Hi there - I'm hoping that there are some moms out there and possibly some Dr. / Nurse moms who have experience with this question...
I will be having a breast reduction and at the same time would like to have some work done on my stomach area. My (embarrassing) situation is that I gained a lot of weight, then got pregnant with multiples and my skin in my stomach stretched to the point that I now have excess skin down there (I believe the term for this is an apron). I'm planning on losing more weight (to be at my optimal wgt. for the surgery to be effective) and am assuming that I will get even more loose skin down there.
Now to the question - If I can get back to a healthy weight ( I like to exercise and was in very decent shape several years ago) will I need a tummy tuck or will I just need to have the excess skin removed? After my C section my Dr. did what he calls a "mini tummy tuck" meaning he sews his patients up similar to how a Dr. who is performing a tummy tuck sews his/her patients up.
Has anyone had experience with losing a lot of weight and having an 'apron'? Does this condition typically lend itself to a total tummy tuck or just skin removal? Is skin removal a significantly shorter less painful recovery process than a tummy tuck? I'm trying to minimize my recovery time b/c I'll be having a reduction too and I've heard tummy tucks are VERY painful.
Thank you for any insight you can offer me. ALSO - I have 2 Dr's that I'm going to consult with but can anyone recommend another great Plastic Surgeon in the MInn. MN area? Thank you!
All I can tell you is if you do lose the weight your insurance will likely cover the skin removal of the apron and the breast reduction. Check it out so you don't end up over paying:) Good luck
I know when my sisters in law had their breast surgeries after they were done having babies, they were in a significant amount of pain. I am not sure if it's better to get both surgeries done at once and get it all over with or split the two. I would definately want to line up family and/or friends to help out with the kiddos after the surgery, probably for at least a week, and maybe do a lot of cooking and stuff beforehand so that you dont have to worry about cooking, just getting better. I remember on Jon and Kate plus 8 when she had a bunch of skin removed, maybe you could watch that and get an idea of what will happen.
I can not speak on the tummy tuck, but have heard it is a hard recovery, so talk with the doctors and get all the info. I have had a bilateral breast reduction, and can tell you the recovery is minimal. You just have to remember not to lift anything to be sure you do not split your stitches. The pain was minimal and manged easily without the need for prescription pain killers.
I'm not sure if I can help you;however, I do have experience in the weight gain and losing department. After my 4th baby, I lost 95 lbs and became an avid weight trainer and exerciser. I'm often referred to as an athlete. I gained an enormous amount of weight with my 2nd and 4th babies. After losing all that weight I had a fat/pinch test done at the gym. They had a difficult time pinching my fat because they said it was mostly skin. I've also had two abdominal surgeries which makes my tummy look absolutley disgusting without clothes.
If you saw the John & Kate episode where Kate shows her belly and has a tummy tuck, you can imagine my tummy. My 6 year old daughter said "mommy, that's what your tummy looks like."
I recently had our 5th baby and I still have about 30 lbs to lose - AGAIN! My husband and have talked about the surgery thing and if you've lost over 100 lbs and you have this left over tummy then most insurance companies will pay for a "panini" surgery. Not sure if I spelled it correctly. Often women will get this surgery and then have the breast reduction at the same time. I recently turned 40 and I'm breastfeeding. I plan to get all my weight off and continue working out, then when I'm 45, I'm going to look into having this same surgery done. I know that over time your skin will go back into place and my tummy looked it's worse in the initial stage of weight loss and then it did get better; although, you'd still never catch me in a bikini.
Congratulations on the weight loss. I know from experience, it's not easy! Keep going!
You'll have to have a tummy tuck because it's not just the skin it's your ab muscles they need to move back.
I had gastric bypass surgery and now have a "apron". I was told before I even had the surgery that unless I was having medical problems that our insurance company probably would not cover a tummy tuck. By medical condition I mean rashes in the folds of the skin under the apron. Now every time I get a rash I go to the doctor so I can have them document it and with enough documentation hopefully get them to cover it.......Good luck.....let us know what your doctor says and I'd call you insurance company and ask what they would cover......
My mother had breast cancer and lost half of her breast, plus she has lymphodemia caused by it as well.
Twice now she's had these surgeries. She is having problems with infection so they have had to "redo" them now. She just got hers done.
She has a scar that goes from hip to hip that is slightly above her pelvic bone. It looks horrid. She had to have her belly button resewn on and that looks pretty good but has a scar all around the exterior of the belly button or rather where it was resewn on.
Her breast even though she now has one again it doesn't look exactly like the other breast. I can tell she has a slit on her side and one below it.
Now I don't know if you'd need the slit on the side of your breast because she was getting a breast restruction I guess it's similar to a breast augmentation is what they did so I'm guessing.
But she was in the hospital for 4 days. They made her start walking 12 hours after the surgery was done. That wasn't pleasant but I can guarentee that will happen to you to prevent clots. She wore compression garments after that and couldn't pick anything up that weighed more than 10 pounds. I think that stipulation lasts a month. She was in a considerable amount of pain for pry a week and a half and didn't want to move so we had to motivate her.
But just be warned it is alot of work and you won't be able to take care of anyone but yourself. I was going to do it as well and now that I've seen my mother my huge apron can stay and I'll still wear compression garments unless i get problems from it like the infection below it.
