I actually did do that a few months ago - his quote was surprisingly good - but then I decided I really didn't want to be away from home that long. But I'll look it over again - it's definitely worth the trip down there if I decide to do that. Thanks!

Thanks for the update on your consults. I agree, each doctor has their own ideas and it is hard to figure out what will work best for you.

My second consult said that he'd like to do a FDL while the first one says that he thinks he can do a good job with just the lower incision. Neither of them wanted to do the butt portion with the front portion because they said that it pulls on the body in opposite directions at once. But some very good surgeons do LBLs and people do well with them.

Do you have more consults to break the tie?

Hi everyone!

I'm 6 weeks post op LBL with autologous fat transfer.

Things are going really well. I notice that I don't think about being so careful when I sit/stand/get into the car. My buttocks is feeling more normal and not like there is a huge foreign something stuck behind me.

Still have numbness on my sides/butt but I think it's getting better.

Still itchy but benedryl seems to work before bed.

Still have my stubborn opening that the surgeon has treated with silver. At my follow up with him this week he removed the dressing and said it was healing really well. I didn't agree. It looked open and sorta deep still. Anyway, he removed a stitch that was about 6 inches long. I almost passed out just from seeing him yank it out. I was watching and he gently dug it out and it was a little loop then he pulled some more and one end snapped (I felt the snap inside) then he pulled it out and continued pulling. It was weird to see it but not feel it. Then he cut it off and it retracted back under my skin.

I go for a follow up next week to make sure it's healing.

I've been trying on bathing suits and to my surprise I feel and look better in a 2 piece - WHAT!?!?! I've literally never worn a bikini in my entire life. My torso looks so short now because I'm used to having a belly flap hang down quite low which created the illusion that my torso was longer than it was. What a journey!

Thanks for reading. Hope you are enjoying your journey as much as I am :)

so I had my second consult in Chicago today. Both surgeons do a truckload of these surgeries (but neither specializes in it).

Surgeon B is better known and has been at it a bit longer. He wants to do a traditional LBL. His quote was $20K. Pricey. I know people have said to count on $8000-$8500 per procedure, with an LBL counting as two procedures. So $16K - $17K would be "normal". BUT....i could recuperate at home, and there wouldn't be air travel involved, so that does offset at least some of the difference.

Surgeon A is also well-regarded, but again, not as well-known and hasn't had as many years in. He wants to do a FDL tummy tuck and do a bra-line backlift instead of doing the lift at hips (he said I have more of an issue with my back than I do my hips - and the backlift would give me a slight lift at the hips as well, which is all I'd need there - if that). His quote was $18K, which given that it was a FDL tummy tuck rather than a traditional one, that probably isn't a bad price, since FDLs are more expensive.

Surgeon B said if I'd probably be fine with a traditional TT, but if I decide I later want a FDL, he could do that. I was told that would be about $10K (because of all the anesthesia, etc, I'd have to go through again).

But Surgeon A said if I wasn't happy with the amount of lift I got from the bra-line backlift, he could later send me back to surgery again and lift from just above the hips as well. I didn't ask, but I'm assuming that would also be an extra $10K-ish. So we're kind of talking six of one/half dozen of the other.

I like the FDL idea. I'm not sure what I think of the bra-line backlift idea. In other words, I like the TT one surgeon would do, but I like the lifting from the hips that the other surgeon would do.

ARRRRGGGH! Why can't these people all be on the same page?? I hate these kinds of decisions!

Dr Sauceda is coming to Las Vegas! Aug 3rd & 4th. I'm starting to set appointments for consults.

Send me a PM with your name, address, phone, email and if you are planning on attending the Friday night patient reunion dinner (hopefully Famous Dave's BBQ).

Consults will be at WorldMarkTheClub in my condo. The address is 8601 S Las Vegas Blvd. It's about 4 miles south of the strip.

There should be several postops there for you to check out "Body by Sauceda", with the different surgeries.

Chris