When did you go for your consult for skin removal?

My journey from 12/2010 to now has got me from 411 lbs to 234 lbs. Yeah!!! I want to get to 180 lbs. So another 54 lbs to go. My question is when did you go for your consult for skin removal? Thanks so much.

I went for my first consult at about 17 months postop.  I had been below goal for over 6 months at that point, and reached a place where I was actively trying to regain a little bit to hit my sweet spot.  I then spent the next year consulting with several surgeons, doing research on them and the surgeries I wanted, prioritizing the procedures in which to have first, saving money and working very hard to reach a strong level of fitness and stabilization with my vitamins/labs.  I had my LBL at almost 3 years postop.  I had been weight stable and at goal for 2 years (I got below goal in 11 months from my DS surgery).  I have since lost another 15lbs post LBL.  Some of it (about 4lbs) was skin.  Some was because I couldnt eat and was not hungry at all for the first month after LBL, and even now at 3 months out, my restriction is back.  However, most of the loss has been muscle atrophy due to extended complications preventing me from working out.  I started at 364 the day I had my daughter, lost to 279 on the day I had my DS, got down to 150, intentionally regained back to 175, and now Im siting at 160.  I am a 6' tall woman and my current BMI is 21.7.  

Thank you for responding and congrats on the loss and plastics.

I was 9 months out and roughly 30 pounds above my goal weight at my first consult. I got to goal at 14 months out and had my brachioplasty at 15 months out. My arms bugged the crap out of me. The rest I could hide with shapewear.  I waited until I was almost 3 years out to have my lbl/bl because I had to save up and I wanted to make sure I could maintain my weight before proceeding.

Great advice on the lbl/bl. I know, my arms REALLY BUG me too. They hang about 7 inches from where the bottom on my arm feels more snug and they make horrible noises when working out and sometimes even hurt. If you don't mind me asking and if you don't want to say that is fine, but how much did the skin removal cost on your arms?

I had my arms done in 2009 and back then they cost $3900. $10-15,000 seems to be the norm these days.

Thank you.

Keep in mind that combining procedures can save thousands of dollars. Just be sure to go to a surgeon who can combine procedures successfully!

Good advice. The one thing that scares me is that how do you know who to trust? Is there a website that ranks doctors? I am in the St. Louis Metropolitan area.

The best way is to Google the surgeon's name and you will find patient reviews. Also search for malpractice records and complaints. Ask the surgeon for references - patients that you can speak to whom have had the surgery that you are considering. But I think it is better to find these patients on your own, as the ones provided by the surgeon may only be for his/her happiest customers. Beware of sites that surgeon's pay to endorse them. 

Here is something that I posted earlier today...

1. You may want to get the book that my surgeon, Dr. Capella, and two other plastic surgeons wrote, Body Contouring Surgery after Weight Loss. It states that many of the surgical procedures performed on the massive weight loss patient are complex and labor-intensive, and that the wide spectrum of body contour deformities that can follow massive weight-loss often exceed the magnitude of what plastic surgeons have traditionally addressed. The book helped me to understand why weight-loss surgery (WLS) patients need to work with a surgeon who specializes in bariatric plastic surgery, as well as other important criteria to consider. I believe that you can get it on the Barnes & Noble site for a few dollars.

Also, Dr. Lomonaco, a plastic surgeon who is active on this forum and whom I respect as a surgeon but have not had any work done by, also wrote a book on bariatric plastic surgery. I have not read it but you may want to check it out.

2. Easy rapport with and access to the surgeon post-op is vital to your safety and well-being. What protocols does the plastic surgeon have in place to provide this much needed level of support? 

3. It is important that the surgeon have board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Also find out what hospital s/he has admitting privileges at. Better yet, have your surgery performed in the hospital rather than a surgical center - do you really want to be rushed by ambulance to a hospital to be transfused? If you do opt for a surgical center, make sure that they are accredited by AAAASF. Understand that the surgeon who performs in the hospital setting will have to meet the strict criteria of the hospital and is only allowed to perform specific procedures. That is not necessarily true in a surgical center.

4. Review the credentials and certifications of the rest of the surgical team, especially the anesthesiologist who will literally be breathing for you during your operAtion.

I say go for it! I am thrilled with my new body.