for people who had an abdomenplasty please

When I am at a weight that I am steady with and not losing,  I am thinking about getting an abdomenplasty done. I've lost 148 pounds and have some extra skin tat needs to go. But I wanted to ask questions.

 did you have to pay out of pocket? if so how much of it?  How long did you wait for surgery? Were you nervous? How was the morning of surgery for you? How long was the surgery? How bad was the pain? How long of a stay was it? Any special needs you were required to do after you were released?

An pretty much anything anything else you can add for me?

I had it in 2005 after losing 65 lbs from my husbands tragic fatal accident. I paid out of pocket. I paid 8K and 1K of that was for some additional lipo. 17 lbs of skin and fat was removed. The recovery was VERY painful!!! It was 3 weeks before I could straighten up, I had to walk all bent over. Pain was awful. I opted for out patient and hired a nurse to stay 2 nights in a hotel with me. After that a friend helped me. I had to wear the compression garment for a few months. Foolishly I gained 80 lbs in the last few years. The wt did not come back in my ab area but instead, everywhere else. FYI, after TT, your boobs will be VERY noticeable since you won't have any tummy. I don't think I will need anymore removed in that area after I reach my goal. Research a surgeon VERY WELL

I had my tt in 2006 at Yale in CT, using their residency program and it was the best 4k I ever spent.  My stomach is still perfectly flat and taunt seven years later.  I had my tt when I was 150lbs, they took off six, just skin, no lipo, I currently weigh 130lbs at 5'5.   I had it done in the hospital along with a neck lift, 10 hours under.  I came home that night and stayed alone.  No biggie, it was more swollen and pressure mixed with some pain, but as they say no pain no gain, and having a perfectly flat stomach is priceless.  Best money I ever spent.  Combined with my neck lift it was 8k total, and hen 3.5k for my arms in 2008.

So you lost 20 lbs. after your TT and your tummy is still tight? That's awesome! I'd like to get a TT (well, I'd like to get a full body lift but....money) but I'm afraid that I'll end up finally losing that last 20 lbs. after and then be all saggy again. I've been this same weight for the past year, so the chances of me losing that last 20 lbs. seems small, but I also don't want to put off plastics much longer. I'm 40--time to feel good about my body, dammit!

Usually, yes, you have to pay out of pocket for it.  Insurance will sometimes cover removal of just the excess skin below the navel, but that is a panniculectomy, and does not include muscle tightening or skin removal above the belly button.

If your abdominal muscles are not stretched out, though, you can just pay to have the excess skin removed on the entire abdomen without the muscle tightening and it is MUCH cheaper (and MUCH less painful).

Prices vary widely from one surgeon to another and from one city/region to another, but I paid $7500 for my tummy tuck.  I have had many (WAY too many!) surgeries, and this plastic surgeon had already done my arms, so I was not nervous. I have no idea how long the surgery was.  I stayed overnight at the hospital so they could keep me on morphine.  Other than sleeping in my LaZNou for a while because it hurt to lay flat in bed, I didn't have anything special once I was home.

The honest truth is that, other than possibly my open hernia repair surgery, this was the most painful surgery I have ever had (and I had open RNY, appendectomy and hysterectomy prior to the abdominoplasty)!  Even when I went back to work over a month later, I still had trouble walking upright without pain because the muscle was SO tight and so painful.  Not everyone experiences such intense or long lasting pain, though.

I also had a complication that is not especially common (the incision turned necrotic and I had a large hole in my belly that took 5 months to heal). Having to clean and pack the wound twice a day for 5 months was actually worse than the pain.

i don't look like someone who never had a weight problem (when I am naked), but I have a flat belly for the first time... Well, probably EVER)!

Lora

I paid for the procedure - no insurance coverage for it.  I had the circumferential body lift, so I'm not sure what the cost of the tummy tuck alone would have been.  Probably between $6-7 thousand.  I waited until I had been at a stable weight 6 months before scheduling the surgery.  It took 4-5 hours, but again, full body lift.  The surgery was at a surgical suite connected to my surgeon's practice.  They have a "recovery hotel" that you stay in overnight for the procedures that need an overnight stay.  I would strongly recommend at least one night - don't let them treat it like a day surgery.

Pain?  Pretty damned awful.  All connected to the muscle repair in the abdomen.  My muscles had been happily separated for decades and weren't particularly happy with being reunited.  Hunched over, spasming, back aching pain.  And please don't cough or sneeze!  The pain meds kept it down to tolerable, but it wasn't really comfortable for months.  And you'll swell.  Very uncomfortable.  The incision was a non-issue.  It was numb and healed up quickly.  You're sutured in various places under the skin and you'll feel internal tugging and some soreness, but nothing horrible.

Think of it like childbirth, only more drawn out.  I'm thrilled with the results, though.

Had it 3/14. Hurts like heck. 13,000 for body lift with TT, out of pocket. I lost 300 lbs and he removed 15 lbs of skin. I paid and had surgery 13 Days later. 9 Hr surgery was cheduled for 6.  23 Hr hospital stay, hurts like heck even still. Stitches weeping at belly button and small of back. Eating 80 to 90 in protein to help it heal. Friend stayed with me for a week to help me get up and down and in shower