Plastic surgery question

[nuggetbrain]

So I've lost 115 pounds since Sept 2022, and my body looks both wonderful and horrifying lol.  I have a consultation next week with a plastic surgeon to talk about a breast reduction (which would be covered by insurance) and possibly a tummy tuck (which would not be covered).  I don't think I'll need an extended tummy tuck where they go around your entire trunk, and I don't have kids so there shouldn't be issues with need muscle repair.

If you've had either done, A) when and how much did you pay, and B) what was the recovery like?  Especially if you've had both done at the same time.   

[waverly]

If you search brest reduction you will find some helpful posts. I had a breast reduction a year ago. Mine was covered by insurance because my doctor signed off as did my chiropractor. That additional documentation fullfilled the insurance requirements. Out of pocket including deductibles and co-pays was $1600.

I did not have both. I took a week and 1/2 off work and went back to a desk job. It was OK ish, but if I was doing anything more strenuous I would have taken off longer. I think my recovery was a lot worse than what people posted here, lots of people were like oh I was out to restaurants on day 2 or something. Yeah, not for me at all. I was on heavy painkillers and pretty much out of it for 3 days. At about a week is when I left the house, and everytime we hit a bump it was uncomfortable. I could drive at a week but again not that comfortable. The entire healing process took forever. My stitches didn't even dissolve until 5-6 weeks maybe, I can't remember, and everything was very tender for a very long time. I would say by 3 months I felt normalish again, by 6 months I felt like myself. After 6 months then I had numbness that lasted about a year, and just now I would say OK boobs are back to the way they were before, except for some sensitivity. It took a long time to heal, but could I function in society early on, sure.  But it is a major surgery.  

For both surgeries I would recommend taking as much time off work as possible and then easing back into it. But I never had the tummy tuck so others can advise on that.

[EvieEthelGarland]

my reduction was covered by insurance almost 20 years ago and my TT was 20k in 2022. The reduction was intense pain/discomfort for about a week and then it was over. The TT wasn't as painful, but it went on for almost 2 months. I could not stand up straight for the longest time and it has given me some intermittent mid back pain that I am just now starting to address with physical therapy. Even with that, I am very happy with my results. If you don't need muscle repair would a panniculectomy be covered by your insurance?

[expectantsteelerfan]

I just had a tummy tuck in Aug. of this year, along with an upper abdominal hernia repair. The hernia repair was done by a general surgeon, and most of that was covered, but none of the tummy tuck was. That ran about $14,000. Mine did include muscle repair and mesh (my issue was severe diastasis due to pregnancies).

My full recovery period was 6 weeks. It was about 2 weeks of no driving, and the 1st week was rough, but after that my drains were out and I was able to get around and do things for myself as long as it didn't involve heavy lifting. Weeks 2-6 I got dressed in normal clothes and went to kid activities for short times (I do remember sitting in bleachers for a football game was a no-go early on, but I could stand and watch). By 6 weeks I was ready to resume normal exercise.

[atarianna]

I think it’s best to do them simultaneously and also discuss with the surgeon about cost savings by doing them together (anesthesia costs were about 1/2 of the price of my breast augmentation). You will need a good support system for help getting around up/down for the first week, but know the tummy tuck will put you down longer than the breast reduction alone.

I would highly recommend borrowing a good recliner, even one that helps older people get up easier for the recovery timeframe.

Congrats on your weight loss and I hope the surgeon can help you feel great about your body again.

[sdlaura]

I can't speak to recovery yet, but I have a tummy tuck scheduled for late February. I interviewed/had consultations with a couple of surgeons and ended up selecting the most expensive/experienced one so overall cost will be just under $15k. I haven't had major weight loss or any complicating factors, but I've had four kids so there will be some muscle repair.

[nuggetbrain]

Jan 8, 2024 13:59:49 GMT -5 EvieEthelGarland said:

my reduction was covered by insurance almost 20 years ago and my TT was 20k in 2022. The reduction was intense pain/discomfort for about a week and then it was over. The TT wasn't as painful, but it went on for almost 2 months. I could not stand up straight for the longest time and it has given me some intermittent mid back pain that I am just now starting to address with physical therapy. Even with that, I am very happy with my results. If you don't need muscle repair would a panniculectomy be covered by your insurance?

I looked into a panniculectomy, but I don't have enough excess skin to for them to cover it (it has to be hanging a certain length).  

[wesleycrusher]

My mother lost a significant amount of weight and had both a breast lift and tummy tuck done at the same time. Not sure the cost (and it wouldn't be relevant because it was 20 years ago) but the tummy tuck was a lot more painful than the breast lift. In fact the breast lift really did not bother her at all, she thinks mostly because she was focused on the tummy tuck.

[campermom]

I had a TT w muscle repair, implants, and it came w lipo around the abdomen for contour. I added inner thigh lipo. Id absolutely do it all at once. You’re already paying the anesthesia fee, facility fee, and surgeon fee. A small portion was covered by insurance bc my surgeon was also a general surgeon and I had a hernia, apparently. It totaled 20k and I went with a higher cost doctor bc I liked his results better than the less expensive ones. I’m glad I invested in him.

I took 12 days workdays off, for a total of 2.5 week which was not enough but all I could do. It was a mostly desk job. The muscle repair was the worst part for sure. I think 3.5 weeks would have been better for me. If you search my name I talked about it a lot in detail.

ETA I also stopped contributing to my retirement for about a year to put that money toward this. 100% worth it. I’d never have the money to do this now that I’m single, and I’m happy w my body. I also took out a Care Credit for 6 months no interest, opened a new Am Ex for 15 months 0% interest. I believe I did some kind of balance transfer too-like I put 5-10k on my regular card and transferred it to the 0% card or something. I paid it off all in time for my to pay no interest at all.

[wambam]

My biggest advice for breast reduction is to go smaller than you think you should.

[rupertpenny]

I did a breast lift (which I think is almost the same procedure as a reduction) and tummy tuck in 2022 and paid around $30k for both, but I am in VHCOL. I did need muscle repair, and it is my understanding that those internal stitches are what make recovery really difficult. I was completely useless for about a week, then housebound for another two weeks. I still took it very easy for at least a month after that.

[lessel]

I've had 3 friends who have had breast reductions and all 3 say they should have gone smaller than the surgeon recommended. So, ditto wambam

In terms of tummy tucks, might also look at the FDL procedure. It's one that is used with loose skin after bariatric surgery. (Also, related somewhat... some surgeons want you to have maintained the weight loss for 1-2 years before they will do surgery.)

If you have both done at the same time, I'd also recommend renting a power lift recliner like another poster mentioned.

[zaneyzoo]

I had a TT without ab repair around the same time my SIL had a TT with ab repair. Her recovery was brutal compared to mine.
Mine cost $14k with nothing covered by insurance. I did sleep on our couch for a first couple weeks since it's so comfortable and was on my back.

I think it took my SIL a good 4-6 months to finally get back to moving and using her core. I was walking in the first couple weeks and added biking to it after until I was released at 6 weeks.

Best decision I have ever made. I am so glad I did it. I'm excited for you and wish you a speedy recovery!

[sadlebred]

Jan 9, 2024 15:59:00 GMT -5 wambam said:

My biggest advice for breast reduction is to go smaller than you think you should.

This 100%. You won't regret it.

[expectantsteelerfan]

I will also add that I bought a regular recliner to sleep in after my surgery, and my only regret is that I didn't get a power-lift one. That would have been so much more helpful. I only would have needed it for the first few days after surgery, but those days were pretty brutal, so it would have been worth it.

[SusanBAnthony]

Does anyone know how just a diastasis recti repair with no TT is for recovery compared to both?

[expectantsteelerfan]

Jan 10, 2024 8:13:20 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Does anyone know how just a diastasis recti repair with no TT is for recovery compared to both?

Have you spoken to any surgeons about this?  My diastasis recti repair WAS A TT, that was the only option.  I didn't have any lipo., it was just pulling the muscles back together (and I needed mesh because mine was so bad), and then I did have excess skin that was removed, but the sewing of the muscles together is the 'abdominoplasty' that is the TT.  

[SusanBAnthony]

Jan 10, 2024 8:30:26 GMT -5 expectantsteelerfan said:

Jan 10, 2024 8:13:20 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Does anyone know how just a diastasis recti repair with no TT is for recovery compared to both?

Have you spoken to any surgeons about this?  My diastasis recti repair WAS A TT, that was the only option.  I didn't have any lipo., it was just pulling the muscles back together (and I needed mesh because mine was so bad), and then I did have excess skin that was removed, but the sewing of the muscles together is the 'abdominoplasty' that is the TT.  

No, and I should have included that question too I guess! Obviously I don't know a ton about it. I partially repaired mine through PT so it's probably not worth the recovery that you all are describing.

[letsgetweird]

This may have been covered already but you may need muscle repair even if you haven't had kids. The weight gain/weight loss can cause you to need it.

I'm wanting to get the same procedures as you. I've been quoted around 10-12 for a tummy tuck.