Hello....my date is May 15th. I am so excited....but not sure what to expect about scars....does anyone know what my abdomen will end up looking like. My doctor has been vague about it. Plus how soon before you can drive again. Hope everyone is doing well.

At 14 months post-op, I have four tiny, pink lines and one pink dot on my belly. You would never notice them unless you were looking closely.

I could drive when I wasn't taking anymore painkillers--I drove on day 5 post-op.

Good Luck!

The scars are nothing. They're tiny compared to other WLS, and unless you have a tendency to keloid will probably virtually disappear in a few years. I've had two lap WLS and a lap GB removal, so my scars are a bit more messy, but one of them has now been cut open 4 times.

But really, who cares. You're gaining so much more. A few scars is nothing.

As for driving, when you're off pain meds and can comfortably turn are the guidelines I go by, but you will be given discharge instructions that should including something specific from the place where your surgery is done.

I am 16 months out and have 4 mosiqito bite size pink spots and the top scar is so faint you can not see it, just feel it. It all depends on your skin type but I never used special cream or oils. I just occasionally rubbed lotion on my stomach.

I was allowed to drive as soon as I was no longer taking prescription pain meds...which for me was day 4.

If you know what you're looking for, you can still find all of my scars. The only one that is noticable is the one on my left side where the drain was, and it's less than 1/4 inch across and a light pink. I'm 7 months post-op and even I have a tough time finding the rest of the scars.

They are going to be red or dark - depending on your skin tone - for the first few months, and then they'll fade. The only scar that's still visible to the untrained eye is the drain scar, but that's gotten a lot less noticeable over time.

Here's a pic of my stomach from just a few weeks ago - try finding 5 scars!

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/gallery/image/7423-frontpose/