Hernia and Tummy Tuck?

Hello everyone  :)             Last summer I had emergency surgery for twisted intestines that had herniated through my anastomosis, and ruptured, it was an open surgery.

Now I have a hernia , my Surgeon called it an Incisional Hernia....I have a bulge on my stomach, and once again I will go under the knife ......Was curious how many might have had this ?

The incision is from belly button UP about 4 inches to 5 inches, hard to tell with my loose skin. I will have mesh put in.....This will be on Dec. 1st.......I am hoping to have alot of my XMAS shopping done before that date.....so that is the bad news, the good news is .....most of my loose skin is below the belly button,,,I "think" that is the normal place for the majority of the loose skin?  I lost a little over 100 lbs, so my loose skin doesn`t hang over my waist band , it is just really jiggly , looks kind of like shirred curtains,because of the old c -section scar that still divides my skin into 2 sides......Hard to explain I guess....When I was overeight, some said it looked like a "Bum" others said an open book , binder being the scar I guess?

 My Surgeon said while he was there fixing the hernia above the belly button he asked if I would like him to remove that loose skin below the belly button at no cost?   I have a very very old          c -section scar, from belly button downward, as they did it vertically way back then (40 years) The scar is not even vsible with the loose skin,     I will lose my belly button though.....I`ll get use to that I am sure...He called it a tummy tuck, but I was so floored when he said No charge, I never asked him what that entails?        Did he mean remove the loose skin only... A true tummy tuck is tightening the muscles underneath isn`t it?

 This all just happened yesterday afternoon, I will certainly ask him and have clarification before surgery...

I did a lot of rambling didn`t I?   I type like I talk, lol, alot 

So what am I really asking ?       Has anyone had something similiar?  And has anyone had JUST loose skin removed and not the underlying muscles tightened?        Pain level?     He said 1 day in , possible 2 .....I need to ask about a Binder , I have read where some had binders from open RNY and from Hernias, I had one with my c -section..........SO I am very nervous, I actually have been plannng for a year or so to have POA , Will, etc, etc done and I have put it off, I made an appt. to have this all in order before the 1st.........One never knows..and if not for this surgery, I am sure I would continue to put it off..........Thank You for listening to me ramble on and on.....

PS:    Maybe I should try to get some before and after pics to show you ? 

Hi-- I am scheduled for an abdominal wall reconstruction-- BARs procedure in Nov.  Like you, I had an emergency hernia repair/small bowel obstruction repair in August 2013.  Nearly killed me!  And, I have a large umbilical hernia, and a couple of incisional hernias because 20 years ago I had emergency gall bladder surgery.  And, I had two C-sections.  My diastasis recti muscles are shredded, so my surgeon can't tighten them, but instead in attaching heavy mesh into my bones.  You can google the surgery: BARs with Dr. Elkwood (my doc!)  You can watch a video of him explaining the surgery on The Doctor's TV show. 

My understanding is that when they do the hernia repairs and then insert the mesh, they just tighten as best as possible, but the mesh takes the place of the muscles because the muscles can't really be tightened.  It was explained to me that it is like sewing together shredded fabric.  Not so good. 

I too am losing my belly button, and frankly, it's really no big deal because I haven't seen it in years with all the skin!  I was told I have to take a month off work, but that I'll not be in much pain after a few days!  Hope so!! 

Thank You for your reply ..I will google BAR`s.    Good Luck with your Surgery, let us know as it gets closer if you would like and I will send you prayers ...

Again Thank You for replying

I will keep in touch! I'll take all the prayers I can get. 

Let me know what you think re BARs!

How did your surgery go??? How was the BARS procedure?? Any complications??

When he installs the mesh and repairs teh hernia, it will be about the same pain level as a tummy tuck (he just won't be tightening in the muscles).  The additional panniculectomy -- I am not sure why your surgeon would call it a tummy tuck, because a tummy tuck is the tightening of the abdominal muscles all the way down, but  a panniculectomy is skin-only removal below the navel -- doesn't involve muscle and will be no additional "trouble" as far as recuperation.  The pain you will have will be from the hernia repair which DOES involve the muscle PLUS involves the sewing of the mesh. (Sorry, I don't mean to scare you; I just want you to know what to expect.  The skin removal is a piece of cake compared to hernia repair with mesh).

I had an incisional hernia from my open RNY, and it became large enough that I had to have it repaired before I was done losing weight, so I had it first and then later had a panniculectomy.  I later decided that I couldn't live with the excess skin above my waist and so paid out of pocket for the tummy tuck. Because one of the suture lines for the mesh hurt like hell for several weeks, my hernia repair was far more painful than my open RNY, my open appendectomy, OR my open hysterectomy. Other than my lap gallbladder surgery, my panniculectomy (despite being the longest incision ever -- table to table across the entire width of the body) was the easiest surgery I have ever had.  The onyl pain beyond the first week or so was at the very enpoints on the side of my hips (because those get pulled when you bend or twist). 

Lora

Thank You Lori, I plan on having him clarify if this a tummy tuck or a panniculectomy....Lori where about was your Hernia located?  I am excited he offered to do this at No Charge!!!  I won`t have a bikini tummy as it will be vertical,, if I had the Money, I believe I need a lower body lift, my butt is on the back of my thighs it seems........   How did that work with the upper tummy tuck? Didn`t that pull your mesh ?    Your scar is horizontal is that correct?        Mine will be vertical , atleast I think that is what he was talking about?   Like I mentioned in my 1st post, this appt. was yesterday late afternoon, I have many questions for him...

Lori , did you use a binder for the hernia repair? Or the tummy tuck?

EDITED to correct spelling.

My hernia was the entire upper portion of my abdomen along the midline incision line.  The surgeon put in a 4x4 piece of mesh during the hernia repair.  When the other surgeon did the tummy tuck, I honestly don't know how he did it, but he left the mesh in place. 

I have the vertical incision from my breastbone to my waist from my RNY and hernia repair, and the horizontal incision from hip to hip fromthe panniculectomy (my pannus hung down onto the top of my tthighs so was way too big to remove with a vertical incision). Because I had so much extra skin above my waist, though, after those surgeries, I had  "reverse" tummy tuck... A true "T" shaped incision with the top of the "T" running under my breasts. Because of a complication with neuros is, however, that whole area at the top of the "T" looks like burn scars rather than incision lines.

Do be aware that when using mesh, in some cases, adhesions can form on the mesh and cause problems.  I had to have open surgery AGAIN a couple of years after my hernia repair after suffering for over a year with intermittent, severe pain and nothing at all showing on CT scans.  When the surgeon opened me up, there were adhesions causing my intestine to "grow into" the mesh, and it took her several hours to release teh adhesions (and remove the mesh so it wouldn't happen again).

Lora

P.s. No, I didn't use a binder for anything except the panniculectomy (and it was pretty stretchy).  No need to with the mesh installed, and the one they gave me for my open RNY was more uncomfortable than it was helpful in terms of offering muscle support, so I didn't bother.

Some people feel more comfortable using one, though.