Panniculectomy

[SaRose 18]

Hi everyone !

Has anyone had an abdominal panniculectomy after WLS? I scheduled mine for December but wondering what recovery looks like and how it compares to the pain/recovery from Gastric Bypass Surgery. Any thoughts/input would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Sarah

[catwoman7 10,844]

I had a lower body lift 14 months ago (which is the whole lower body - not just a panniculectomy). Recovery from that was much tougher than it was from gastric bypass. I had hardly any pain at all from bypass surgery. The first week of LBL recovery was pretty painful. After that, it was more discomfort than pain. But it was all worth it in the end. I'd do it again.

[SaRose 18]

How long were you out of work/how long do you suggest taking off work?

[catwoman7 10,844]

I'm retired, so that really didn't apply to me. However, after my LBL, I was out & about and driving about 10-12 days after the surgery, I think - so you may be OK with taking two weeks off.

Granted, I still had a lot of discomfort, but at least I could drive and get out by then..

[SaRose 18]

Thank you! That’s very helpful

[catwoman7 10,844]

4 hours ago, SaRose said:

Thank you! That’s very helpful

oh =- I should have added that if you're not going to be having muscle tightening or liposuction as part of your panniculectomy, your recovery is likely to be easier. Those two things can be pretty painful (I had both)

[tashie123 46]

On 9/20/2019 at 2:39 PM, catwoman7 said:

oh =- I should have added that if you're not going to be having muscle tightening or liposuction as part of your panniculectomy, your recovery is likely to be easier. Those two things can be pretty painful (I had both)

How long was the surgery?

[catwoman7 10,844]

I had two - first one was a lower body lift. I think that one was about four hours. The second was an arm lift and a breast lift - he also made incisions down each side from my arm pit past my waist (to get rid of "side boob" and pull off some of the excess skin that was under my rib cage that he was unable to reach during the LBL). That surgery was six hours long.

[JohnGraySmiley 88]

On 09/20/2019 at 08:50, SaRose said:

Hi everyone !

Has anyone had an abdominal panniculectomy after WLS? I scheduled mine for December but wondering what recovery looks like and how it compares to the pain/recovery from Gastric Bypass Surgery. Any thoughts/input would be appreciated!



Thanks,



Sarah

How did it go? I’m scheduled for panniculectomy on October 1. Really nervous about the pain & afraid I’ll look weirder.

[SaRose 18]

10 hours ago, JohnGraySmiley said:

How did it go? I’m scheduled for panniculectomy on October 1. Really nervous about the pain & afraid I’ll look weirder.

It went well for the most part, I am happy with the results, though I didn't realize they would have to move my belly button to make it look more normal because of the removal of access skin. I will say that there was a concern during my hospital stay as I continued to lose a lot of blood, and there was discussion of a blood transfusion, however after the third day, my hemoglobin stabilized and so there was no need for a transfusion luckily. I had some lightheaded/near fainting moments within a week of the surgery, but nothing after that, and I've always suffered from lightheadedness due to low blood pressure. The drains were uncomfortable, but not as bad as I thought. One was removed three weeks after surgery, and the other about 4 weeks after.

A few things I wish I knew prior-

Showering on my own was impossible, as I couldn't get my arms above my head for about a week post-op.

I don't know why, but even now, 9 months later, I still have some pain when wearing pants the fit around my abdomen (such as jeans, or a belt) but it has lessened over time so I'm hoping it'll take care of its self with time.

Definitely identify some loose fitting clothing while you have the drains in, so you can be comfortable and if needed you can go out in public.

I hope all this info helps you. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

[AmyVanRose 5]

How much do these surgeries cost? Does insurance pay?

[catwoman7 10,844]

2 minutes ago, AmyVanRose said:

How much do these surgeries cost? Does insurance pay?

I was told when I started researching plastic surgery about three years ago to expect about $8000-$10,000 per procedure. If you want the complete lower body lift (front and back), that counts as two procedures. But a basic panni is just one procedure. I did four consults, and that estimate pretty much rang true. Prices have probably come up a bit since I looked three years ago, but it doesn't seem like they've come up by much.

whether or not insurance pays depends on your policy. Some companies don't pay anything at all (mine didn't). Some will if you've had medical issues with your excess skin - for example, chronic rashes - that don't respond to more conventional treatments. So if you do have issues with your excess skin, be sure to see your doctor so it gets documented. The insurance company will want to see a trail of documented evidence before they decide to cover it.

[SaRose 18]

23 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

I was told when I started researching plastic surgery about three years ago to expect about $8000-$10,000 per procedure. If you want the complete lower body lift (front and back), that counts as two procedures. But a basic panni is just one procedure. I did four consults, and that estimate pretty much rang true. Prices have probably come up a bit since I looked three years ago, but it doesn't seem like they've come up by much.

whether or not insurance pays depends on your policy. Some companies don't pay anything at all (mine didn't). Some will if you've had medical issues with your excess skin - for example, chronic rashes - that don't respond to more conventional treatments. So if you do have issues with your excess skin, be sure to see your doctor so it gets documented. The insurance company will want to see a trail of documented evidence before they decide to cover it.

23 hours ago, AmyVanRose said:

How much do these surgeries cost? Does insurance pay?

CatWoman7 is definitely right. I did nto plan on having plastic surgery when I planned on my Gastric Bypass. I knew my body wouldn't fully recover, and I would have a "pouch" of fat, but I was okay with that. I started getting really bad infections under my belly, where my skin would overhang and also in my belly button, i was provided powder by my surgeon to help with the itching/pain, but it was constant. I ended up visiting my surgeon for three months in a row, they documented the issue, and my insurance covered my surgery almost completely, but it all depends on your insurance.

[JohnGraySmiley 88]

On 09/05/2020 at 11:00, SaRose said:

It went well for the most part, I am happy with the results, though I didn't realize they would have to move my belly button to make it look more normal because of the removal of access skin. I will say that there was a concern during my hospital stay as I continued to lose a lot of blood, and there was discussion of a blood transfusion, however after the third day, my hemoglobin stabilized and so there was no need for a transfusion luckily. I had some lightheaded/near fainting moments within a week of the surgery, but nothing after that, and I've always suffered from lightheadedness due to low blood pressure. The drains were uncomfortable, but not as bad as I thought. One was removed three weeks after surgery, and the other about 4 weeks after.

A few things I wish I knew prior-

Showering on my own was impossible, as I couldn't get my arms above my head for about a week post-op.

I don't know why, but even now, 9 months later, I still have some pain when wearing pants the fit around my abdomen (such as jeans, or a belt) but it has lessened over time so I'm hoping it'll take care of its self with time.

Definitely identify some loose fitting clothing while you have the drains in, so you can be comfortable and if needed you can go out in public.

I hope all this info helps you. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Update: During my pre-op appt my surgeon decided it would be best for me have a Tummy Tuck or liposuction to get all of my target areas. So I went with abdominal liposuction and bilateral flanks. Surgery was 2 days ago. That only included 6 incisions vs. hip-bone to hip-bone.

It was an overnight stay. Pretty painful. Surgery date was 10/1. I’m wrapped in tons of bandages so I can’t see the outcome just yet.

He removed 3750 ccs of fat. Praying I love the outcome.