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Sometimes the surgeons exercise caution with skin removal because of the amount of blood loss that occurs during the surgery. To my understanding, revisions are not uncommon in the leg and theighs. Sounds like you are overall satisfied and things will work out well. Remain positive and look forward to and envision the results you desire.
You posted this on the plastic surgery forum so does that mean you are considering plastic surgery? Mentally the excess skin messed me up. I had to have plastic surgery to feel better and find inner peace.
Some people come to peace with their excess skin without surgery, others have to have their excess skin removed, I was a combination of both- I fixed the parts that I hated the most (breasts, abdomen, arms) and made peace with the rest (legs, face, neck). I love my body now. When I am older I will probably have a facelift, but I probably would have done that with or without weight loss surgery.
Laura in Texas
53 years old; 5'7" tall; HW: 339 (BMI=53); GW: 140 CW: 170 (BMI=27)
RNY: 09-17-08 Dr. Garth Davis
brachioplasty: 12-18-09 Dr. Wainwright; lbl/bl: 06-28-11 Dr. LoMonaco
"May your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears."
they usually do consider it cosmetic (although some surgeons would argue that it's reconstructive). That said, your timing really doesn't matter since most places consider it cosmetic regardless of when you have it.
RNY 06/03/15 by Michael Garren (Madison, WI)
HW: 373 SW: 316 GW: 150 LW: 138 CW: 163
I had gastric bypass in 2004. I never looked into plastic surgery but my inner thighs and lower abdomen are a nightmare.
2 questions. Would this be considered cosmetic? Or would this be considered something other than cosmetic because it's a result of weight loss surgery? And if there is a chance that it would be anything other than cosmetic, have I waited too long? Is there a time frame to have plastic surgery after Gastric Bypass before they do consider it cosmetic?
I can definitely relate. My arms and legs bother me but I know it's mostly my thinking and perspective, as opposed to any notice by others. I still haven't worn shorts (go figure, as a bathing suit doesn't bother me at all . . .guess my love of going into the water far outweighs any stinky body image thoughts). I even have taken to only buying 3/4 sleeves (including scrubs for work).
Yes, I'd like to get my arms and legs done but have decided against it. At 60, I'm still relatively cute and I feel GREAT! For my height, I "should" weigh less but it takes a toll on my face and more stuff is loose and hanging. Sooooooooooo, I just thank the heavens that I had a vsg, I'm feeling great and I try celebrating the crepey skin (because once it was filled with ucky fat). I'm also seriously thinking of getting partial tattoo sleeve . . . . 
Age: 60 | Height: 5'3.5 | Surgery Date: 07/24/15 | Starting Weight: 292 | Surgery Weight: 267 | Goal Weight:150 | Current Weight: 149 | WL so far: 143 lbs
Hi everybody!! I had WLS June of 2011. I have been SO satisfied with my life and body and being able to do the things Ive always loved, but more comfortably and freely. Lately I have become more concerned with my appearance. And I dont like it. And its uncomfortable. Its like that bible verse about the person that goes away from the mirror and immediately forgets what they look like. I can see myself, but I think that I am losing healthy body-perspective. I am working out regularly, staying mostly to a low carb way of eating, and still grateful and relieved for the increased freedom that my VSG has given me. I really like the way my clothes fit, I love all of the clothing combinations that I can create, and can purchase now and not break the bank, but lately I have been genuinely surprised that my pants are fitting, or I will literally look in the mirror in wonder at the person staring back at me...its like there is some residual pre-WLS notch in my brain that still hasnt truly accepted where I am. And it seems to be growing.
I am extremely sensitive and aware of exposed parts of my body - my arms especially. It is way too hot to be outside in long sleeves, so I will wear tanks and short sleeves, but I am extremely uncomfortable with the way that my skin pools to the front of my arms when I bend down to pick up something in a tank top or short sleeves, and I am hyper-aware of the way that peoples eyes gravitate to my arms when they are talking to me, even when I am not bending down, or even moving my arms much. If I drop something I will hold some object in front of me, like a piece of paper or anything, so that the arm that I am not using to pick up the object can't be seen. I will hold my arms really close to my body when reaching for things so that the skin doesnt swing, which still causes peoples eyes to gravitate to my arms. If I have to reach for something, I have this super weird and super obvious way of doing it, holding my arms super close to my body as much as possible while reaching for it...it reminds me of a tyrannosaurus. When I am inside at work I don a cardigan, long sleeved shirt or wear 3/4 sleeves, no matter what. It is the only way that I can not obsess about what my arms are doing. Bottom line is that Ive developed weird habits that I feel are better than my batwings swinging freely as I perform some activity. It all adds to the discomfort.
I can honeslty & freely say that I dont resent it, but it definitely causes some unhappinees. Granted, this unhappiness is nowhere near what I felt when I was morbidly obese, still, having dealt with 'background' unhappiness before, it can be very unhealthy for me, and compound, and lead to full on depression. I know that I will have to do something about this, one way or another. Because of WLS and a rotator cuff repair, I know that my body scars easily, and I have accepted that it is simply the way that my body heals and there is nothing that I can do about it. But I can do something about this extra skin and fat.
Does anyone else feel like this right now? What do you tell yourself to get through it?
HW: 351 SW: 344.5 5'10" 
I had my arms done about 12 years ago, when I was about 51. I had no real problems with them except how swollen and tight my arms felt in the beginning. The incisions were no problems, but they were fairly prominent and strangers would make comments ("It's really none of your business, but I had surgery"). After a while they faded pretty well and now I wear sleeveless all the time. HOWEVER, I am now turning 64 and I've lost at least 30 lbs. since. I've also gained 12+ years and I have normal senior citizen arms. They move, they hang a little bit. i have no problem with that. I remember Bette Midler, maybe 10 years ago, in one of her shows, held up her bare arm, shook her hanging little bat wings with her other hand and said, "How old would you say this woman is?" in that Sophie Tucker voice. It was hilarious and made me less hung up on the normal aging process that has nothing to do with obesity.
Breast implants can be tricky and for me it has meant fixes until them are right and stay where they belong -- that is in my immediate future after my replacement of one in July which is moving around. Annoying, but it is not a big deal surgically. But when I first had the implants put in in 2012, it took 4 surgeries to get them to stay put (finally putting in an internal bra). In your 50s, you have plenty of time left to enjoy your body -- they just have to take some extra steps and it might be a bit more challenging. But in the end it eventually gets taken care of for most people.
Thank you for your story. I now understand what vets have posted about wearing a t-shirt under your compression gear.
Adding t-shirts to the shopping list. Excited but.....
Fiesty,
Thank you for your story.
I too am 50+ and finally decided to have surgery on my arms & a lift. I will definitely ask about my skin elasticity pertaining to this surgery. You said you had batwings but are ok with your arms now?
I'll look at your previous postings and also those of the "banging hot body of a 54" vet *****plied to your post. It never entered my mind about the "age" of my skin, just the thought of having implants removed when I'm in my 60's 
donnaloza · 1 replies · 394 views
