Calling all Heavy weight tummy tuckers again

Hi, me again! I know I asked questions for people who were over 190 pounds and thanks for your responses.  My other questions are:

Do u think that the bulk of the weight in ur tummy was fat, skin, or bloating?

Are u still happy now a few weeks later?

Did your tummy get flat overall?

Did u have fat on ur back too?

Did u get lipo? Explain where and did u like results?

Did u lose a pants size?

thanks. Any info helps

Just want to make sure that you understand that there are different types of fat. Plastic surgery only treats the excess fat that is beneath the skin. It does not remove fat in the layers of the skin. It does not remove fat around the organs, which can be significant, and as I understand it is the most threat to your health. For instance, central obesity, or having a lot of fat in the abdomen, is a serious health threat. I asked my surgeon if the tummy tuck will reduce my health risks associated with central obesity and he said it would not. 

So, if you are large, you will probably still be thick after a tummy tuck. It is not a weight-loss procedure. I hope this helps!

That helps And thanks.  Although I'm asking lots of questions, it's not that I think it is a weight loss tool, it's just that I want all the opinions I can get from people who r my size. I have gotten 2 doctors who says that I'm not a good candidate for aggressive lipo and two whom says that I am. 2 are sure that I will have the shape I want around my mid section and be very pleased. The other 2 including dr. Sauceda says that I will be happy but he won't do lipo because of the way the fat is on my body. I don't know the medical terms and descriptions. I ruled out Mexico but his comment stuck with me.  When I put on pants, I feel like my back fat, big stomach, and butt sticks out like a tire all around above the waist. I know that I will not lose any more weight b4 tummy tuck because I have been settled here for quite someone time. I'm trying to get back to 180 but have been unsuccessful thus far. So that's why I am asking i guess the same questions in different ways so to speak.

I did not understand these things early on, especially the part about the intra abdominal fat. I can tell you that only 6lbs of fat/skin was removed from my TT but it caused me to go down a size in pants. The last time that I wore this size, I weighed 15lbs LESS than I do now. So at my current weight (I lost a few more lbs after the TT because my appetite diminished) I never would have fit into those pants if I had not had the TT. Even if the TT does not make a big difference on the scale, it does make a big difference in your clothes. So for me, how I look and the size I am wearing is more important than the numbers on the scale. Gone is the tire tube that was there under my breast bone when I sat down.

I like catching glimpses of myself in the mirror when I shower. I love that I look sexy in bikini panties. I hated my tummy and mons before. If I was not married to my husband who enjoyed my body as it was, but rather a single girl looking for a relationship, I do not think that I could have gotten naked in front of a man with my body the way that it looked. I was ashamed every time the plastic surgeon and physician’s assistant saw my body pre op... But I wasn’t ashamed of my body when I went back for my 1-week post op. I think I could have ran around the office and showed the entire staff my new body. Yes, I was that happy and I am even happier today. I cannot wait to see the before and after photos side by side at my 3-mos post op visit.

I had asked my surgeon to do some lipo on back fat that hung over the back of my pants a little. He said there was no fat there for him to suck out. I will have to ask him for clarification on that but I assume it is sagging flesh??? He did do some lipo right above my buttocks.

Doing aggressive lipo with a TT is often contra-indicated. Many surgeons believe it increases risks and should be done in a separate surgery. 

When I go back for my 3-mos post op, I am going to ask my surgeon what he can do to improve my back. I do not have large bulges but I do have some small ones that puff out by my bra and lower back. It may be that surgery cannot improve this. If so, I believe that exercise can help.

I have heard a few people say that PS told them they were too large for plastics. I met with 4 surgeons and never was told that. Are you looking exclusively at surgeons who specialize in WLS patients? That is important as we have special needs. Here is an article that I wrote about choosing a plastic surgeon after massive weight loss: http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/276918/161175/choosin g-plastic-bariatric?ap=831 I hope it is helpful. Bottom line is go with the PS whom you trust implicitly. Keep looking until you find that surgeon. Good luck!

I just took my measurements and weight this morning. You may find these results of interest:

Pre op
Bust 45
Waist 41, tummy 44, hips 44
Weight 198
Pants Size 14 tight, barely fit, was probably a 16

7 weeks post op
Bust 45
Waist 35, tummy 42, hips 41,5
Weight 184
Size 12 fit comfortably

6lbs of skin/fat removed during TT. Additional 8lbs lost so far. 10.5 inches lost so far!

I'm not gonna lie, I want to see those inches go down off my tummy (lower ab)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope it is just swelling. 

I would be more than happy to talk with you (rather than just write).
If you pm me your numbers and when best to call you, I'll call on my dime/shekel. In Israel we have real good phone and cell phone packages such that I don't mind.
We in Israel are seven hours later than NY and Boston.
Mikimi in Israel
[email protected]

I'm a bigger girl (212 lbs right now) and I'm getting a belt lipectomy tomorrow morning. The surgeon's only concern was that #1 I had lost over 100 pounds, and #2 that I had kept it off. I'm almost 5 years post op. I was 327 lb.s so I had a lot of weight to lose and was quite big. I don't expect to ever be a tiny littley 135 pounder. As the above poster pointed out, I can't wait to get the tube under my boobs gone (when I sit). Thing is, I have another tube just below it that goes all the way around. I'm not expecting to be Kate Upton. Just a better version of me.

I'll be happy to share my experience w/ everyone as I go along.

Hello, again! :)  I'll try my best to answer your questions based on my own personal experience.

Do u think that the bulk of the weight in ur tummy was fat, skin, or bloating?

It was a combo of fat and skin, I'm sure.

 

Are u still happy now a few weeks later?

Yes, I'm very happy with it.  It's been an adjustment, and a bit of a shock, to see such a "normal" form when I look in the mirror.  I think the part that thrills me more than anything is losing that overhang of fat and skin that used to cover my pubic area and sometimes get rashes.  I won't miss that, ever.... ever.   It's still so weird to look and the mirror from the waist down and be able to *see* that I'm a girl! Haha!

 

Did your tummy get flat overall?

How do you define a flat tummy?  I mean, I don't have any budges... it's nice and smooth.  But I'm about a size 14, so I'm not small.  And I certain don't have a six-pack, or a concave tummy like much smaller women might have after this procedure.  But... I'm cool with that!   I'm flatter than I ever could haven been without this surgery.  Like I said, losing that droopy panni was worth every dollar and every bit of pain.   It really made a difference in my life to get that thing cut off!

 

Did u have fat on ur back too?

No, not really.  I didn't have much back fat before surgery either, and now my sides/back are pulled even tighter with my anchor cut tt.  It's pretty smooth back there.

 

Did u get lipo? Explain where and did u like results?

I didn't have any lipo.  I had lipo in my arms when I did an arm lift, and WOW I can still feel the pain from that!  To me, lipo is a pretty painful procedure.  More painful than my tt in my experience.  My arms look great, though.  So does my neck - although I do have a little turkey waddle, but I don't care.

 

Did u lose a pants size?

Yes, but it's hard to say how many pants sizes, exactly.  I wore a range of sizes before and I'll wear a range of sizes now.  I'd say I lost 1-2 full clothing sizes, at the least.   I also went from plus sizes to fitting into a lot of regular sizes.   They took off 8 pounds of fat/skin with the tummy tuck for me, by the way...

 

I hope that helps!  I'm so glad I did the tt.  It was really one of the best gifts (aside from my sleeve) that I have ever given myself.  I'm looking forward to the best summer EVER.  ;)  I actually look pretty good in a swim suit for the first time since...  well, EVER! Haha!  (Just never mind my jiggly thighs, please. LOL!)

 

 

PS considered me a bigger patient.  I was 205lbs when I had my TT and breast lift 3 weeks ago.  He works primarily with WLS patients and stated because I was heavier to start with, the healing process may take longer than others with lower body fat because it takes longer for the nerve endings to reconnect thought the fat tot the skin again.  He did not do any anchor cut and did light lipo on the hips for contouring.  I am not sore at all on my hips.  I don't believe I had much back fat but my PS did cut from thr breast bone to a few inches behind my armpit to help with the breast lift.  Altogether 6lbs of skin was taken off.  I am still swollen in the abdominal region when I turn side ways it is thick but not lumpy anymore and I can see my lady parts once again.  So far very pleased.  Have yet to put on real pants so I have no idea if I am a size down or not, the binder is kinda thick so I've been wearing sweats and yoga pants.