too) are a pain to live with, but you can use hydrocortisone creams (if you can tolerate them) to control the situation until you reach your goal weight - and they may even act as a kind of incentive - so you get a double whammy, or even a triple whammy of reaching goal, getting abdominoplasty and no more rashes - all at the same time.

I ask myself if I would have had the abdominoplasty early if I could, and the honest answer is a resounding YES, of course I would. However, I am an NHS patient and they have rules - you can only get PS on the NHS 2 years after banding - apparently research shows that this is the time that the majority of people stabilise their weight for good or bad. Luckily, I lost 5 stone (70lbs) prior to being banded in Dec 2007 and I reached my goal weight in 18 months and have had 6 months to maintain (and reassure myself that I can maintain my weight) before my PS.

I'm beginning to ramble, so I shall end hereabouts, but just give it a lot of thought. PS is expensive and you want to get the best result for the longest time in exchange for your dollar (and insurance is unlikely to want to pay out twice - although I have no experience of the US medical insurance system so I could be wrong). You don't want to spoil your results for want of a drop of patience.

All the very best.

Ohm

x

I would start the insurance process. At the rate you are losing you will probably be close to goal when the 3 months are up. Besides you can delay the surgery at that time if you decide to, that will give you 3 months to make up your mind and get a professional opinion from the PS.

I would count that as excellent advice! Very well thought out.

I just had the surgery on the 29th. One of the things I asked the surgeon was about gaining/losing weight. You should start the process now and you can also lose weight after the surgery with no ill effects if you don't plan to lose alot of weight. Talk to your surgeon about this. I am planing on losing 10 more pounds now that I know it wouldn't be a problem.

I agree. You should at least start the PS journey. I found out at my first visit to the PS, that what the insurance pays for is just the removal of the pani,and the results were not what I was looking for. I need more that just the skin below my waist removed, I have extra skin below my breasts, too.

Find a surgeon that you trust and respect, and they will be able to answer your questions and guide you in the right direction.

Good luck!

I had my band removed in...2006...After starting to gain weight post removal, I worked hard to lose 20 pounds. After maintaining for two years, I had a tummy tuck at 182. I was about a size 10-12, but in retrospect, I wish I had lost another 20 pounds first. That would have given a little wiggle room in case I gained a few. Last year (1 year post tummy tuck -- which I LOVE the results) for various reasons, I gained about 10-15 pounds. It is awful because the fat isn't distributed normally -- I have a flat stomach and a BIG butt. Plus went to my back...anywhere but my stomach. I'm now working hard to lose the weight back. My goal is to get back to my TT weight of 182. So, I wish I'd lost more. That said, a friend (no band) had a TT and lost 30 pounds after.

For whatever it's worth.

Good luck to you.

Elizabeth

Banded 8/2003

Slipped 2004

Repaired 2005

Slipped again 2006

Removed 2006

Banded weight: 250+

Lost 60 pounds w/band. Regained 10-15 after removal

Lost 20 flying solo

Current weight 193

Long "report," I know. I can't remember it's been so long.