I would like to hear about the post op pain, (if you had a pain pump)how bad compared to labor or some other thing it can be compared to, how long it was really bad, was it worth it to you?
Okay, first of all I really want to thank everyone who responded to my question. Now here is what happened. I researched this procedure for 2 years before chosing the BEST Dr and surgical team EVER: Dr. Christopher Verbin in Torrance Calif. He made sure that I had all of my post op prescriptions ahead of time. EVERYONE at his office including him gave me as much time by phone or in person as I needed, and let me tell you it was often and a lot without ever showing any sign of frustration or rushing me. When the day came, they had me take 2 muscle relaxers before coming in. I was seated in a comfortable arm chair and covered with a soft blanket. The IV was expertly put in place. (BY the way, the anesthesiologist called the night before and spent at least an hour with me explaining things and answering questions). I was given something wonderful that relaxed me completley. The Dr came in and marked me all up. They say that I then walked into the surgical suite, but I don't remember. Because the Dr. put copious amounts of long acting anesthetic in before cutting, all areas he worked on as he went and more everywhere before closing, plus installed a pain pump that sent a continuous infusion of local anesthetic right into all areas affected, with a button I could push for extra every hour, I woke up (5 hours after surgery) in absolutley NO PAIN. I walked out to the car and rode home sitting normally. (The 'BENT' position is for our own comfort and can be weaned off at our own bodies timing). I was fine ( I had a cathater the first 2 days for my own comfort since they give A LOT of I,V fluid during surgery and don't want you to have to get up to pee every five minutes. BY the time it fell out the second day it was no problem. The pain pump came out on Tuesday, and yes I miss it but any longer is risking infection. My belly looks AWESOME, my butt looks great (I had the fat from my belly put into my flat butt, its called fat grafting). Not really any pain from that. Get the drain out tomorrow. All in all it has been a good experience and I am in love with the entire staff at Dr Verbin's office. If you ever plan any plastic surgery, go to him, whatever it takes. Its worth it. He really honestley cares about you, your result, and your comfort and well being. Again, thank you all for your informaton and support. C. By the way,it is essential that you have someone dependable to help you the first couple days-can't play superwoman at a time like this. LET someone else get you stuff and help you arrange pillows etc. Any questions? feel very free to email me ____@____.com mamasource in the subject line so i dont delete it!!
I had my tummy tuck about 3yrs ago. Post-op pain wasbad but had no pain pump just meds. Wore drains for 2wks and had to gradually stand up straight. Pain is similar to labor.
I wore a girdle type undergarment to help keep incision flat.
I was pretty much back to normal within 2 months.
The first couple of weeks I felt like I'd been run over by a truck but it was totally worth it. If I had to do it all over again, I would. Good Luck!
C.,
I had a 10 lb. baby three weeks early and then twins that were 8lbs EACH so needless to say I wanted a tummy tuck badly! Im only 5'3" and started at 105 lbs when I first got pregnant so needless to say my stomach was destroyed! I often referred to myself as Jabba the hut :)
I wont lie, it is a painful surgery with 24/7 care. For the first week, your pain meds will be your friend :) I had a FULL tummy tuck and the scar isnt bad. Bikini bottoms cover my scar...its cut across my C-Section line. After the healing though I am soooooooooo happy that I did it! Its been 4 yrs. now as of August and Ive never regretted what Ive done. I had lipo at the same time which obviously put me in more pain...I think though that the lipo was the worst of it. If you have anymore questions let me know!
Hi C....i've never had one (but plan to sometime next year) but my mom had one when she turned 50. I think it was around day 2 that she was in so much pain and when i asked her if it was worth it she said No. BUT...a week later she was saying it was the best thing she's ever done and to this day (2 years later) she is so happy she did it. She does have a bad scar, which has faded a lot, but looks and feels great. Just expect to be in quite a bit of pain (she said it was horrible for 2-3 days) but once you get through that you'll be so happy with the results. Good luck!
Hi C.,
I'm 47 and decided last year to have a "Mommy Makeover"! I originally went in for a tummy tuck and decided to have my breats lifted and reduced, tummy tucked and lipo around my arm pits. I'M SO HAPPY I DID THIS! My husband was very supportive.
I planned on having a "Pain Pump", but, they forgot to give it to me. As it turned out, I'm glad I didn't get it.
The pain was manageable with pain meds. and rest. My 20 year old daughter was there to help me the first couple days (while my husband worked).
I've had 2 c-sections and 2 back surgeries over the past 21 years. The pain was about the same. I must have a high pain tolerance or just plain stupid, because I went back to work within a week! Luckily, we are self employeed and I was able to rest when needed. I wouldn't recommend going back to work for everybody!
I do recommend watching the movie "The Secret". It's about the Law of Attraction. I feel if you go into this surgery with a positive attitude that really helps!
You will walk around very gingerly for the first week. Oh, and it's a little hard to conceal the dreaded pumps (one on each hip). The people I work around had no idea that I had this surgery (I didn't want to tell any of them). They did notice me wearing much tighter... less layered clothes though!
I'm very happy I did this. I would do it again in a second! I highly recommend you do this if you have the extra tummy fat that diet and exercise does not EVER get rid of.
Last thing... CHECK OUT THE SURGEON! I went to Beverly Hills Physcians in Thousand Oaks, CA. WHAT A GREAT EXPERIENCE. Feel free to email me with any additional questions.
GOOD LUCK!
Char
hey, I myself am a chicken, but my mom had it and she said it was worth it she looks great, then again my aunt had it and had a horrible experiance she said it was the worst pain ever and now she looks worse then before the tuck.
Hi C.,
I am 32 and had a tummy tuck back in 2004. To tell you the truth I really had NO PAIN. I think it depends on the person and their way of thinking. I have heard people say that the pain was awful and extrutiating, etc. but for me it was a piece of cake. Obviously I was a bit sore and tender but not really in any pain. It hurt a bit when I coughed or sneezed becasue of the stomach muscles but other than that not bad at all. It was worth it for me and I would do it all over again if needed. Best of luck to you :-)
I'm just responding to find out also, since I would like to get one done.
Hi- i had a tummy tuck when i was 19. I used to be very overweight, lost 100 pounds, but had excess skin left on my tummy. The surgery was fairly quick- only a day surgery. I went home that night-- and I won't lie- there was pain. They gave me some pain pills and told me to stay hunched over. It was really painful for the first few days- but after i went to my post-op checkup and put on a girdle- it started feeling better. By two weeks, I was back to a very physical job. The cool thing about a tummy tuck is that it keeps looking better and better. After 6 months- it looked and felt pretty great and by 1 year it was awesome. Even though it was painful-- i didn't ever regret for a second. I just had my first baby and after a day of hard labor, I had to have a c-section. That was actually just as painful and took more time to recover from than the tummy tuck! I hope this helps- good luck!
Dear C.,
I have never had plastic surgery, however I have taken care of patients who have. The 2 women I took care of recently who had tummy tucks had A LOT of pain. Also, they had to stay in a 45 degree angle post-op at all times. The hospital bed had to fold the women up at the back and knees to keep the abdomen at a curve. We had to help these women in and out of bed to maintain the 45 degree angle and even when they walked they had to bend over and look at the floor to stay in the angle.
Pain was controlled (as much as possible) with a PCA (patient controlled analgesia) with morphine for the first day or 2. Then they were given percocet pain pills. Percocet is a controlled and strong pain medication. Both of these women said the pain was horrible.
They went home within a week of surgery and had to remain in that 45 degree angle at home too. Imagine riding home leaning forward and with your feet on the dashboard of your car and a pillow placed between you and the seat belt to prevent the rub from the belt across your incision. This is how both of these women had to ride home.
If you decide to have this elective surgery, please check out the surgeon thoroughly. Make sure he is certified for the procedure, but also, look into how many of this particular surgery he has performed and the outcomes of those procedures. Ask for references and talk to those persons who have had tummy tucks performed by that surgeon.
Good luck to you,
T.
PS The tucks I saw were of women in their 30's and 40's. A woman I used to work with was very dissatisfied with the way her belly button looked. I looked like someone stuck a pencil there and cut a hole around it to form the belly button. Very strange.
Hi C.,
I'm a physical therapist and personal trainer and have seen both types of results-good/bad, so here is the honest scoop...You are so busy, and at age 50 women go thru a transformation time and we need and want and create change, a metamorphis time.Perhaps you are feeling that?
Drs Christianne Northrup and Pamela Peek discuss all the things we go thru, Womens Body Womens Wisdom ,Body for life, etc...they are my heros!
I've not had a tummy tuck, but lost 20# and went from size 10-12 to 6 by gradually improving my diet, doing BenchFit, plus some cardio.At about age 48 I was feeling blue-my dad had died, my hip hurt when I ran, etc, so I studied Pilates and began some wt lifting. To maintain any results from the tuck you need healthy exercise and smart eating-or in a few years it can come back! I 've seen it on countless women, so the surgery seems like a quick fix but it doesn't last.
For surgery:
Good results: minimal post op pain , easy recovery, return to full exercise
poor results: tight/numb/painful scar, and loss of ability to do workouts such as abdominal exercises due to pain.
At age 40+ we develop the "menopot"belly unless we change habits.
If you did a workout like BenchFit (20 min to 40min 2x a week
plus some 20 min walks, and reduced caloric intake 250/day-you lose about 1/2 # a week, 2# per month, 24#/year-and you create your health.
You could start BenchFit pre-op and thereby prepare for long term success, for me BenchFit solves the problem of Fitness and time, check out BenchFit.com and that is me-I am 53 now.
Blessings on your choices and to positive results!
Good luck!
____@____.com
(I could send you a DVD and book-for you to have some choices
and plans for success)
Great Question C.,
I am interested in a tummy tuck eventually too. After 3 babies and 2 c-sections!! My question is , does any one know how different or the same the recovery period is from a c section? Heidi
hello!
i am a 48 year old grandma & i had a tummy tuck & breast lift (no implants) last december. it had been my goal for 27 years since having children messed up my body. no amount of excersize will help after a certain point. no amount of weight loss will help either. i hated my body. in my 30's i was trapped in a miserable 2nd marriage & put on weight which made everything hangier! GROSS! so i lost a lot of weight & then had it done. a customer of mine that is a personal trainer & in great shape refered me to her doctor. she also had it done which just goes to show...excersize doesnt work after a certain point! i was SCARED TO DEATH!!! but vanity won out! i HATE doctors...i have high blood pressure but controlled with medication & a mild heart issue so i had to see a cardiologist. he approved me. so to the hospital i went. #@&%!!! i wont lie to you! it HURTS bad! yes, having babies is painful but this is ongoing pain. you will be in bed for a few days. i went back to work after 10 days but should have taken a 2 or more weeks off since my job is vigorous (i work at vons as a supervisor) time passed & all seem to be going well but i developed a chest cold & the bacteria went into my blood stream & seeded in my stitches. i became infected. then i developed cellulitus in my breasts as a result of the infection. i was on anibiotics for nearly 3 months (i was able to work through all this, never hospitalized or in bed) cellulitus is hard to get rid of. i have since then gone back & the doctor did a little more lipo & perfected my scars on both tummy & breasts so i had a few more stitches again. i developed another tiny infection & am on antibiotics again but almost done. the nurse thinks i am allergic to the disolving stitches since i have developed so many freaky allergies in my middle age (i am even allergic to the plastic on my sunglasses & they are expensive, more than one pair! i have to put small skin colored medical tape on the nosepeice to wear them!). when the stitches are removed, everything clears up right away. they took the stitches out a last week & it cleared up right away! it has been 7 months since i began the process. it may go quicker for you if you don't get an infection.
Is it worth it you asked? YESSSS!!! i would gladly go through it all again if it meant getting rid of hanging skin & stretch marks! you have to also accept the fact that you will be permanently scarred. what would you rather live with...scars or hangy skin? it is a trade-off. perfection is not even a consideration but more an acceptance of your body with this trade-off. i feel so much more self confident. i can wear what i want. my shirts dont have to reach my thighs anymore to hide my sagging stomache. i can answer the door in a T-shirt with no bra if i want. i can walk naked across the room in front of my fiance now. i have even joined the gym because now when i work out, i can see the results!!! i feel confident in front of all those 20 year old body builders & don't care what they think. i am still trying to lose another 20-30 lbs. but if i don't...i am happy with myslef for the 1st time since i was 20!!! even when i was thin! so i say just do it! take the plunge & do it! you will be happier. dont wait until you are 60 to have it done! as far as the pain pump? never heard of it. i just used vicadin. good luck. & please keep me posted! i would love to hear of your journey! C.... should you need to ____@____.com
Hi C.,
I haven't had one but my Aunt did. After the had gastric bypass surgery. She had a really bad experiance. She was in A LOT of pain for a long time. It is a very major surgery so be prepared for some major recovery.
But, she is very happy with the result .. she has a flat firm stomach and a tight waist, curves, you know what I mean? No belly button anymore, but she says one day she'll get a little tattoo :)
After having children, I know what's it's like to lose that nice young skin <grrr!> and I'd love to "have a little work" to fix what makes me unhappy, I say if you are able DO IT!
Best of luck,
W.
When you get any responses can you forward some to me, I am interested as well!! Thanks......V. (____@____.com)
I do have a close friend that had one and she say's it's not too bad, and she showed it to me and it looks good!! Only draw back was, when they lift the skin, your pubic hair line area gets raised too!! So you'll be shaving alot more often!!
Hi C.,
My mom had one done last year - she's in her mid sixties. She likes the fact that her stomach looks better now but she was in pain for quite awhile. I think it was more annoying pain than bad pain. She had to wear loose pants and she said she was also very itchy there for awhile. It tooks a few months longer than the doctor had indicated for her to feel better. She mentioned yesterday that she'd be afraid to do it again.
However, my cousin (who is in her 40's) has done her stomach and arms quite a few times and if she was in pain, she never let on because she loves how she looks.
Neither one had a pain pump.
I think it's just about your body and how well you heal and your tolerance for discomfort. YOu just have to compare how unhappy you are with your body to how willing you are to put up with several months of discomfort.
Hope this helps.
Good luck.
C., I had a tummy tuck a year ago. I love it. As for pain mine was not bad at all just meds for a few days. It is like having a c-section. I had lost about 80 pounds in a year, had excess skin and I had a lot of surgery in the past so I had a lot of scar tissue that I needed to get rid of. It turned out great!! Dr. Sassan Alavi was wonderful go to his web sight! My body is not perfect but oh the tummy tuck makes it look so much better. Let me know if you want to see it. I'm in San Diego. If I hear people talking about getting one I am not shy about telling them I had one done.
C.
C.,
I have been reading the responses to your questions for a couple of days and finally thought I'd give you my story.
I am 54 years old and just had a full body makeover with liposuction done in 2 procedures. When I first consulted with the doctor I thought I was just going for my stomach. After he was through with me, it was the total body. November was suppose to be the whole deal, but when I woke up I found out they took as much fat as they could from the thighs, arms back and butt, that they couldn't get to the stomach,(9 ltrs) so I would have to go in for a second produre which they thought I could do as soon as two or three weeks later. Now originally they had set me up for a second procedure, but it was just suppose to be a touch up. However, I got a staff infection in my leg and had to postpone the procedure. I was rushing to get it done cause the doctor who did the first procedure was going to retire Dec. 31st and I really wanted him to be able to finish the job. However, after the infection, I had to wait and fully recover. I went in and had my stomach done and a little touch up on the back in February (7 more ltrs). To sum up the whole process, it was the worst thing and the best thing I have ever done.
Now let me tell you this for food for thought....
I went in to the doctors thinking I needed a tummy tuck. I was sure that was the only way to get rid of my large expanded stomach. I never had children but I inheatered my mother's body and always had a stomach even when I was in my 20's (just a puche back then) but in the last year or two without any changes in my diet which is good, my stomach just ballooned out and I got that menopause middle. I was a size 14. I thought for sure I needed a tummy tuck. My doctor said I may need both, but they do not do both lipo and a tummy tuck at the same time. (that's was their protocol, I'm sure some doctors do) so they suggested I do the lipo first and then see if I needed to follow up with the tummy tuck afterwards. If I did the tummy tuck first they thought I would most definately still need a little lipo afterwards to finish it up. My doctor gave me a 50/50 chance on still needing the tummy tuck. Two weeks post lipo he changed it to 60/40. Now, 5 months later I know I will not need the tummy tuck. I am down to a size 8-10,(which is what I was at 39) and have learned this time around to be happy with that. I will wear a 2 piece in my backyard only for my husband and he thinks I'm nuts because he thinks I look great and should show it off. My results are wonderful because I had 2 excellant doctors (since the frist one retired, his colleague did the 2nd stomach procedure.) But I am also working my but off in taking care of my diet and exercising (I do 45 to 60 minutes on a treadmilland and/or stairmaster and have been swimming in my pool for the past month, I'm up to 40 laps, 4 to 5x a week.) I just started back with my strength training this week, which I previously did up until last November when I started this journey and I also do electronic muscle stimulation with electro pads once a week, (now down from 2x a week for the last 4 months.) I immediately started a procedure called endermology 5 days after the stomach procedure that I believe has helped the result along also. It helps circulation and helps break up the scar tisssue so at this point I really don't have any scar tissue any more (hard and tight lumps you can feel under the skin caused by the surgery, which they didn't tell me about either.) I did this faithfully twice a week since February. I have stopped doing the endermology this month, but I really like the muscle stem, so I am doing that with a procedure called "Accent" which melts the fat and tightens the skin. I am afraid not to be very careful with my diet and the exercise because the procedure is just a tool to assist in getting you to your goal. You will not stay there if you don't work to maintain it and the results will end up being worse. The weight and fat CAN come back and it comes in more lumpy according to my nurse who had her body done and then gained 20 pounds, but she was able to lose the 20 and get the result back again, that she now maintains. The doctors do not tell you how long or uncomfortable the healing process can be (it is different for everybody.) I thought they down played it though. Mine told me I could go back to work in a couple of days. No way! I stayed in a recovery house the frist procedure for two nights. I was a leaker and it was nice not to be making the mess with blood and fluid all over my own house and to have someone there to clean it up. When I went home I had a girlfriend come stay 4 more days with me to get through the hard part, and then my husband took over when she left. The second procedure I did the same thing but ony had to stay in the recovery house 1 night.For me I think it was pretty rough for about two weeks, (of which I was on pain pills) but it took me longer than I imagine to feel normal again. You have numbness in the areas where they do it. My feeling came back in all areas at 4 to 5 months. The body suit they give you to wear to compress you, I wore for 3 months, which I was very glad I did the procedure in the winter cause in the summer the suit is hot. My doctor suggested 4 weeks in the suit. I felt better in it than out, and literally had to wean myself off of weraing it ful time, but the doctor said the longer I wore it the better the result. I just kept going down in size. I started in a 3XL, went to a 2X, XL and today I still put the suit on a coule nights a week and I now wear a Large. I only lost 25 pounds from both procedures, but I look like I lost 40! They don't tell you it makes cellulite worse, but with the endermology work and Accent I have consistanly done, I believe it has made mine better. The extra work I am having done is a bit pricy, but I paid a pretty price to go to a very good doctor and I just consider it all part of the original cost cause I want the best result possible and I beleive I am mostly responsible for that. The girls at my body studio tell me I had a very good doctor. He left some fat in my stomach so the skin didn't get to saggy and wrinkled.(I live in San Diego and I went to Palm Desert.)But that my due dilagence was what has made things realy turn out better than I imagined.
Be sure to get recommendations for the doctor you choose. I suggest you get several opinions from several doctors to see if their opinions are the same or different regarding tummy tuck vs. lipo and discuss the possibilities regarding lipo vs. tummy tuck. I am so glad I did the lipo first, and was lucky not to have to go through the tummy tuck, cause I do believe it would have been even rougher, plus I didn't like the idea of the big scar. My scars are tinly little dots from the canula. Most of them are hardly noticeable anymore. The way my doctor put it to me was, "it would depend on if I wanted to just look good in clothes (lipo only) or did I want to look even better when naked." I have been lucky that I think I look good enough naked now that I don't need to do the tummy tuck. If I did one, it would make my stomach probably flatter than when I was in my 20's and might take me to a 4 or a 6 but at this age I don't think I need to be there and go through more pain and recovery plus the pain of what it cost. I will try to get to the 6 now with my diet and exercise.
Bottom line, you'll probably be happy with which ever you do after your recovery!
Good luck to you, I wish you the best. I'd love to hear how it goes. I hope my long rambling gives you the food for thought to assist you, or make you feel more comfortable in going for it.
Sincerely,
C.
