My pcp is trying to get me approved for lap band, and to have a panniculectomy during the lap band procedure. She says since there have to be 2 surgeons there anyway, why not have the 2nd one be from plastics? Has anyone hear of/had this done?? TIA, Laura
I would be incredibly surprised if this can be accomplished. Most tummy tucks require that you be at a steady weight for about 6 months, and before that can happen, you have to had some time to lose it first. I'm not at a steady weight yet, but I had the gastric bypass done on 8/2004 and a surgeon won't even look at me until I'm 2 years out and that won't be until this august. Even if by some miracle you do get a tummy tuck at the same time as your lapband procedure, you'll just have to get another one once you get to your goal weight or at least close to it.
I would caution you against proceeding for all sorts of reasons, but mostly because there is no guarantee this WILL be any assurance there won't be skin when all is said and done. This is inviting trouble. Its not unheard of entirely and some EXTREMELY obese individuals have had radical panniculectomy done as part of a WLS procedure but there are great risks with this when you are still this heavy. Blood volume is a greater factor, I understand the risk of gangrene is far more likely. Its no minor surgery by a long shot.
In my view, you will have plenty to adjust to with the WLS alone and you're in far better condition overall to face abdominoplasty with a lower BMI. I don't know what co-morbities you may have in addition to the weight but I would think long and hard on this.
I don't mean to be rude, but by your weight tracker, I can't beelieve you won't get approved. As for the TT, it sounds like a short cut to me. As you have read here. WLS is not an easy way out, it is a tool to help you gain control of an out of control area of your life. I am not saying this well but you have a long way between your CW and GW, take one thing at a time, the TT is going to be the least of your issues when you start this journey. One thing at a time my dear, you should be able to qualify for it later when you loose the weight and that is when you will really need it.
IN all fairness, the kind of TT she is talking about is no minor thing and while it may be a 'short cut' haven't we been talking about not judging things as 'the easy way'? The procedure being suggested is very radical and usually only offered to individuals who have extremely pendulous abdomens. I'm assuming that must be the case here.
I'm sure she will be approved for WLS too and there have been times once I discovered this procedure was possible, when my metabolism was on complete shutdown mode where I considered it myself and was even approved for it while still well over 200 pounds.
However... as I stated above this is a very radical surgery, far more radical than just the WLS and I think it would put a very unfair burden on anyone's health to do both procedures at the same time.
I think you are getting excellent advice here from the other commentors. As an extreme example of a case of a tummy tuck, my sister was 503 pounds when she had her gastric bypass operation 2 1/2 years ago. After she had lost 250 lbs, she was finally able to get her tummy tuck. What misery she went through before that happened. I'm sure that if a tummy tuck were an option when she had her gastric bypass, she would have gone for it - but it wasn't. After she lost 250 lbs, the loose skin from her stomach hung to her knees and caused endless problems (cellulitis for one, and she was hospitalized with it for 4 days).
The very best on your upcoming surgery, but please give some more thought to the other operation at this point in time.
Lchin - i'm agreeing with everyone else. it's NOT a good idea to do them both at the same time. the first step is to lose the weight - and therefore the fat - and THEN take care of the excess skin. it'll just be skin at that point. if you agree with what your surgeon has suggested, you'll basically end up with liposuction and a half-done panniculectomy. and there are other risks associated with the liposuction that you don't need right now.
OK my mistake, I just saw TT, BUT I still stand on one thing at a time. If the TT is more important than do that first if the WLS is more important than do that first.
Hey there.
I scrub on tummy tucks.
While you may be able to get "technically" a panniculectomy with the LB to get rid of any apron you may already have......you will have to have a second surgery later on.
The reason "we" do not do tummy tucks unless and until a patient is at optimal weight is that if you get the procedure done and lose weight the result will not be what you wanted.
We have done "bigger" women but their weight was not moving....
Unless you are resigned to the fact that you will most probably have to have a second surgery anyhow(and if you don't have cellulitis probs now) I would not suggest doing it now.
Hey, I'm here...but WOW are these boards hard to navigate....I usually only go to new posts..and then get lost.
Is the tissue necrotic already?
I have never seen anything necrotic except toes(sorry, grotesque I know).
Cellulitis has to be cleared up before surgery.
Any other questions I will be happy to help where I can.
Robyn
No. Procedure hasn't happened yet. Just curious because the first plastic surgeon I was referred to here was from Chicago originally and claimed there wasn't a surgeon in the world who would do a TT on anyone who had had as much abdominal surgery as I have had due to the risk of necrosis below the incision line which is precisely at the umbilicus. I knew there were many others ahead of me with similar incisions (if not quite so many of them!) who had the surgery but it made me very, very nervous. So I didn't go ahead with that surgeon and see the new one on April 5. I thought perhaps you'd seen something that would confirm the first doctors fears.
Wow thanks for all the advice! I will seriously talk about it with my Dr. She doesn't know if she could even get it done, she 'knows someone' who might be able to do it. Well it's not going to happen any time soon so We've got time to mull it over. Thanks everyone!!
Panniculectomy during lap band procedure
