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Original poster

Tummy tuck experiences?!

43 replies

MollieParks · 02/08/2020 22:23

Hi there

I am planning a tummy tuck in the near future and I am hoping to hear from anyone who has had one.

My surgeon discussed with me that I could add liposuction but it is not a necessity.

Does anyone have experiences of having a tummy tuck but opting NOT to include lipo in the procedure? If so, are you happy with your results?

I am not overweight, 5ft 2in and weighing 9st 4lb.

Thanks in advance

OP posts:

longcoffeebreak · 04/08/2020 01:33

I had one 10 years ago

I had separated muscles and a massive overhang after an emergency c section that meant I had to wear clothes several sizes too big for the rest of me. I am 8st 10 and 5ft 3 and I had well over a kilo of loose sin taken off as well as my muscles stitching.

I won't lie the recovery really was horrendous. Never felt pain like ii.

I was in bed unable to move or even sit up for weeks because of the pain , my mum had to look after m kids and I couldn't move and that is no exaggeration. I am usually a just get in with it person, I am no pain snowflake.

I was also totally wiped out for weeks so when I did eventually get up I could only stand up for a minute or two and then had to sleep again. It was so bad I wondered if I would be stuck like that forever and though WTF have I done to myself.

However, it was life changing. Body confidence wise it was amazing and I have been able to do all sorts of things I couldn't have done, including running and triathlons etc

BalloonSlayer · 04/08/2020 07:40

@Elouera you said out of proportion twice actually.

I don't know your mum and have no intention of insulting her. All the knowledge I have of your mum is what you have posted about her.

I apologise for the upset. Reading your post this morning I can see you were advising against the procedure which I missed last night, sorry.

lookatmememe · 04/08/2020 10:54

Seriously, it bloody hurts you end up with a scar that's from one hip to the other. You can't sleep on your side or front or back for weeks after, so you have to sleep in a seated position. Great if you have a recliner chair but horrendous if you haven't. I can still feel the patch ( like hernia patch) under my skin, it's a bit bigger than A4 page from under my boobs to my scar line. Yes I look great in clothes and the scar is fading, but would I ever recommend it to anyone else? No no no no no !

MolotovMocktail · 04/08/2020 11:25

Is it the muscle repair bit that makes the recovery so hard? I only need skin/fat removal and am hoping this would mean an easier recovery.

WhoKnowsWhatsAroundTheCorner · 04/08/2020 17:36

I had one - to repair split muscles - about 3 years ago. Had a little liposuction
One side healed really well and the scar is ‘invisible’, other side got infected and they wouldn’t believe me - so that scar area came apart slightly and is more obvious which irritates me.
I’m glad I had it done - my stomach was disproportionate to the rest of me.
But it’s a much bigger operation than I had anticipated and I couldn’t do much for weeks. DH slept in a different room to let me sleep as best I could
It took me about 10 months to feel I had a normal level of energy - your body has a lot of healing to do.
I’m so glad I did it, but don’t underestimate the operation, and like any operation it has risks.

Twinkie777 · 04/08/2020 18:47

Second CC Kat recommendation. She did mine and I can only repeat I don’t have a single regret. I have never had anything else done nor will I. I had it in my early fifties a few years ago.

Nosuchluck · 04/08/2020 19:40

I had one three years ago. I had an apron of skin that just didn’t feel like it belonged to me. How spent two nights in hospital, the first 24 hours were tough. By day 5 or 6 I could tell I was over the worse. I went to the cinema and to a garden party on day 8 and day 9. By the second week I could do lots of stuff at home and enjoyed by pottering around. By week three I was out and about with rest days in between. I do not have one regret, I never think about my tummy now, it just feels like me where as before it was a negative in my life that I probably about at least 10 times a day. I had liposuction on my sides as that’s the only way my new tummy could be blended in to my shape. There was no cost for the little bit of lipo I had.

daisy2002 · 04/08/2020 19:42

I had a TT and my arms done too at the same time. I'd had 4 c-sections and lost about 9 stone.
I dont regret it at all, best thing I did.
Its painful and I found it difficult to stand up properly for a week or two but I was back to work after 3 weeks.
I highly recommend Paul Tulley, I've had compliments from doctors and nurses on how neat my scar is.

Nosuchluck · 04/08/2020 19:42

I’d say I felt completely back to normal by about 5 weeks.

Original poster

MollieParks · 04/08/2020 20:03

Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and for your comments and advice, I’ve spoken with my surgeon and am going ahead with no lipo.

Once it’s done I’ll share my own experience on here.

Good luck to all who feel that they will go down the tt route too

OP posts:

MolotovMocktail · 04/08/2020 20:06

Good luck Mollie and thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences, really helpful.

hilbil21 · 04/10/2020 20:46

@Twinkie777 I hope you don't mind me dredging up this old thread to ask you a question. My surgeon has said I will have bunching at the sides is yours really noticeable?

Twinkie777 · 05/10/2020 07:49

@hilbil21. It is not noticeable in clothes or a bikini (I choose carefully) but is when I am naked. For me it’s much preferable to the way I looked before.
As said before I have no regrets.
Good luck

hilbil21 · 05/10/2020 07:53

Thanks @Twinkie777 my scar is going to be under my c section scar so sounds similar. He's doing lipo on my upper abdomen but he says if he did the tummy tuck itself and the upper abdomen AND sides would really impact healing. I know some surgeons do it but I'm happy with what he's suggested. Thanks again

surgeonsourceress · 09/01/2021 09:37

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Josephine1564 · 04/06/2022 13:36

Exactly the same as a c section then! Had two of those already!

Josephine1564 · 04/06/2022 13:39

That’s so sad about your relative .
Dr West was refused surgery by a surgeon because she was at risk of heart problems. She choose another surgeon who operated on her . She left hospital against his guidance and suffered cardiac arrest. If I was at risk of any heart issues I wouldn’t contemplate any surgery - poor woman too. A tummy tuck has a lot of similarities to a c section of which I’ve endured twice. I can’t wait to have one.

Whoatealltheminieggs · 04/06/2022 14:04

It’s a very brutal operation if you have muscle repair. I was very uncomfortable for year. It’s like wearing a corset that hurts 24/7. I wouldn’t bother unless you have a lot of loose skin.

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