TAH with tummy tuck pre-op

I'm scheduled for a TAH with tummy tuck in late Nov. I would appreciate any information from post-op patients who have experienced this. I'm anxious to know what your experience was like. Thank you in advance for all info.

Well, I'm having a panniculectomy (a little different than a true tt) but I'm hoping other sisters can shed some light on your procedure, too.

I know I'll get both a hip-to-hip incision and a belly-button to pubic hair incision, and I'll also get a wonderful "support garment" (like a girdle) to wear afterward. Other than that, they've told me the recovery will be much like just a hyster alone. Hope so.

im sorry i cant give u any answers but i do have a qs for u....if u dont mind that is....im curious about that...is it something the dr agreed to do? is it part of something u have to have done or something u are having done extra....cause im thinking about discussing with my dr at preop visit...actually i was going to joke to my dr about it...asking her hey while u are down there do u think u can go ahead and give me a tummy tuck as well lol...i was wondering about if it was poss for them to do such procedures along with a hyst....that would be so great since i hear your tummy can look pretty bad after...btw i am only 24yrs old...i wear bikinis to swim so i would love to keep my tummy as best i can....scars i dont mind as much as loose skin...loose muscles

Hi Ladies

I had a TAH/TT on June 30th. Recovery was not bad at all. It seems to me that the TAH was harder - allot more emotional/hormonal stuff going on. The hardest part of the TT for me were the drains. Once they came out I was fine. I think it was just the idea of them that kind of grossed me out. I had to walk hunched over for about 10 days - that was hard on the back but the results are sooooo worth it. I do have a hip to hip incision and a new belly button (actually its my old belly button repositioned and reshaped) its much nicer! The scar really isn't that bad and doesn't show with anything I wear. Pain wasn't all that bad - I took meds for about 4 days after coming home from the hospital. They consitpated me so I stopped and only took 1 at nite to help me sleep if I really needed it.

Overall my experience was very good. I have a fantastic PS who is so gentle and caring - not to mention a perfectionist - the OR nurses can't stand him - which makes me like him even more!

If you have any other questions feel free to email me at <oops, for safety and privacy reasons no email addresses in posts, please use the email/pm button located to the left under the user name, Thanks!>

Good luck!!

Julie

Hello Sisters,

I also had a TAH/BSO with a tummy tuck (TT), four weeks ago and I too am doing very well. I do have some days where I need a little more rest than others, but I went back to work part-time after only two weeks with the okay from both of my doctors.

I also had the drains for 10 days and they really are gross, and hard to disguise when you go out. I went to one of my son's soccer games and didn't want anyone to see my nasty drains so I wrapped them with some cloth which just kind of hung from around my waist and looked pretty odd. Just odd enough for one of the other mothers to come up to me...grab my drains in her hand and start to shake them asking me..."What's this"...as you can probably imagine, I screamed "don't touch that" and then told her what she had just grabbed and started yanking on, she was absolutely mortified and I was cracking up because thankfully I had the drains pinned down pretty well and she wasn't able to hurt me, but the look on her face was just too funny!

My worst issue seems to be in regards to the binder, I HATE IT!!! Every Plastic Surgeon (PS), is different, but mine wants me to wear my binder for 5 or more weeks. I talked him down to a girdle this week, but even those are too constricting. I see my PS in a couple of days and hopefully I won't have to wear these things anymore.

Wish you all the best!
Rhonda

Thank you, thank you. This is exactly the kind of information I've been seeking. You've made me feel so much better. Anyone else with this experience?

Hello all,

I will be one year PO on October 17th from a TVH/FTT. I feel great.

The tummy tuck was such a great bonus to a very stressful *pre-op* sugery.

I ditto on the drains. Once they are out you begin to feel much better.

A few things you should know:

Be sure to have some kind of shower seat. You will have to stay hunched over for two weeks. Sitting down in the shower is much more comfortable. I just used a plastic two step ladder. I made sure it wedged very tightly in the shower.

Make sure you have lots of pillows for under your head and legs. You will want to stay bent while sleeping for those two weeks also. I used one of those triangle wedges for my head with a U shaped travel pillow. Worked great!

Have GasX & stool softeners on hand just in case.

Wear your binder 23/7 for six weeks.. Only take it off to shower. It will help soooo much with the swelling. And then as needed.

Don't be afraid to take the pain pills. They are your friend!

Good luck and welcome to the flatlands!

I am 5 weeks po SAH, MR and FTT. I am very happy with my results.

Get a bed wedge pillow and some extra pillows.

Gas-X and stool softener.

TV Remote and cordless phone.

I used a walker with wheels for the first several days. VERY helpful.

The pain was more than I expected, the muscle repair was what bothered me the most.

I would do it again in a minute though :-) I had lost 85 lbs. and had three pg. I am very happy with the results, even though I know it is still months from the permanent affects.

The hospital figures out all the billing because you have to pay for the cosmetic part ahead of time. But combining them saves $$$

Good luck.

I of course joked w/my DR about "hey since you have me open why not do a TT" but I never heard about the panniculectomy until I read this post. I would love to get rid of my belly. Is a panniculectomy just for cosmetic reasons or will a DR recommend this procdure? I had surgery when I was 2yrs old for my kidney and I have a scar above my pub bone so my DR said he would do the SAH incesion above my other scar. I already have a ledge from gaining weight recently and now I am wondering if I will have two ledges! Like I need more buldges!