Frangipani

Hi All, I am planning on having inner (medial) thigh surgery sometime within the next month or so (probably). I have already had a TT, BL, BA and a buttocks/lateral thigh lift, so I have very few concerns at this point about undergoing surgery. What I am concerned about, however, are the results and the scars left from this procedure. I have scoured the web and my (unscientific) observation is that far more people are dissatisfied with the results of their inner thigh surgery than almost any other body-contouring procedure. Some have gone so far as to say that it was a total waste of time and money. I was therefore hoping to get some feedback from others on this board who have had it done. Primarily I am interested in getting your feedback on the following: 1) Are you happy with the results? 2) Would you do it again? 3) Do you feel that the scar from this procedure is (was) an acceptable trade-off for the improvement you gained? I have not scheduled the surgery yet, as my concerns are giving me pause -- so your feedback would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :confused::smile::confused:!

Hi Lynn, Wow! Thanks for that feedback!!! I've been thinking of you. I looked for your thread the other day and couldn't find it -- I'll look for it again. SO glad to hear you use the word "hot" regarding your legs. Hot is good!!! Posting pics is tough for me -- although I do have a few up. If you are up to posting a few pics of the legs, however, I would love to see them. Thanks -- it's really good hear from you and to see how happy you are with your results :mad2::smile::wink2:!

Thanks again Dr. S -- great info and most helpful :smile::crying:!

Thanks Dr. S! If you don't mind, I have another question for you. Have you ever done the lipo and then the actual thigh lift as separate surgeries spread a few months (or several weeks) apart? I have read that some doctors approach it in this manner as they feel it gives consistently better results. Do you see any advantage to doing this if the patient is willing to accept the extra time and expense? I haven't run this idea past my own Dr. as of yet, but I plan to. Thanks :smile::crying:!

Hi SanDiegoPhotog, I was not at goal when I had my TT, nor do I think I would have gotten there without PS, due to the weight of my excess skin. I would have to look back at my own threads (as the brain cells are dying rapidly these days ), but I think I was 15 pounds away from goal, or so. One thing you probably already know, but I thought I might mention anyhow, is that there are two different types of fat -- subcutaneous fat which is fat just below the skin, and visceral fat, which is fat that surrounds the internal organs in the belly region. Due to genetics, some people will have more visceral fat than others (the traditional "apple shape" is often an indicator of higher levels of visceral fat). It is my understanding that plastic surgery can only remove the subcutaneous fat whereas the only way to reduce visceral fat is by diet and exercise or (as in our case) bariatric surgery along with diet and exercise. I think the advice you have been given is excellent. Start seeing some plastic surgeons now -- you might be much closer than you think! I was pleasantly surprised to find this when I started my PS journey. Good luck :crying::smile::ohmy:!

Hi Sue, Congrats on your continued success! One thing I've noticed from reading the threads is that some plastic surgeons manage to do a full TT at no extra cost to their patients when the patient only has approval for a panniculectomy. I'm not exactly sure how this is done, but it probably has something to with with the surgeon adjusting/reducing their fees for the full TT. Good luck with your consults -- I look forward to hearing more about this :smile::crying:!

Hi Jfran, Thanks for the bump on this thread and good luck with your upcoming surgery! There just isn't anywhere near the info out there as there are for many of the other procedures and it would be very helpful if there is anyone out there who has had this done and would like to share with us -- whether it be good or bad.......

Hi Dr. Schulman, I am planning to have an inner thigh lift sometime next month -- though I have not scheduled as of yet because I still have some concerns. My Dr. assures me that all will be well and he has done an excellent job so far, so I'm good with that. However, as I read postings on the web from people who have this procedure done, it seems to me that there are more people out there who are unhappy with their results than with any other body contouring procedure. I have also read about several instances in which a revision surgery was required. I was wondering what your thoughts were about this procedure. Also are your patients generally happy that they did it and feel that the pain, expense and scar is an acceptable trade-off for the improvement they gained? Thanks for any feedback you might have.

Hi GLI, Just do a Google search for "plastic surgery average cost" and you will pull up several websites that have very detailed cost info. Hope this helps and good luck with everything!

Hi Karey, Hope you're have a great weekend! I keep forgetting to ask you..... Did you have end up having lipo around your knees done? If so, are you happy with the results? My Dr. thinks I will be happier with the groin incision as opposed the vertical incision for the thigh lift BUT he tells me that the trade-off is that I (might?) still have an issue with a bit of saggy skin around the knee area after the lipo -- so I was just curious to hear how yours turned out.

My problem areas have always been the same fat or thin, with the only difference being that I had a lot more skin that needed to be removed after gaining (and losing) a significant amount of weight. Looking back at photos from when I was in college (and had a normal BMI) I have always had a "problem" (i.e., less than my ideal) with "top-heavy" thighs, saddlebags, and loose skin/muscle in the lower belly -- along with breasts that I never really liked the shape of. I truly believe that I would have wanted to tweak these areas at some point whether or not I had gained weight. However, after working so hard to lose a significant amount of weight, I felt much more entitled to treat myself to plastic surgery -- and I am much more appreciative of my new body! So my best guess for most would be to say that whatever body part(s) you have been most dissatisfied with all along is probably the area that you will want to finally take care of once you reach goal. Hope this helps at least a little.......

LOL Karey -- isn't that the truth!!! Thank you for the nice comments!!! Yes, almost everything here socially revolves around skin-baring activities year-round -- such as beach parties, pool parties, boat outings, etc., etc., and it can be very awkward if you are wanting to cover yourself up all the time. I am still avoiding the beach because I don't like the way my legs look, but I just had a long conversation with Dr. M and he assures me that he can get me all fixed up. Because he is a very careful and cautious type who usually doesn't give such strong assurances, I'm feeling pretty good about the whole thing now. My goal is to be able to confidently wear a "skirted bikini," which I figure will give me decent coverage for any potential scars. I emailed Dr. M a photo of what I'm shooting for and he tells me that my goal is realistic and doable. Trust me, I will be VERY happy if I can wear that type of a suit and I don't see myself ever wanting anything more than that............

Hi Cmcc, I am a bit late in responding here, but I was off the board for a time. Last June I had an open myomectomy (i.e., removing the fibroids from the uterus as opposed to removing the uterus itself), a full Tummy Tuck and a breast lift with implants done in one surgery. I ended up saving little over $4K in fees (your mileage may vary). Insurance covered most of my hospital costs and my entire hospital stay. The plastic surgery portion (as our very helpful doctors have already pointed out) was not covered by insurance. I had five fibroid tumors removed and an ovarian cyst, and all went just beautifully. My GYN surgeon told me that doing what he needed to do was so much easier because the TT incision is much larger than the incision he is usually able to make (and therefore he had a lot more room to move around ) Because of the open GYN procedure I got to stay in the hospital for three nights, and was given plenty of pain meds -- so it all worked out very well for me. I would highly recommend combining a GYN procedure with a cosmetic procedure, if your doctors approve of you doing so.

Thank you for your kind words Karey, and you look incredible! It is amazing what can be done -- isn't it? I'm trying to get myself psyched up for the medial thigh surgery. My purpose in fast-tracking this whole thing is to get this body done and healed up in the shortest period of time possible, because frankly, I am getting tired of hospitals, and bandages, and flesh and wounds. In a perfect world, I could probably benefit from an arm job as well, but once I'm done with the thighs, I plan on calling it good.

Shalee (Kelly), You look gorgeous!!! I'm sorry I missed all of your struggles with you wound. When I checked out for a while, you were having a problem, but it wasn't all that bad at that point. I'm sorry to hear that it worsened, but very glad to hear that it's closed up now. Rest assured, the revision will do the trick for you and it will all work out just fine. As I mentioned in my thread, having a second shot at this can be a very beneficial thing. I'm really happy with my booty revision. I like it even better than the first time around, and I'm sure it will be the same for you. That said, you look wonderful -- and those breasts, darling, -- WOW!!! DH must be very happy!!!!

Karey, Look at you girl!!!! You look AMAZING!!!! Congratulations :thumbup::crying: I'm sorry to hear that you are having so much trouble with your Band and I hope it resolves without needing to remove it or undergo any additional procedures. Kudos to you for being so helpful and posting your photos. It takes a lot of guts to put yourself out there they way you have, but in doing so, you have helped many. Big hugs to you -- you are a truly wonderful lady!!!

Hi Lulu, I've missed you too! How are you doing? Hi Kelly, Don't worry!!!! Your Dr. will clean everything up beautifully once you have the revision. My scar healed very unevenly too -- and it never filled in completely after the wound dehisced. I thought about posting photos of the whole ordeal (I definitely have them), but to do so I think might just create some unnecessary fear, as I strongly believe my case was rather extreme due to my (boneheaded) flurry of activity post-op. Unfortunately for me, my excellent tolerance for these surgeries and nearly complete absence of pain worked against me. I learned the hard way, though, and my number one piece of advice to others is to REST, REST, REST, for several days after surgery -- even IF you feel just fine!!!! The wound needs time to pull itself together before you go putting a lot of stress and strain on it. That said I look like a new woman after the revision, and the scar is just beautiful (if you can describe a scar that way......). This whole plastic surgery journey is really a process though and I'm realizing that when you have this much work done, it is often not a "one shot deal" -- and that you might indeed end up needing to have things tweaked here and there........ So great to hear from you sweetie! Big hugs to you!!! Thanks for the lovely compliment Sexylips! I had my Lap Band placed in August of 2007, and while I did (and still do) eat carefully and exercise hard 5-6 days a week, it took me about 10 months to hit goal and a little over a year to reach my current weight. The plastic surgeries were responsible for approximately 15-20 pounds of my total weight loss. Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks everyone -- talk soon :smile::scared2:!

Hi All, I know it has been forever since you have heard from me. I didn't realize how much time had passed! Shalee, thanks for remembering me and sending me that PM and raising me from the dead ! Well, since I last logged on in November of 2008, a lot has happened. First of all, I fell into a bit of a funk when the wound fell apart. The scar was extremely ugly and I had absolutely no idea how long it would take before the revision, but the Dr. estimated that it would be about six months after closure, which would have put me into May of this year. The whole idea of waiting that long was frankly, depressing, and I guess I just sort of drifted away from here. I'm very sorry about that, as you have all been such wonderful, supportive friends. The good news is that I didn't need to wait nearly that long. Dr. M felt my pain and came to the rescue when I made a follow-up visit to Miami in December. He told me that theoretically he should wait the six months, but that since everything had closed up, he thought I could have the revision done in January -- which I did have on January 29. The revision surgery (3 hours) was done in the hospital, but I'm happy to say that all went well. I was required to stay overnight, but I felt just fine and within minutes arriving in my hospital room, I had my lipstick, mascara, and nice robe on, and that ugly, old hospital gown off! This time I stayed in my hotel as much as possible for about one good week after surgery. I did develop a bit of a drinking problem during my recovery, since the only fun thing to do was to sit around the hotel and drink, but I'm happy to say that I am clean and sober once again! (Though I am enjoying a small Baileys cocktail as I write this) My results turned out to be even better than after the first surgery and I am very, very happy. In fact looking back, I actually consider myself lucky to be able to have a second shot at this. I did have a little "flap necrosis" on the right side, but the Dr. thinks we can even that out with some fat injections. At any rate, I'm not too concerned about it. It's really not that noticeable unless you happen to be staring at my naked backside -- which people are not really lined up around the corner to see yet, but I hope they will be soon :tongue2: Here's my problem now: Now that everything is fixed up, my inner thighs look horrendous. I kid you not! So, I will need to do one more surgery -- medial thighs, which I plan to do very soon -- within one month. As you know, I have pretty much faced my surgeries head on and without much fear, but the medial thigh surgery is scaring the S#%T out of me. Not so much the surgery, but I am fearing the results and the scars. The Dr. plans to do the groin incision, but I have concerns -- a lot of them.... If there anybody out there who has had the medial thigh surgery and would like to give me some feedback, that would be wonderful! Primarily I am interested in knowing the following: 1) Are you happy with the results? 2) Would you do it again? 3) Do you feel that the scar from this procedure is (was) an acceptable trade-off for the improvement you gained? My concerns about this surgery are keeping me awake at night, so I would be most thankful for any feedback. Well, this has turned into a novel and you are probably all nodding off now, so I will stop. It will take me a little while, but I will catch up with everyone's threads. I am sure you are all looking hotter than hot. I will be back.......... So good to be back on the board with all of you wonderful ladies (and guys) talk to you soon!

Hi Shalee, Good to hear from you! I just returned from Miami a short time ago. I stayed there longer than I needed to, but I got all caught up in the election and I was enjoying myself as well!!!! So it was all good. Sorry to hear about your wound problems. My wound also got a lot worse before it got better, but trust me, it will get better. Just keep doing what your Dr. tells you to do and it will be fine....... The Wound Vac is a remarkable device, but unless health insurance is covering it (which mine remarkably did, even though it didn't cover my PS -- go figure......), I think it would be cost-prohibitive to have one. I believe the cost is something like $100 per day, plus supplies which are also quite expensive. Nutrition is important at this time. Eat well and take lots of vitamins. Every day now, I take a multi vitamin in addition to Zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin B complex, and a mega dose of Vitamin C. All of these things will help the healing process. More later....... This is actually my second reply. The first one was longer and I accidentally erased it :smile2::mad::thumbup:! So I am running a bit short of time now, but will log on later. Big hugs to you!!!!! And again, it will all be just fine sweetie. If you had seen my wound breakdown you would have freaked out, but it's nearly all healed now and I feel great!

Hi Crazy Ates! A few days ago in another thread, several of us were having a discussion about our group and weight loss. I noticed that a number of the other monthly groups have a separate thread where they keep a running total of their weight loss, and I thought it might be interesting to start one of our own. I will start, and then we can keep a running update by copying the last post every time a new update is posted. I know that on the weight loss tickers some people use their total weight loss and some use their weight loss from day of surgery, so I have included space for both figures and you can list one or both. Here goes: Name: Frangipani Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 88 lbs Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 4/30 Exercise Sessions (3 Cardio, 0 Core Strength & flexibility, 1 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Hi Renewed Hope, Thanks honey! How are you feeling? :w00t::smile::w00t: Hi Jacquie, Thanks for the additional feedback and info. :tt2: No, I won't be taking the Wound Vac home with me because there is no service for it in the VI. My wound isn't totally closed, but it's coming along nicely, so I'm okay with going "vacless" at this point. For whatever reason, I have never had much of a problem with swelling, so that part is fine. How about you? Hi Shalee, So nice to hear from you and glad to see you posting again. Thank you for the nice comments -- you're such a sweetie! :smile::smile::smile: The Wound Vac is a machine about the size of hardcover book that attaches via a hose to the wound which packed with a sponge material that's covered with a sticky, plastic wrap material. You carry the Wound Vac around with you like a purse as it continuously suctions and drains the wound which speeds up the healing process. My wound was fairly large and deep, as by the time I made it back to Miami the breakdown was fairly significant. I had an area of breakdown during my TT surgery (Round 1) which I didn't go into a great deal of detail about because it healed quickly and fine -- so don't worry, I suspect things will be fine for you too. According to my Dr., this problem that I am having now is fairly out of the ordinary. Keep resting and getting better and take it easy -- you'll be healed and smoking hot in no time at all! :smile::smile::smile:

Thanks for the update Georgia! Renewed so glad to hear all is well!!! Looking forward to hearing from you soon! Big healing hugs to you!!! :thumbup::smile:

Hi Shalee, Glad to hear you made it through the surgery!!!! Woo Hoo!!! Big Hugs and welcome to the flatlands Hot Mama :scared2::tt1:! :thumbup::smile:

Hi Karen, Congratulations on being drain free! When I had my TT I had a drain in for five weeks and I can totally relate to the great feeling you get when it's finally removed!!! Now it's time to go out and have a riot shopping :thumbup::thumbup:!!! Lots of great sales going on right now in Miami, and I'm sure it's probably the same in NYC. Macy's is having a big sale which starts tomorrow (Thursday) I believe.

Hi Jacquie, I don't know how I have missed this amazing thread for so long! I am in awe of all you've been through. This thread is, and will continue to be, an invaluable help to many. Congratulations and I'm glad to hear that you're doing so well. :smile::thumbup: