Getting started

I have my first consult next week with a plastic surgeon. I am looking into having a BL and tummy tuck. I am thinking of Lipo on my back instead of a LBL. I am worried about the pain. thoughts?

Any questions I should ask?

Thanks,

Brenda 

Good Luck! I just made my decision today. Going through this is a learning experience. I chose Dr. Michaels in the DC area and close runner up was Dr.Capella in Northern Jersey. I had 5 consults all together. I live on Long Island in New York.

I said it is like comparing apples to apples... but different varieties. Each one has their little different take on things.

I guess I would want to know that they had done surgery on Weight Loss Surgery patients. Do they have pictures? Two of mine got axed because of the cost. The third would only do each part separately... I wasn't willing to do 4ish surgeries. Left the best 2 for last... it was worth traveling for Dr. Capella's consult, and had a phone consult with Dr. Michaels. (I had previously sent pics and filled out paperwork).

Deep breath... thought I had everything lined up then called my general practice office to get the pre-op appointment and found out the nurse practitioner I use left. They are in the process of hiring so they wouldn't make an appointment. ugh...

Brenda - make sure you ask about the different results for a LBL versus a tummy tuck with lipo.  Ask to see pictures of both results so you can gauge what your results could be.  And remember that lipo removes fat but doesn't tighten skin.  It's entirely possible to get lipo and still be left with saggy skin in certain areas. 

I've known several people who opted for the cheaper tummy tuck/lipo route and they were supremely disappointed with the results.  And they only saved $2-3K.  Don't cheap out...you want the best for your money and you only want to do this once! 

Good luck! 

Oh, I completely agree with this. And ask specifically for pictures of post-bariatric patients who went with the tummy tuck with lipo. Our skin is just different. It is much more likely to sag without the fat than a non- bariatric patient who has lipo.

Just wanted to say good luck to you while you plan out your journey!

I had fleur de lys tt. Muscle work hurts. I still had small 'love handles and sagging butt. Just had completion of the posterior portion of lower body lift with autologous butt implant. This get rid of excess back skin as well as lifts the but and out thighs. At the time i did tt i had not heard of lbl. Just one week post and still very swollen. Lipo will not  help with loose skin. 

Thanks for all the responses. It is very helpful.

A LBL is a lower body lift, which means you have stitches all around your body.

Not sure what process the various surgeons you're consulting with use, but I just want to clarify that in all the LBL pics that I've seen, and for my own LBL, there are no actual exterior visible stitches.  I had internal stitches under the surface of the skin, but on the outside it was just skin glue that eventually peeled off.  So no scar marks from stitches on the outside, no ugly looking stitches for a few weeks (not that the glue was pretty....).  But yes, the scar does go all the way around your lower body.

Good to hear, I am more nervous about the pain of a LBL. Being cut all the away around, and how do you lay down without pain of laying on the wound? It might just be me, but I am wondering if Lipo would be better on my back side then have stitches, internally that is?

There is a lot of numbness at and around the incision sites, so I actually didn't really feel any pain from the incisions, and you certainly can't actually feel any stitches. The muscle tightening is where all the soreness was. Because of that, you really can't lay flat anyway.  You have to either be in a recliner or lay on a stack of pillows.  They also put you in a binder that wraps around your waist.  Between that and the bandages it minimizes any sort of rubbing against the incision so I wasn't uncomfortable sitting or laying down.

Just keep in mind, anywhere you get lipo, you're removing filler from under your skin, so that will increase the sag.  If you already have a saggy behind and you get lipo around the lower back, your butt and outter thighs will sag even more.  The only way to fix that is the full LBL.

The pain meds and bandages really make things pretty manageable though.  Of course, it's a very personal decision, and with an LBL you'll probably need more help getting up and down and around those first few days than with just a TT.