smbergie200

Mark Broudo was my plastic surgeon - Awesome results and very caring doctor. I did not get my sleeve done here.

@mistysj - I have to disagree at least partially. first of all the stomach is blind. In fact it actually is referred to as being blind when the procedure is described. I do know the blind stomach continues to secrete lots of grehlin which is another problem with RNY. You are right on stomach acid still being released to aid in digestion so the stomach does do something. So basically no food enters the detached stomach and it sits there doing nothing but producing hunger hormones - sounds pretty blind to me though. http://www.dsfacts.c...DS-and-RNY.html Quote: RNY A pouch is created at the top part of the stomach to restrict the amount of food you can eat. The bottom part of the stomach that is no longer used is called the "blind" stomach. Food passes through the anastamosis (connection), or stoma, created between the pouch and the small intestine, which is deliberately made quite narrow to keep food in the pouch longer, thus making you feel fuller longer. The pylorus is at the bottom of the "blind" stomach and is no longer used to control food moving into the intestine. For some patients, food with a high sugar or fat content hits the small intestine rapidly causing "dumping end quote Secondly the blind stomach can be scoped but not easily. It requires patients to be cut open both externally to get the scope in then internally on the actual stomach to get the scope in vs simply sticking the scope down the throat in a VSG patient. Quote: The blind stomach can be scoped, by placing the patient under anesthesia, making a small incision on the abdomen, and advancing the scope through the incision into the blind stomach. End quote: extra tissue for stomach repair - ok Ill give you that one, however being you can actually live without a stomach its not life threatening if your stomach for some slim chance is 100 percent damaged. Not to mention you still have the vertical length of the stomach with lots of tissue so technically it could be shortened with the damaged part of the stomach removed. By damaged I mean cancerous tissue or something horrible like that.

Belly buttons definitely do change during your weight loss journey. Just wanted to share mine in pictures.

Im sorry to hear about your acid issues. I don't have any advice for you as I do not suffer from acid issues. Are you taking any prescription meds for the acid?

Just made this video today - perfect timing for you question. Its long but its jam packed with information to help you decide which surgery is best for you. Of Course I am a strong advocate in favor of the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy and this video tells you why. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/76009-vsg-vs-rny-vs-lapband-for-dummies/

One of my main frustrations with my body after I lost all the weight was the way I looked in a T-shirt. Yeah I could get an XL and drape it over my self and hide my tummy but thats no fun. I wasn't an Extra Large person anymore so why should I be doomed to still wear clothes that are too big for me. Im still only 35 days post op from my extended tummy tuck and still swollen, but am VERY pleased with the way I look in a T-Shirt now. And get this - Its a MEDIUM! I never thought in a million years I would ever be wearing a medium ANYTHING. Once I pack on a bit of muscle and a 6 pack I will be unstoppable with this shirt on. Watch out ladies. lol $5,800 + Lots and Lots of Pain = Price for Extended Tummy Tuck. Looking Super in a Superman Medium T-Shirt = Priceless. P.S. YES the extended tummy tuck is worth it!

I lost 177 pounds which is more than you have to lose so yes VSG can do the job just fine. Remember its your body so don't allow a doctor to make the decision for you. VSG has so many advantages over other procedures. - Good luck with your journey.

Finally got my drains out and decided to try a pair of jeans on for the heck of it. It was honestly the most eye opening, surreal, amazing moment in my life! I always wondered what it was like to have pants fit properly. Even with all my weightloss I still had to wear my pants below my excess skin tummy roll. What a difference an extended tummy tuck makes. I had to slap myself a few times to make sure I wasn't dreaming!

Ok - I'll Play.

Mix it with a flavored yogurt. It takes on the taste of the yogurt and is chock full of protein.

Being a guy with a flat butt aka "no butt" doesn't exactly excite me either when I look in the mirror naked. With pants on if I wear them too loose I get the droopy butt look too. In reality instead of an extended tummy tuck I guess I could have opted for a lower body lift that would lift things a bit. Surprisingly though the extended tummy tuck has helped lift a little though. In my opinion exercise is really the only real option for me at least. I think butt fat injection is silly and not really permanent so pointless in my opinion. Butt implants are also a no no - just too weird and too many risks of complications down the road. I never expect to have a dream butt that turns the ladies heads but I think exercise can make an improvement for me. Good luck on your journey for the perfect bubble butt.

The doctor told me that since Im a man and a weight loss patient sometimes it takes a while for the swelling to go down. I guess it has something to do with the lymphatic system - science stuff - I took my doctors word for it and it eased my mind. The drains arent that bad. They are safety pinned to my compression garment and I wear a spandex type shirt to work under my shirt to keep them secure and more hidden. Exercise isnt happening yet since that is not recommended untill I get my drains out and get the doctors permission. Actually it is looking like I will get my drains out this weekend. Im crossing my fingers.

Im not going to lie - I did have some pain, but with my pain killers and lots of bed rest I made it through this. Heck - I still have my drains in 35 days post op - that alone sucks. Yes healing takes quite a while - definately not 100% anytime soon. Hey - remember - no pain no gain - thats always how life works. lol

Miami Florida

Just wanted to update you guys with some new pics and updates on my progress so far. Im 26 days post op now and doing quite well. My energy has pretty much returned to normal. I am able to stand up pretty straight now, however I still feel my skin pulled tight when I do. My leg pain has gone away which is a blessing. As far as sensation when I touch the skin goes, I still have many areas that have not returned back to normal yet. The bad news is I still have my drains in. I had a little drain dramma a couple of days ago. They started to pull out and lost suction. I had to make an emergency visit and prayed that the doctor would just take them out. He would not, because I was still draining more than over 100cc per 24 hours. 30 was the number he wants to see, so I was not even close. I asked him why its taking me so long to get these drains out. He said that the reason it is taking so long is because I am a weight loss paitient and a man. He explained that men have more lymphatic tissue than women and when I was heavy I developed alot of extra lymphatic tissue that I no longer need. So the body has trouble getting rid of all the Fluid since the lymphatic system was damaged during the tummy tuck. I could be explaining this wrong, but I think thats what he said or something close to it. So long story short - I have drains still for who knows how much longer. He said I would blow up like a baloon if he took them out early so I am fine with suffering a little bit longer. He did tape the exit wounds where the drain tubes come out of very well with waterproof stuff so I am much more comfortable now. They wont pull out again thank goodness. That was freaky. The doctor took the surgical tape off of the incision when he fixed my drains and this morning I worked over an hour to remove as much glue as possible. I am really really pleased with how my scar is healing. I am also very pleased with how my bellybutton looks. I am blessed with good skin that doesnt scar that bad so I am really happy about looking forward to a nicely healed scar that should hide pretty well. The weirdest part of the tummy tuck surgery was the fact that the incision NEVER hurt but it sure as heck looked like it hurt. Oddly enough my worst pain was in my thigh area from nerve pain. Well enough of my blabbing - heres some pics for you.

I needed about 3 weeks. I don't know how long from exercise - I havent asked the doctor yet.