Tummy Tuck

[mla2177]

Ok, I had recently started the thread about breast aumentation, and am now having second thoughts. The other thing I had looked at was my disgusting stomach (it looks like freddy kruger's face). Has anyone had this done? Can anyone give me some info on recovery or if you think it was worth it?

 

[Frye7127]

yes, I had it done. It was a very private and personal issue with me and I didn't tell anybody except for family and then I didn't even go into big detail. I had kidney surgery back in the early 70s and had a scar from hip bone to hip bone that I hated and was very self conscious about. Even at my skinny-skinniest, it was never flat. In my 30s, I had my first child by c-section that my doctor used my existing scar as the incision site and after a difficult labor and delivery, used the time afterwards to remove a lot of scar tissue from the area before he sewed me up. After I had my child, all of the muscles ripped from by breasts on down and then there was absolutely no tone. I could not do sit ups or anything, plus there was a huge pulling sensation I am assuming from where my OB took out scar tissue and it was not well supported.

It was not a choice made easily and I did a lot of soul searching before I did it. I am happy with the results. I am flat, but not skinny skinny. I am thick, as usual! I visited many doctors and made the best choice for me. My doctor and staff were unbelievably supportive and understanding. They never made me feel self-conscious and were as happy for me as I was when it was over. The recovery, if you have a full abdominoplasty, is long. You will have mood swings which I was made aware of by the staff. Five years later, my muscles are still strong and i am still thrilled with it. Make sure you are doing it for you, as usual. And, find a good doctor with whom you feel comfortable with and is board-certified.

 

[mla2177]

yes, I had it done. It was a very private and personal issue with me and I didn't tell anybody except for family and then I didn't even go into big detail. I had kidney surgery back in the early 70s and had a scar from hip bone to hip bone that I hated and was very self conscious about. Even at my skinny-skinniest, it was never flat. In my 30s, I had my first child by c-section that my doctor used my existing scar as the incision site and after a difficult labor and delivery, used the time afterwards to remove a lot of scar tissue from the area before he sewed me up. After I had my child, all of the muscles ripped from by breasts on down and then there was absolutely no tone. I could not do sit ups or anything, plus there was a huge pulling sensation I am assuming from where my OB took out scar tissue and it was not well supported.

It was not a choice made easily and I did a lot of soul searching before I did it. I am happy with the results. I am flat, but not skinny skinny. I am thick, as usual! I visited many doctors and made the best choice for me. My doctor and staff were unbelievably supportive and understanding. They never made me feel self-conscious and were as happy for me as I was when it was over. The recovery, if you have a full abdominoplasty, is long. You will have mood swings which I was made aware of by the staff. Five years later, my muscles are still strong and i am still thrilled with it. Make sure you are doing it for you, as usual. And, find a good doctor with whom you feel comfortable with and is board-certified.

How did the surgery compare to a C-section? I've had two of those.

 

[AnnaS]

I would love to do this. I had three C-sections - need I say more.

I am too afraid though, not so much for the pain - but there are always risks involved with surgery and not sure I have the nerve or hate it that much to do it.

If you told me I would come out of it 100% and the pain is similar to a C-section (not that it was not painful, it was very painful) - I would do it.

 

[MushyMushy]

Thanks for asking about this. I had two c-sections, and the first doctor did a vertical incision that didn't heal properly. The second doctor tried to fix what the first doctor did, but then THAT one healed funky too. As long as I'm fat, my stomach is smooth. But as soon as I start to lose weight, I look like I have a butt in the front. To be honest, I'd rather be fat than have a butt on my front. It's that ugly to me!

But the more I'm reading about tummy tucks, the more I think it would be an option if I did lose the weight.

 

[Frye7127]

A c-section was nothing to a full abdominoplasty. I didn't really miss a beat with a c-section and my incision was from hip to hip. I didn't really have pain per se with the abdominoplasty, it was just a lot of emotional and psychological stuff to deal with, plus the recovery period was so long there for a while I was asking myself what I had gotten into. But, after that first pilates class, I was thankful!!!!!

I will try to think of things they don't tell you that you might want to know and come back with those.

 

[Frye7127]

I would love to do this. I had three C-sections - need I say more.

I am too afraid though, not so much for the pain - but there are always risks involved with surgery and not sure I have the nerve or hate it that much to do it.

If you told me I would come out of it 100% and the pain is similar to a C-section (not that it was painful because it was bad) - I would do it.

I struggled with this too. For the whole month before, I cried my eyes out everyday. When they were waking me up, I just thanked them and thanked them that they brought me through with no problems. They thought that was funny - but I was serious.

Another thing is to make sure your spouse is way supportive and willing to do the care of the incision which is a sight and to be able to drain your tubes without getting squeamish. My husband was an excellent caregiver and was very supportive and helpful during this whole process. I truly don't think I could have done it without him.

 

[crz4mm2]

HOw long is the recovery time?

 

[Frye7127]

A good six to eight weeks, give or take. You are deconditioned after such insult to your body and it takes a while to build your stamina back up. Your body will not be 100% until about 9-12 months. This is for a full tummy tuck. Minis obviously would not take as long since you are not having full muscle repair

 

[crz4mm2]

A good six to eight weeks, give or take. You are deconditioned after such insult to your body and it takes a while to build your stamina back up. Your body will not be 100% until about 9-12 months. This is for a full tummy tuck. Minis obviously would not take as long since you are not having full muscle repair

Probably lets me out. No way can I get 6-8 weeks off.....

 

[SereneOne]

I wondered about this too. I have both horizontal and vertical c-section scars, fourteen years apart and the vertical one was a scar reopened from surgery to remove my right tube and ovary from a blood cyst that diseased them and removal of said cyst when I was sixteen. I then gained quite a bit of weight after my twins. I am losing weight now and exercising, but my tummy is just ICK!

 

[mom2rb]

I had twins with a C-section, so my stomach looks bad. I made a deal with DH. I have lost 20 pounds with 40 left to go. If I lose it and keep it off for a year I get a tummy tuck and a breast lift.

 

[jama]

I had a tummy tuck with my hysterectomy a couple years ago. This was the first abdominal surgery I ever had and I was very scared of the pain....but it was not that bad. The worst part was I went home with two drains and the site of the drains hurt. Just don't have unrealistic expectations..it took away the 3 children sagging roll, but I am still "thick" and especially above the waist where he couldn't do anything..so I am still..well..thick.
I think after abdominal surgery they always say 6-8 weeks...but you will really start to feel better after 3-4 weeks and can drive.

 

[DonaldDuckFamily]

I also had a full tummy tuck (with my girdle muscles sewn back together) in August 2006. I had 3 C sections all vertical cuts so it looked like I had a butt in front. Hated it. My recovery was very quick. I was up and walking around the next day, within a week I was able to take short 20-30 minute walks around the neighborhood and after 2 weeks I was back on the eliptical. I was back to work after a week, even with the drainage tube still in. I think recovery time for each person is different but 6-8 seems extremely long to me. I was back to my old workouts by then except for abdominal exercises .

I am so glad I made the decision to have the surgery and when people ask me about it I encourage them if they are thinking about it. When I went in for my consultation the surgeon told me recovery time is basically the same as after having a C section so if you recovered quickly after a C section it is a good predictor of your recovery after a tummy tuck. Best of luck with your decision.

 

[MushyMushy]

What's the deal with a drainage tube? And why wouldn't you need that with a c-section?

 

[TinkerbEllnor]

I've had 2 C sections and 1 full tummy tuck. Big babies resulted in an apron of loose skin hanging over Csection scar and drooping out the leg holes of my bathing suit and a 4 inch separation in my abdominal muscles.

To be honest, I thought the Csections were a little harder recovery than the tummy tuck. The C section cuts through multiple layers of your body that all need to heal. The tummy tuck cuts your skin layer only and suturing of abdominal muscles back together if needed. Plus, there were lots of other factors in the Csection recovery (new baby, no sleep, hormones, etc) that probably made it seem worse The incision didn't really hurt at all, and the abdominal muscles felt like I had been through the worst abs of steel workout of my life- sore, but don't hurt if you don't move.

Mine was positive, but everyone has different experiences.

Here was mine:
I had my tummy tuck outpatient on a Friday. Went in around 6:30am and was home again around 1pm with an abdominal binder in place, a drain to each hip, and a prescription for Vicodin.
Spent the rest of the day in bed with the Vicodin. I did get up that evening to the table for dinner, but was not able to sit up straight. I had to lean back against the chair. It was about 3 days before I was able to stand up straight and not walk like a hunched over little old lady. I was off all pain meds by the end of the 3rd day too. Sleeping sucked for the first few days.
On Tuesday, I had follow up appointment. Drains were removed that day. This was the worst part of the whole recovery, imo. It hurt to have them taken out, but was over quick and a relief once they were out. (Stick a piece of duct tape to your groin and pull it off fast if you want a practice run - just what it felt like) I got to see the results for the first time then and was cleared to drive and shower. I felt 'normal' for the first time on the way home from that appointment. 10 days after surgery had another follow up to remove sutures and cleared to lift 20 lbs occasionally. Wore the abdominal binder for about 6-8 weeks, off only to shower.

It is now a year and a half since I had it done. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Tips
*Bring a bathing suit to the presurgery consult with the purple pen. The incision goes from hip to hip, but they can curve it up or down depending on the cut of suit you generally wear so your scar will be hidden.
*If you have small kids, get some 24 hr help for the first week. I had a 15 month old at the time so I wasn't able to lift her in/out of the crib or carseat.
*Bring a camera to the surgery and ask surgeon to take a photo before they put the binder in place. You won't see the results until the first follow up appointment and looking at that picture will help when you are in those first few hunched over pain days post op when you are wondering what you got yourself into. If you are brave, take some "before" pics too.
*Don't expect a magic transformation. Yes, you will look better. But I was surprised to find that I did not lose a pants size. When it was all over, I was exactly the same weight, I don't know how that happened because I lost a few pounds of skin during the surgery. Clothes fit better, but no new wardrobe was needed (I was looking forward to the excuse to go shopping).
*Check out a tummy tuck forum. I used Make Me Heal. http://messageboards.makemeheal.com/viewforum.php?f=8&sid=4faf85e45fb40e6b449c86cfad4dc8e2

Sorry for the long post. Hope it helps.
Good luck

 

[mla2177]

What's the deal with a drainage tube? And why wouldn't you need that with a c-section?

I'd like to know this also!!!!

 

[jama]

The drainage tubes were after tummy tuck surgery..not c-sections.

 

[Frye7127]

Lucky me had the tubes in for over a week and still got seromas that had to be drained every day for a few days. That was most definitely the worst part of the surgery. I also had a little lung problem where something was not expanding as it should and had to take some deep coughs several times a day which is not fun with that type of incision and shivers that wracked my whole body two weeks into the whole thing that went on for half an hour after showering that I could not control no matter how warm I was. I don't remember what the cause of that was. Don't regret it, but it is definitely not something to go into starry eyed. I have a friend who went in for a tummy tuck and breast augmentation to die with blood clots two days later. She left behind two small children who thought she was perfect the way she was and are still looking for ways to cope with the loss of their beloved mother. My sister-in-law floated through it, mine had a few setbacks that at the time made it feel like a long, long road, and my friend died with hers. Everybody is different.

I will say my doctor advised me of no big physical activity for the first 4 - 6 weeks and no abdominal work for a long time after that (can't remember exactly what it was)