[ChuppyGirl]

Dear Dr. Oliver,

Some historical background about your new patient (me).

I'm 35 year old female, married with 2 daughters. I've been obese almost my entire life. in 1997 I did lipo suction in my hips and thighs area, the surgeon was too much enthusiastic that he sucked my behind without my permission to the extent that he made en indent in my upper behind area. I hated the results so much. I hope by the time I lose all my objective WL that it will not still show off.

in 2000, I did gastric banding. Worked so well for 1 and 1/2 year I lost ~27kg (~60lbs) got married at the eve of year 2002 and then gained all the weight that I lost and more during the honeymoon time and the year after that. My first child birth was on July 2003, second on Dec 2005. I had my worst depression phase right after my second child to the extent that I had suicidal thoughts and when I found this website it helped me a lot to get more determined about the RNY gatric bypass.
So on April 18, 2006 I did the RNY openned, plus removed the old band, and removed the gallbladder coz I had like around 9 stones were annoying me for years.

I started with weight of 335lbs, but I can assure you that I reached more than that figure in my life! I remember I reached around 363lbs (~165kg) in some stages of my life! I'm now 4 months post op and have lost 30kg (63lbs). I have lost most of my weight from the upper part of my body like in the face, shoulders, arms, breast tummy area. My hips and thighs were my ugliest areas during my entire life! I have lost a bunch in these areas too. but of course not as much as the upper part. Please feel free to view my transformation picture strip.

SO now I wonder when is the proper timing for me to think seriously of doing the plastic surgery (of course after I reach my ultimate weight)

And is there any plastic procedure that can cover the entire body, I think I would need an extreme body repair make over for the batty arms, breast lift and maybe small implant (I'm B cup, and would love to have them as C), maybe lower tummy tuck coz my tummy with all this massive weight that I have reached was the last part to put on weight and if I need a lower tummy tuck is because of the 2 pregnancies, the 2 sides of my back. And of course my HIPS and THIGHS!!!! these have been always my night mare.

Have you been exposed to that much prosedures in one patient?? Do you have any published examples? can all of these done in one go? I have experimented the pain of the lipo suction, is the body lift more hurtful?

Thanks for answering my questions in advance

Sincerely,
Hanadi

[droliver]

It's likely to be at least 18 months or so until you're ready, but it really depends on when your weight stabilizes.

It is hard for some of these "total body" makeovers to be done in one setting except in some very specialized practices. There is just so much work to be done (sewing) that it isn't practical or safe in most instances to combine too many areas at once. I think most people would be reluctant to do more then a belt-lipectomy/lower body lift or abdominiplasty + breast or arms in one setting unless you have a lot of help.

How much surgery is too much in an elective setting is a debate we're having in plastic surgery. Most people are pointing to about 6 hours total as about the limits for some of these post bariatric case.

There's a real good book by a well-known surgeon in Pittsburgh, Dennis Hurwitz called "Total Body Lift" written for patients. It's a real good resource for educating yourself

[FemmeMode]

....this will be a fantastic resource!!

You are a jewel for our forum....glad you found your way here...and are willing to put in some time!

I'm only 4 mos. post op....so I will have another 14 - 20mos until I can consider what to do....
I'm already dreaming of new breasts tummy and thighs.....I don't like what has happened even with the 86# lost....

Kinda scared about what they will look like after I've lost another 100#!!
YIKES!!!

[Pillows]

Okay so here is another question...what do you know about reducing vericose veins? I am having some show up on my thighs and it isn't pretty at all. What kind of procedures do they have available for these and is it really costly? Are there some things that I can be doing to decrease the appearance of them or am I basically screwed?.... Just wondering.
Janae