Re: Hernia and super obese

[Guest guest]

Hi, .

I used to weigh 500 pounds and am down to 250. I had a panniculectomy, 2

revisions to that panniculectomy, and sort of a spare-tire-ectomy/mini tummy

tuck. Here's what I know based on my experiences and things I've read some

other people who've had massive weight loss.

Some people in the " super obese " class choose to get a panniculectomy before

losing " all " of their weight. The idea is that we'll need more than one

abdominal surgeries, and the idea is that if we get some of the extra skin and

tissue removed, we'll be able to excersize more easily.

warning: this is gross

Because we had such a large pannus, we frequently have a lot of extra blood

vessels and what my surgeon calls " an abnormal lymphatic system. " What that

means is that the very large folks are more likely to have problems with

excessive drainage. Sometimes we have drains in for over a month, or the drains

don't take care of all of the problem and we lose fluid out of our incision.

In general, I think panniculectomies are pretty major surgeries for everyone,

not just the heaviest folks. Wound complications seem to happen more with

panniculectomies and thighs than anything else. Even if you don't have a wound

complication, you can lose a lot of blood and feel sort of " run down " after a

panniculectomy. This is a good time to take your iron supplement (as directed

by your weight loss surgeon) and be aware of your nutrition. I eat lots of

salad and moderate portions of red meat before a surgery.

The good news is that lots of people look and feel much better after a

panniculectomy. My surgeon removed 30 pounds of tissue. Even with a very

serious complication, I was glad to have it done. You might want to check sites

from people like Cindy Lou to see how major the change can be.

There are people who suggest specific things, like protein supplements, to help

you be as healthy as possible before a surgery. Those things may reduce your

chances of having a wound complication, but there's no guarantee that you won't

have one. It's a big surgery with a very big incision.

I encourage people to sort of " be nice to themselves " before a big

panniculectomy. For me, that means getting plenty of sleep and being physically

active without wearing myself out. I try to walk or swim.

You might want to check out one of the 400+ lists for the experiences of other

people. You can also check out the archives on this list. Barron did a good

job of describing how gross and icky it could be to get over a panniculectomy,

but he had a good outcome. Another option is to check out ossg-plasticsurgery.

Anyway, I hope this helps you. Let us know how you're doing.

in St. Louis