Thinking about after I eventually hit my final weight loss weight and am stable. I was going back and forth about a panniculectomy once I'm able (mostly because my insurance will cover it) and while I know it won't tighten any muscles, I'm hoping it will be flatter and my clothes will fit better (I'll be having my surgery on May 3rd at age 43 and looking to hopefully have my surgery about a year and a half later). I've already had 2 kids, I'm a grandma of 1, and I'm not going to be wearing any bikinis or crop tops lol So I don't care so much about tummy tucks but I do want my excess skin removed and my stomach flatter. I hope it'll happen with the panniculectomy. HOWEVER, I've been seeing posts about people not having belly buttons and not being evenly shaped, and that had me concerned. So then I started thinking about having the panniculectomy (paid for by insurance) and then paying the difference for a tummy tuck and lipo as needed (or maybe just lipo to even everything out???). I'm confused about the best way to go that also won't cost a fortune. I know a panniculectomy is more expensive than a tummy tuck, so I'm thinking if I just maybe add lipo to it or even the tummy tuck and lipo, the cost shouldn't be too high, right? UGH. I know it's a ways out, but I need time to save (I'm the sole breadwinner in my family, so I'll need every bit of time to figure out what I'm doing and save for it). Thanks in advance for any help and input!!!

you're right in that a tummy tuck (and better yet, a full lower body lift) is going to look more natural than a panniculectomy. The question about adding lipo to it is one for a plastic surgeon. People do lipo with tummy tucks and with lower body lifts, but I don't know about with panniculectomies. It would definitely add to the cost, but I don't know by how much. I also don't know the price range for a tummy tuck if insurance covers the panniculectomy part of it (although that's done commonly enough that there are almost certainly people on here who've gone that route and can let you know about what they paid (for tummy tuck if their insurance paid for the panniculectomy part of it) .

When I started looking into plastic surgery about five years ago, I was told to expect $8K-$10K per procedure (I had my lower body lift first, which actually counts as two procedures, because they do both front and back, plus a mons lift). I had four consults with plastic surgeons, and that guesstimate rang mostly true. My estimates ranged from $16K - $23K for a lower body lift (but again, that's more extensive than a tummy tuck since they do front and back - so it counts as two procedures). I also had an estimate from a surgeon in Mexico that as I recall was about half that.

The cost is also going to depend on location (prices in New York, Chicago, and LA are going to be higher than prices in places like Knoxville, Tennessee) and the surgeon. Surgeons with national (or even international) reputations - or surgeons with many years of experience - are going to command higher prices.

So ...I know that doesn't answer your question, but then, pricing is going to vary depending on several factors, so it's kind of hard to answer it. Some people start having consults before they actually get to goal, so you can always do a couple of them and get some estimates. Consults are usually fairly cheap ($100 or so) if not free (and if there's a charge, the consult fee is often deducted from your bill if you decide to go with that surgeon). I think it's money well spent, actually - I learned a lot through my consults.

Edited April 21, 20224 yr by catwoman7

7 hours ago, Future Sleeve Diva said:

Thinking about after I eventually hit my final weight loss weight and am stable. I was going back and forth about a panniculectomy once I'm able (mostly because my insurance will cover it) and while I know it won't tighten any muscles, I'm hoping it will be flatter and my clothes will fit better (I'll be having my surgery on May 3rd at age 43 and looking to hopefully have my surgery about a year and a half later). I've already had 2 kids, I'm a grandma of 1, and I'm not going to be wearing any bikinis or crop tops lol So I don't care so much about tummy tucks but I do want my excess skin removed and my stomach flatter. I hope it'll happen with the panniculectomy. HOWEVER, I've been seeing posts about people not having belly buttons and not being evenly shaped, and that had me concerned. So then I started thinking about having the panniculectomy (paid for by insurance) and then paying the difference for a Tummy Tuck and Lipo as needed (or maybe just lipo to even everything out???). I'm confused about the best way to go that also won't cost a fortune. I know a panniculectomy is more expensive than a tummy tuck, so I'm thinking if I just maybe add lipo to it or even the tummy tuck and lipo, the cost shouldn't be too high, right? UGH. I know it's a ways out, but I need time to save (I'm the sole breadwinner in my family, so I'll need every bit of time to figure out what I'm doing and save for it). Thanks in advance for any help and input!!!

It's really hard to say what will be the best choice for you until you get closer to goal weight or the weight you level out at. One thing to take into consideration is the diastasis recti muscle. That muscle is often separated due to pregnancies and or obesity. If that muscle is separated, it will be very noticeable once you lose weight and once the excess skin is removed. If you Google diastasis recti, you will see for yourself what it looks like. Then imagine removing all of the skin the way a panni does. That's what you'll be left with post panni (this is only if you have a separated diastasi recti) so it's all theoretical at this point. So with a panni only, it's possible to have a flatter lower abdomen, but a protruding area right down the midline.

As far as lipo goes, I've never heard of lipo being added to a panniculectomy, because generally speaking, panni's aren't a sculpting type of plastic surgery. It only removes excess skin. Tummy tucks usually always include some lipo, even if it's only gentle feathering. Because tummy tucks also include muscle tightening, so it's a sculpting type of plastic surgery. So lipo is used to let's say, sculpt the flanks, etc for more shape and definition.

My PS is one of the professors at the local university, so her fees aren't as pricey as a PS in private practice. She operates at the best hospital in my county and since she's a professor, she has a lot of residents coming and going during her surgeries because it's a teaching hosptial. So her fees are less. She did my fleur de lis but submitted to insurance for a panniculectomy and she didn't charge me anything further. You might find a surgeon willing to do the same.

I would say keep researching and learn all you can now, but know that until you get closer to goal and consult with a PS it'll be difficult to say what direction you should go in. You might have an intact diastasis recti and a panni is the only thing you will need. You never know until you see where you land on the other side of weight loss.

P.S... Real Self is a great site to research plastic surgery procedures. You can read patient stories and see pics, and see fees and reviews of the surgeons.

I wish you the best on your journey!

No one can really answer your question; however, based on my personal experience I would get the tummy tuck with the procedure and not worry much about lipo. The rubber meets the road with the muscle repair. I had a circumferential body lift ( essentially a panniculectomy) in 2010 after losing 180lbs with just diet and exercise. In 2015, I had an actual tummy tuck with muscle repair. Of course, I was thrilled with the first operation as it did allow me to wear clothes that flatter and at 27, put me in a physical class with my peers (especially as I was active duty Air Force at the time). In 2015, I was provided an opportunity by the Air Force where they paid for my muscle repair and tidied up the first procedure. I was still misshapen until the latter. I had lipo with the first procedure as well, and did not ever see any real results from that. For me, I think I would consider lipo in the future if I were wanting to move fat from one area to another (like my rump).

Just my thoughts and experience. As everyone else is saying, do your research and make the best decision that works for you.

10 hours ago, Future Sleeve Diva said:

So then I started thinking about having the panniculectomy (paid for by insurance) and then paying the difference for a Tummy Tuck and Lipo as needed (or maybe just lipo to even everything out???).

This is what i did.

Insurance (provincial insurance, as im in canada) paid for the panniculectumy and i paid for the difference to upgrade to an abdominoplaty (tummy tuck), which was basically the inclusion of muscle tightening and some lipo on the flanks, and, in my case, a bit of a mons lift i sweet-talked my surgeon into lol)

If I remember correctly, i had to pay $2K for the “upgrade”. But as mentioned im in Canada and this amount is in Canadian dollars so not sure how this would translate to your locale.

But as a verifiable PRO-plastics person, if you have the time and means to do it, DO IT! Its a game changer!

PS…if u are curious, go to the albums section in my profile you can see a progress pic collage that shows my before and after plastics (and the whole WLS process really). The bottom row is post-plastics.

Edited April 21, 20224 yr by ms.sss

6 hours ago, ms.sss said:

This is what i did.

Insurance (provincial insurance, as im in canada) paid for the panniculectumy and i paid for the difference to upgrade to an abdominoplaty (tummy tuck), which was basically the inclusion of muscle tightening and some Lipo on the flanks, and, in my case, a bit of a mons lift i sweet-talked my surgeon into lol)

If I remember correctly, i had to pay $2K for the “upgrade”. But as mentioned im in Canada and this amount is in Canadian dollars so not sure how this would translate to your locale.

But as a verifiable PRO-plastics person, if you have the time and means to do it, DO IT! Its a game changer!

PS…if u are curious, go to the albums section in my profile you can see a progress pic collage that shows my before and after plastics (and the whole WLS process really). The bottom row is post-plastics.

Thanks so much!!! I just found this online: "A panniculectomy is more expensive than a tummy tuck, but it's often covered by medical insurance. The cost can range from $8,000 to $15,000, plus anesthesia and other extras. A tummy tuck is less expensive but is not covered by insurance. This elective procedure costs on average around $6,200." So if I can get insurance to cover the panniculectomy, I would think (hope) that it wouldn't cost all that much more to add in the tummy tuck with light lipo. I want to try and get that all situated first (since majority of it will be covered by my insurance) before I start worrying about the other stuff that I'll have to pay completely out of pocket.

Go for the tummy tuck!!! It will change your life! LOL! Seriously!! You can usually package in the boobs too, for a full "mommy makeover" much cheaper than doing the procedures separately!!

Best thing I ever did for myself (next to WLS of course)!!

58 minutes ago, ChubRub said:

Go for the tummy tuck!!! It will change your life! LOL! Seriously!! You can usually package in the boobs too, for a full "mommy makeover" much cheaper than doing the procedures separately!!

Best thing I ever did for myself (next to WLS of course)!!

I would love to, but I don't have that kind of money to package plastics. That's why I'm thinking the panniculectomy because my insurance will cover it and then the little extra to add in the tummy tuck and light lipo.