question about panni removal

was it worth going though the pain i have about 25 to 30 pounds of skin in the panni area and im wondering if i want to go through the pain and recovery of it? How long was the recovery? what should i expect?

I don't want to scare you, but this was my experience. I was scheduled to have an entire lower body lift, but ended up only having the tummy tuck, then doing the thigh lift a year later. Tummy wasn't nearly as bad as the thigh lift, but it was still very painful. This said, I think I was out of work for about 6 weeks and on pain meds for a lot of this time, before going to Tylenol. I did have some complications, I had internal bleeding and had to be rushed to emergency for a blood transfusion and to repair my hematoma. I have had 1 revision to remove some of the scar tissue that died due to this, and I will need another one to try to remove the rest and fix my belly button. With all of this said, I would do it again, because I personally can live with the scars easier than I can live with the loose skin. My tummy is flat as a pancake and hoping they can revise enough to remove my existing 2-3 inch scar.

Keep in mind that a tummy tuck whi*****ludes muscle tightening is very different in terms of pain and recovery than just a panniculectomy to remove skin from below the belly button.  There is FAR less pain when there is no muscle involved!

Sorry to hear about your necrosis.  My entire tummy tuck incision turned necrotic and it took 5 months for the gaping hole in my belly to heal up.  It was disgusting and depressing as hell to have to clean and pack that twice a day.  (I needed a wound vac, but by the time we could arrange it, i was already passed the worst part of it.)

Lora

wow that sounds scary i know alot of people had complications from RNY but i had a great quick recovery makes me wonder if i want to have the skin removed

Actually, not a lot of people have complications from RNY.  It's a pretty safe surgery.

I just wanted to mention, it is pretty unlikely you have 25 to 30 pounds of excess skin on your entire body, let alone on your stomach alone.  Most people that have the pannus removed, even when it's medically necessary, end up with fewer than ten pounds removed.  what looks like a lot of skin does not end up weighing that much.

It might currently be 20+ pounds because according to her ticker she still needs to lose 90 pounds.

I only had 1-2 lbs of skin. It was worth for me.  Recovery was longer but I am so glad I had it done.  With 20+ lbs - I would not hesitate, but make sure you use good doc. 

If you still have 90 pounds to lose, you still have a lot of fat attached to that extra skin, and unless it is significntly imoacting your mobiliyt, you should wait until you have lost almost all the weight to consider getting the skin removed.  (I have seen what it looks like when people get a panniculectomy while still overweight, and the result is about what you would expect... I looks like someone just lipped off a bunch of fat.)  

Skin and the underlying layer of tissue without any fat actually weighs very little.  I carried most of my weight in my belly, and my panni hung down over the tops of my thighs so was pretty large, but had very little residual fat and was only 6 pounds.

if all you are talking about is the skin removal rather than a tummy tuck with muscle tightening (insurance usually covers the former, and only occasionally covers the latter without a hernia or something else), the recovery is MUCH easier and the pain is MUCH less.  I had my panni done (covered by insurance) and then later paid for a tummy tuck and skin removal from above my waist.  The panniculectomy pain was fairly minimal after the first 3 or 4 days (what hurt were the endpoints on my hips where the skin gets pulled a bit as you stretch and twist).  The tummy tuck, on the other hand, ties with my open hernia repair as the most painful surgery I have ever had (and I haven't unfortunately, had many)!  When I went back to work after 6 weeks, I was still having trouble walking upright because of tightness and pain!

With a large pannus (and a lot of sagging and reidula fat in the mons area), though, it would have been worth almost ANY amount of pain for me to be able to wear regular pants and shirts and not have to hide the extra skin.  That is truly priceless for me!  I still felt fat and freakish with all that extra skin even Pugh I had lost 175 of my eventual 190 pounds at that point!

 

Lora

 

Hi - I had the panni done on 12/18/13 and I had very minimal pain.  I had the anchor cut and 9 pounds of skin removed.  I was back to work in 1 week.  I had a wound vac because of being diabetic and I healed quite fast per the Doctor.  I want to lose another 10 to 15 pounds and the Dr. said that was fine.  She said if I wanted to lose more than 25 pounds I should wait to get closer to my goal before the panni.  I would do it all over again!!   debbie

I suggest  you post your question on the Plastic Surgery board.

My plastic surgeon wanted me at goal weight for one year before plastics.  I had a fleur de lis abdominal procedure and it did include muscle tightening.  It was very painful and I, too, had complications with a large open wound that took months to heal.  That was almost 3 years ago and my tummy is so tight that any amount of bloating or gas causes me discomfort.  I'm not sorry that I had the procedure, but it was difficult.

As you have already heard - a panni only involves removing skin and doesn't have as many complications - usually.  You might be dissapointed if you would have the procedure and then lose the 90 pounds - then you would have another panni.  I don't know your situation so I can't say.  Plastic surgeon consult - I would have at least 2 - and get their opinion.

Best wishes, Penny