Tummy tuck: Removing excess skin

After nearly two years of checking in regarding the gastric bypass journey, and having finally won my battle against the weight, I suppose I’ve reached the end of this particular road. And I know I'm not alone in this stage. Our focus has definitely shifted toward corrective procedures now that the massive weight loss is behind us. About ten days ago, I underwent tummy tuck surgery. Essentially, it was a reconstruction of the abdominal wall to remove the excess skin, fix a post-op hernia, and include some liposuction.
Is there anyone else out there who has gone through something similar? I think exchanging experiences might actually be helpful...

quietgull62 said:After nearly two years of checking in regarding the gastric bypass journey, and having finally won my battle against the weight, I suppose I’ve reached the end of this particular road. And I know I'm not alone in this stage. Our focus has definitely shifted toward corrective procedures now that the massive weight loss is behind us. About ten days ago, I underwent tummy tuck surgery. Essentially, it was a reconstruction of the abdominal wall to remove the excess skin, fix a post-op hernia, and include some liposuction.
Is there anyone else out there who has gone through something similar? I think exchanging experiences might actually be helpful...

I believe I have already mentioned in those other threads that I happened to consult with the Jurist in Cleveland, who performed the skin removal on my upper arms after I lost the weight...
I went to see him to discuss getting the excess skin removed from my stomach, but during our consultation, once he saw all the surgical scars on my abdomen, he warned me there was a possibility of tissue necrosis. Honestly, I walked away immediately; I simply wasn't willing to take that kind of risk. However, just because he flagged it doesn't necessarily mean it's a certainty—after all, Kevin Turner7 had the exact same type of operation, plus on her thighs, and she didn't face any issues at all. It is quite baffling to me why he specifically raised that concern for my case. I am still weighing my options and deciding what to do next, but the issue isn't just my stomach; the loose skin on my thighs is becoming a major problem too...

I had my surgery at the Holy Spirit hospital under Dr. Gveric. Even though I still have that incision from the open abdominal bypass, he didn't see any issues with it at all. From what I can tell so far—though everything is still incredibly fresh, I guess—my abdomen looks absolutely phenomenal! I’m really hoping the rest of my recovery continues along this same path.
During my first follow-up, Dr. Gveric suggested I look into breast augmentation combined with brachioplasty and thigh lifts. I haven't decided if I'll go through with all of that yet (since we're talking about two more major surgeries, after all), but... I suppose I'll just see.

Alright ladies, I figured I’d jump in here and weigh in on this thread too.
I had my surgery just four days before Maya, and let me tell you—those first 48 hours are absolutely brutal. But looking back two weeks later? I wouldn't hesitate for a second to do it all over again.
Just like Maya, I was under the care of Dr. Gveric at the Holy Spirit hospital, and honestly, I can't say enough good things about him and the entire medical staff there.
As for my stomach... well, you wouldn't even guess I've already had two kids. It's still pretty swollen right now, but if this is how it looks today, I can only imagine how much better it'll look once everything finally settles back into place.
Girl greetings! If any of you have more questions, we're all here to help each other out.
Kitty hehehe😉

I’m curious—how much do these doctors actually take out? Can you even see the bypass scar anymore? Like, did that 6-inch incision shrink down to 2 inches or what? And do they actually reconstruct a new belly button, or is that just a myth?

I’m curious about something too—if you've gone under the knife multiple times (personally, I'm a bit of a skeptic about the whole thing, so I imagine I'd need work done on my arms, stomach, breasts, glutes, and legs)—do people usually tackle everything in one or two sessions, or is it all handled separately?

Jonathan Perez88 said:I’m curious—how much do these doctors actually take out? Can you even see the bypass scar anymore? Like, did that 6-inch incision shrink down to 2 inches or what? And do they actually reconstruct a new belly button, or is that just a myth?

I'm not entirely sure how much excess skin was removed, but I will say this—everything feels very tight now! I actually left the hospital weighing about 10 pounds less. I suspect maybe 4 or 5 pounds stayed on the operating table. As for the bypass scar... well, that entire area was just removed, and since I had a hernia there too, they put in a mesh. They also reconstructed a new belly button for me. There aren't any visible stitches along the incisions either—they are all internal, so the cuts just look like thin lines that should fade away if you take care of them properly. They'll be almost invisible eventually.

goldenpilot4 said:I’m curious about something too—if you've gone under the knife multiple times (personally, I'm a bit of a skeptic about the whole thing, so I imagine I'd need work done on my arms, stomach, breasts, glutes, and legs)—do people usually tackle everything in one or two sessions, or is it all handled separately?

Well, an abdominoplasty is quite a long surgery, and Dr. Robert Hayes doesn't usually like to combine it with other things. Before my surgery, he told me it would take up to seven hours. It didn't. It took about five and a half.
I suppose I still need two more procedures myself, so maybe there is some way to combine them...

Carol Howard19 said:Alright ladies, I figured I’d jump in here and weigh in on this thread too.
I had my surgery just four days before Maya, and let me tell you—those first 48 hours are absolutely brutal. But looking back two weeks later? I wouldn't hesitate for a second to do it all over again.
Just like Maya, I was under the care of Dr. Gveric at the Holy Spirit hospital, and honestly, I can't say enough good things about him and the entire medical staff there.
As for my stomach... well, you wouldn't even guess I've already had two kids. It's still pretty swollen right now, but if this is how it looks today, I can only imagine how much better it'll look once everything finally settles back into place.
Girl greetings! If any of you have more questions, we're all here to help each other out.
Kitty hehehe😉

Hehehe... welcome back, queen!👍

I really have to applaud the decision to start this thread!!! Bravo!!! Now we finally have a complete timeline to look back on, from the before to the after...
I can't quite remember if I've already asked you, Mayo, or maybe I did... but was that process handled through Medicare back in Washington, D.C.? It honestly makes zero sense that they can facilitate it in Cleveland but not here at home... I mean, if we're forced to pay out of pocket around here, something feels fundamentally broken, and frankly, I don't have the extra cash lying around for something like this. If that's the case, I’d just have to make the trip to Cleveland, which isn't exactly a disaster, but if it's doable right here, that would be much better. I'm reaching my limit and getting closer to making the final call to fix my skin, so every little detail matters to me right now. And Mayo, please, do us all a favor and post a few photos—show us that bare stomach of yours and yourself too... I can't quite recall if my memory is serving me right, but I don't think I've actually seen a photo of you yet... Kitty hehehe

Way to go, quietgull62, on starting this new thread!!!!! I’ve thought about doing this a few times, but since nobody seemed interested, I figured it would be pointless!!! But hey, kudos—it’s never too late, and this place will be packed in no time.

Hey Angie, I was so happy to hear you finally got your tummy sorted out. It wasn't too bad, right?!!!!

I actually hit my one-year anniversary for my abdominal skin removal earlier this month, so I’m speaking from firsthand experience. After that, back in September, I had skin removal on my upper arms—goodbye, bat wings! Then in December, I did my thighs, but only with an incision in the groin area. Basically, the cut goes from halfway through the fold on the front of the leg, across the groin, to the center part under the butt. No vertical incision running from the groin down the inner thigh to the knee.
Now, here’s my take on how satisfied I am with the results—just my opinion, obviously!!!! On my arms, I think they could have taken a bit more skin, but the doctor argued that while it's theoretically possible, it would limit my range of motion when lifting my arms. Plus, there's always that risk of tissue death or necrosis if you pull too much. As for my stomach, I had liposuction, muscle tightening, a new belly button, and a massive amount of skin removed because there was plenty to deal with (Lord, I had four kids). Before the surgery, I can't quite recall his exact words, but I was in the hands of a truly wonderful... well, you can imagine what other "attributes" might be tucked away in those dots... Davor Jurišić at Rijeka University Hospital. He did warn me that making part of the incision under the old scars might cause some healing issues. There were indeed some problems, but we can discuss that later if anyone is actually interested.

Writing everything all at once would make this post way too long, and it's lunch time anyway. My daughter is cooking and I'm already running behind on the salad!!

Talk later, and in the meantime, Kitty hehehe from my Cleveland sirens!!!

Kevin Turner7 said:Way to go, quietgull62, on starting this new thread!!!!! I’ve thought about doing this a few times, but since nobody seemed interested, I figured it would be pointless!!! But hey, kudos—it’s never too late, and this place will be packed in no time.

Hey Angie, I was so happy to hear you finally got your tummy sorted out. It wasn't too bad, right?!!!!

I actually hit my one-year anniversary for my abdominal skin removal earlier this month, so I’m speaking from firsthand experience. After that, back in September, I had skin removal on my upper arms—goodbye, bat wings! Then in December, I did my thighs, but only with an incision in the groin area. Basically, the cut goes from halfway through the fold on the front of the leg, across the groin, to the center part under the butt. No vertical incision running from the groin down the inner thigh to the knee.
Now, here’s my take on how satisfied I am with the results—just my opinion, obviously!!!! On my arms, I think they could have taken a bit more skin, but the doctor argued that while it's theoretically possible, it would limit my range of motion when lifting my arms. Plus, there's always that risk of tissue death or necrosis if you pull too much. As for my stomach, I had liposuction, muscle tightening, a new belly button, and a massive amount of skin removed because there was plenty to deal with (Lord, I had four kids). Before the surgery, I can't quite recall his exact words, but I was in the hands of a truly wonderful... well, you can imagine what other "attributes" might be tucked away in those dots... Davor Jurišić at Rijeka University Hospital. He did warn me that making part of the incision under the old scars might cause some healing issues. There were indeed some problems, but we can discuss that later if anyone is actually interested.

Writing everything all at once would make this post way too long, and it's lunch time anyway. My daughter is cooking and I'm already running behind on the salad!!

Talk later, and in the meantime, Kitty hehehe from my Cleveland sirens!!!

Of course people are interested... And there will be more and more as the heatwaves continue to melt us away; you can see that every now and then someone new joins our little club.
I am incredibly, deeply curious about what it looks like for those of you who have gone through it... please, share some photos of those tummies, and of course the other areas, so we can see how tight everything is, how the scars look, and how that new belly button turned out... I want to know everything, every single detail... I was the same way before my heart bypass, and of course, I wanted to be completely prepared and free of surprises after the procedure... and that is how much I care about knowing the outcome now. So, Mayo and Free, please give us the details—everything from the preparation and the pain to the cost, your personal pros and cons, and the photos... I am dying to know... kisses...

Look, Taylor Garcia66, it’s actually easier for me to just drive into Washington, D.C., get stripped down, and show off my scars than it is to take photos and post them online!!!!

As for the pros and cons, I am definitely FOR it!!!!! When you lose 40, 50, or even 70 or 80—some people drop 100 pounds—you forget all about the fear and the pain because you simply have to do this. There are people who have had "two square meters of skin" removed; those quotes are just for the skeptics, but trust me, it’s true!!!! Any determined person who loses weight through surgery can't hide behind fear when it comes to removing excess skin. It isn't just an aesthetic issue anymore; it’s a necessity. Imagine dropping from 275 lbs to 145 lbs but still having to wear clothes meant for someone weighing 275. That is just unthinkable!!!!

Preparation—I'm not sure what you meant. Are you talking about consulting with the Jurist, hospital prep, tests, or drawing the lines the night before surgery? Just ask specifically; it's much easier that way, and there's a ton of info out there!!!

Pain—it's like childbirth. You spend the whole pregnancy terrified, praying to God that everything goes smoothly and ends quickly. Once you're up and walking, you laugh at yourself for being so irrationally stressed. My pain tolerance is pretty high, and honestly, it wasn't even that bad—mostly just tightness and tension in the new abdominal wall. Even a year later, it’s still tight, my god, but that's just the feeling of new tissue. Because some nerve endings were cut, there are parts that feel numb, almost like they don't belong to you, but I am extremely happy with the result!!!

Cost—if you have supplemental insurance or can work out a financing plan, you might even cover travel expenses. I couldn't manage to pull that off; I just can't seem to win those battles. But I've dealt with stuff like this before. What everyone else can do, I can't, and what I can do, hardly anyone else can!!!

And look, honey, as for before-and-after photos? Please. Like I tell Jelica, it’s all "give and take," and my kids don't have the "time" for that!!!!
So, if someone happens to snap a photo of my arms, legs, or my new belly and belly button, they can post it here, but as for me? NOPE!!!

Taylor Garcia66 said:I really have to applaud the decision to start this thread!!! Bravo!!! Now we finally have a complete timeline to look back on, from the before to the after...
I can't quite remember if I've already asked you, Mayo, or maybe I did... but was that process handled through Medicare back in Washington, D.C.? It honestly makes zero sense that they can facilitate it in Cleveland but not here at home... I mean, if we're forced to pay out of pocket around here, something feels fundamentally broken, and frankly, I don't have the extra cash lying around for something like this. If that's the case, I’d just have to make the trip to Cleveland, which isn't exactly a disaster, but if it's doable right here, that would be much better. I'm reaching my limit and getting closer to making the final call to fix my skin, so every little detail matters to me right now. And Mayo, please, do us all a favor and post a few photos—show us that bare stomach of yours and yourself too... I can't quite recall if my memory is serving me right, but I don't think I've actually seen a photo of you yet... Kitty hehehe

Everything still feels very fresh for me, but I can already say I would do it all over again for this result. Regarding the cost, I didn't pay anything personally, but I also had a hernia, so I assume the surgery was medically necessary.
The prep work... well, here's how it went: My first meeting with Dr. Gveric was sometime in April. I could have had the surgery sooner, but because of my job, I begged for the latest possible date before my summer vacation.
I went through the standard battery of tests required for anesthesia. I don't think I need to repeat all that here since we've all been through the same routine.
I was admitted to the hospital on Monday. For lunch, I just had some chicken soup, nothing else. In the afternoon, I had to do an enema. The next morning was a full shave. Then, straight to the operating room. They marked me up and took photos there. The surgery lasted about five and a half hours. They sent me back to my room that evening. The first night was okay. As long as the continuous analgesia is running, everything is fine. The first day wasn't exactly great, though: it was painful, and since I was receiving a blood transfusion, the nurse wouldn't give me pain meds at the same time (to avoid some kind of reaction, I guess?!). By the afternoon, I managed to get up, they removed my catheter, and by that night, I was already going to the bathroom on my own. On Friday, they pulled the drains, and then—home. It still hurts a bit and half my abdomen feels numb, but it’s nothing unbearable. I just take some Advil 400 and I'm good. The instructions are: light walking and absolutely no heavy lifting. My follow-up and first bandage change is on July 5th. I just have these little marks on my stomach, which wasn't even that tight to begin with... hmmm... I don't think that ever happened with me before... hehehe...
There are no external stitches, so I'm hoping the scars will be thin.
As for pictures... just wait until they get these foils off me, and besides, I'm pretty sure I don't have any old photos! That's something I wouldn't want to look at ever again, so I definitely didn't take any!😂

Carol Howard19 said:Alright ladies, I figured I’d jump in here and weigh in on this thread too.
I had my surgery just four days before Maya, and let me tell you—those first 48 hours are absolutely brutal. But looking back two weeks later? I wouldn't hesitate for a second to do it all over again.
Just like Maya, I was under the care of Dr. Gveric at the Holy Spirit hospital, and honestly, I can't say enough good things about him and the entire medical staff there.
As for my stomach... well, you wouldn't even guess I've already had two kids. It's still pretty swollen right now, but if this is how it looks today, I can only imagine how much better it'll look once everything finally settles back into place.
Girl greetings! If any of you have more questions, we're all here to help each other out.
Kitty hehehe😉

Already? 😁 That's awesome. 😍 I'm nowhere near that stage yet—still have quite a few pounds to lose—but I'm really glad more people are gathering in Washington, D.C., because I don't think I'd ever make the trek out to Cleveland.🙂

Great stuff, really. But I’m with Taylor Garcia66 on this one—we need those photos. Just hand a camera to the kids and let them snap some shots and upload them for you! 😁

Jonathan Perez88 said:Great stuff, really. But I’m with Taylor Garcia66 on this one—we need those photos. Just hand a camera to the kids and let them snap some shots and upload them for you! 😁

Well, I suppose I should make a bit of an effort here and share what I’ve actually managed to accomplish. I’ll be the first one among this entire group to post my progress, though I must admit it is limited strictly to my forearms. When it came to working on my abdomen, I was told there was a serious risk of necrosis, which frankly left me feeling quite disheartened. It was such a crushing disappointment, and now I find myself sitting here completely at a loss, wondering what on earth I am supposed to do next.

Here is the preparation process, specifically the marking stage, just before the surgery (April 27, 2009).
I simply cannot wrap my head around how people can be so utterly careless with their digital presence nowadays, though I suppose that is just the modern way, isn't it? I was looking at this link—it’s one of those old image hosting sites, yfrog.com, which honestly feels like a relic from a bygone era, much like the way we used to rely on physical filing cabinets before everything became so ephemeral and fleeting. It reminds me of a time when I spent an entire afternoon in a dusty library in Cleveland, searching for a single piece of information that now takes three seconds to find on a smartphone, yet even then, the quality of what you found was far more reliable than this digital clutter. One must wonder about the security of such things, the sheer lack of oversight that exists in these corners of the internet where data just sits, unmonitored and vulnerable, much like the way certain bureaucratic processes back home used to leave us waiting indefinitely for a response from Medicare. It truly makes one reflect on the necessity of order and structure in an increasingly chaotic world.

After undergoing surgery and now finally heading back home...
I suppose I should probably share this link, though I can't be entirely certain if it will even function properly on this platform—it’s one of those photo hosting sites that seems to fluctuate in reliability. It is essentially a snapshot of my current state following the surgical procedure. As I sit here, attempting to maintain some semblance of composure while navigating the rather tedious recovery process, I find myself reflecting on how much one's perspective shifts when they are tethered to a recovery bed. One moment you feel quite prepared for the ordeal, and the next, you're just staring at the ceiling, wondering why the healing process feels like it takes an eternity. Anyway, here is the image: http://yfrog.com/4jjaposlijeoperacijej

AND TODAY AS WELL

http://yfrog.com/g4rukedanas001j

http://yfrog.com/0yrukedanas003j

http://yfrog.com/j7rukedanas004j

I can't say for certain the exact weight of the skin that was removed, though I suspect it was hovering somewhere around the 2.5 kg mark... and well, that’s really all there is to say for now, as I am still carefully weighing my options regarding what comes next.
I extend my warmest greetings to all of you.

Thanks Lisa Ross43 for posting those photos! I have to admit, it looks a little intimidating 😳. I was under the impression it would heal much more smoothly. But I noticed your abdominal scar immediately—it looks way better than mine!

Jonathan Perez88 said:Thanks Lisa Ross43 for posting those photos! I have to admit, it looks a little intimidating 😳. I was under the impression it would heal much more smoothly. But I noticed your abdominal scar immediately—it looks way better than mine!

It is quite daunting, isn't it? But I truly believe things will improve; for instance, the area under my armpit is almost invisible now, though I simply couldn't manage to snap a photo of it myself. My husband, bless his heart, has absolutely zero talent for photography, and even after a great deal of coaxing, he barely managed to get one shot while I had to take these other two on my own... and those first two were taken by my doctor, Davor Jurišić.....

Karen Young17, honey, it's finally all done!
Trust me, you’ll be breezing through this whole process just like the rest of us before long.
I honestly don't know why you're even thinking about going to Cleveland when those of us who had our surgeries at the Holy Spirit facility under Mayor Gveric are being sent straight to Dr. Gveric. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about him—he's the kind of doctor everyone dreams of having. 😉
And one more thing—like I mentioned before, Dr. Jurišić actually turned me away because I have a scar across my abdomen. It felt like he was implying he doesn't quite have the skills to handle a case like mine properly, at least that's how his comments came across to me.
Girl greetings

I was wondering if any of you ladies could shed some light on whether these types of surgeries can be covered by Medicare here in the States. Who would be the best person to reach out to regarding coverage? Also, has anyone else gone through an abdominoplasty combined with a thigh lift? That’s the specific procedure I’m looking into getting done.