Kay & co.: My plastics process

[Guest guest]

Kay,

Thanks for your email.

In response to your question: I researched reconstructive plastic

surgeries and decided I wanted a belt lipectomy (circumferential

torsoplasty, or circumferential lipectomy), because that surgery removes

hanging skin around the entire body, not just the front. It includes:

An abdominoplasty (abdominal skin lift, removal of excess skin,

tightening of abdominal muscles, and revision of my original open RNY

scar)

Butt lift

Outer thigh lift

Some saddle-bag liposuction

Removal of 'dog ears' (the flaps over the lower rib cage, in back).

This surgery results in a scar 360 degrees around the entire body,

situated just above the pubic hair in front and just over the gluteal

fold (butt crack) in the back. It's concealed by underwear. The thought

is that with massive weight loss, an abdominoplasty is not sufficient to

produce a good result and can result in funny-looking rear ends.

The surgery was pioneered at the University of Iowa. It's tough to do

because the surgeon has to really understand zones of adherence and

blood flow. The risks are: Blood clots, infection, dehiscence (wound

opening up), and seroma (pockets of fluid that form inside the wound).

Seromas are a risk for a lot of our reconstructive plastic surgeries,

and are prevented in this case by putting in 4 drains that stay for

about 2 weeks post-op.

I called a lot of doctors and no one would do this surgery-- they all

wanted to do 2 procedures, an abdominoplasty and then a butt lift. Or

they offered to do a long abdominoplasty and go upward at the ends to

catch the dog ears. Those scars would be quite visible and it wouldn't

address the outer thigh thing.

I finally found a guy in SF ( Bermudez) who does 3-4 belt

lipectomies a month and has been doing them for a while. It's gonna cost

me 14K. That includes 2 nights in the hospital and all other fees,

including anesthesiology. If I went to the U. of Iowa it would cost me a

little more, and that wouldn't include air fare and etc.

Since I do have a loose stitch from my original surgery, and the stitch

is poking out looking like a little tent under my tummy skin, I guess I

could get Kaiser to do something. But they'd only want to do the

minimum. So I might as well go for it. I still have mixed feelings

sometimes: It's a lotta money, I'm so old, I'll probably just gain the

weight back, etc. But those voices are self-defeating, so I put my hands

over my ears and sing " lalala LALALALA!!'

Hahaha

Martha

[Guest guest]

Martha

Dr Yokoo, who did my arms strongly recommends that I follow my tummy

tuck with an inner and outer thigh lift. But unfortunately, I cannot

afford it. Just paying for my arms was quite a struggle. I agree that

the belt lift is much more practical. Good Luck !!

Huggles

PS: I had the loose stitch, tent like thingy too. They removed it

during my tummy tuck, but like you said Kaiser only covers the very

minimum.

> Kay,

> Thanks for your email.

> In response to your question: I researched reconstructive plastic

> surgeries and decided I wanted a belt lipectomy (circumferential

> torsoplasty, or circumferential lipectomy), because that surgery

removes

> hanging skin around the entire body, not just the front. It

includes:

>

> An abdominoplasty (abdominal skin lift, removal of excess skin,

> tightening of abdominal muscles, and revision of my original open

RNY

> scar)

> Butt lift

> Outer thigh lift

> Some saddle-bag liposuction

> Removal of 'dog ears' (the flaps over the lower rib cage, in back).

>

> This surgery results in a scar 360 degrees around the entire body,

> situated just above the pubic hair in front and just over the

gluteal

> fold (butt crack) in the back. It's concealed by underwear. The

thought

> is that with massive weight loss, an abdominoplasty is not

sufficient to

> produce a good result and can result in funny-looking rear ends.

>

> The surgery was pioneered at the University of Iowa. It's tough to

do

> because the surgeon has to really understand zones of adherence and

> blood flow. The risks are: Blood clots, infection, dehiscence (wound

> opening up), and seroma (pockets of fluid that form inside the

wound).

> Seromas are a risk for a lot of our reconstructive plastic

surgeries,

> and are prevented in this case by putting in 4 drains that stay for

> about 2 weeks post-op.

>

> I called a lot of doctors and no one would do this surgery-- they

all

> wanted to do 2 procedures, an abdominoplasty and then a butt lift.

Or

> they offered to do a long abdominoplasty and go upward at the ends

to

> catch the dog ears. Those scars would be quite visible and it

wouldn't

> address the outer thigh thing.

>

> I finally found a guy in SF ( Bermudez) who does 3-4 belt

> lipectomies a month and has been doing them for a while. It's gonna

cost

> me 14K. That includes 2 nights in the hospital and all other fees,

> including anesthesiology. If I went to the U. of Iowa it would cost

me a

> little more, and that wouldn't include air fare and etc.

>

> Since I do have a loose stitch from my original surgery, and the

stitch

> is poking out looking like a little tent under my tummy skin, I

guess I

> could get Kaiser to do something. But they'd only want to do the

> minimum. So I might as well go for it. I still have mixed feelings

> sometimes: It's a lotta money, I'm so old, I'll probably just gain

the

> weight back, etc. But those voices are self-defeating, so I put my

hands

> over my ears and sing " lalala LALALALA!!'

>

> Hahaha

>

> Martha

[Guest guest]

Martha

Dr Yokoo, who did my arms strongly recommends that I follow my tummy

tuck with an inner and outer thigh lift. But unfortunately, I cannot

afford it. Just paying for my arms was quite a struggle. I agree that

the belt lift is much more practical. Good Luck !!

Huggles

PS: I had the loose stitch, tent like thingy too. They removed it

during my tummy tuck, but like you said Kaiser only covers the very

minimum.

> Kay,

> Thanks for your email.

> In response to your question: I researched reconstructive plastic

> surgeries and decided I wanted a belt lipectomy (circumferential

> torsoplasty, or circumferential lipectomy), because that surgery

removes

> hanging skin around the entire body, not just the front. It

includes:

>

> An abdominoplasty (abdominal skin lift, removal of excess skin,

> tightening of abdominal muscles, and revision of my original open

RNY

> scar)

> Butt lift

> Outer thigh lift

> Some saddle-bag liposuction

> Removal of 'dog ears' (the flaps over the lower rib cage, in back).

>

> This surgery results in a scar 360 degrees around the entire body,

> situated just above the pubic hair in front and just over the

gluteal

> fold (butt crack) in the back. It's concealed by underwear. The

thought

> is that with massive weight loss, an abdominoplasty is not

sufficient to

> produce a good result and can result in funny-looking rear ends.

>

> The surgery was pioneered at the University of Iowa. It's tough to

do

> because the surgeon has to really understand zones of adherence and

> blood flow. The risks are: Blood clots, infection, dehiscence (wound

> opening up), and seroma (pockets of fluid that form inside the

wound).

> Seromas are a risk for a lot of our reconstructive plastic

surgeries,

> and are prevented in this case by putting in 4 drains that stay for

> about 2 weeks post-op.

>

> I called a lot of doctors and no one would do this surgery-- they

all

> wanted to do 2 procedures, an abdominoplasty and then a butt lift.

Or

> they offered to do a long abdominoplasty and go upward at the ends

to

> catch the dog ears. Those scars would be quite visible and it

wouldn't

> address the outer thigh thing.

>

> I finally found a guy in SF ( Bermudez) who does 3-4 belt

> lipectomies a month and has been doing them for a while. It's gonna

cost

> me 14K. That includes 2 nights in the hospital and all other fees,

> including anesthesiology. If I went to the U. of Iowa it would cost

me a

> little more, and that wouldn't include air fare and etc.

>

> Since I do have a loose stitch from my original surgery, and the

stitch

> is poking out looking like a little tent under my tummy skin, I

guess I

> could get Kaiser to do something. But they'd only want to do the

> minimum. So I might as well go for it. I still have mixed feelings

> sometimes: It's a lotta money, I'm so old, I'll probably just gain

the

> weight back, etc. But those voices are self-defeating, so I put my

hands

> over my ears and sing " lalala LALALALA!!'

>

> Hahaha

>

> Martha