Guest guest Posted August 3, 2000 Report Share Posted August 3, 2000 > > I'm looking foward to a new slim life but I just can't keep from > wondering about what happens to the hanging skin.......comments? Hi and welcome, I am a pre-op, so I don't have any personal experience and haven't seen any discussion on the topic here in at least 5 weeks. I do have an aquaintance that had an open Rny locally here in Ohio. After a year and a half and a 140 lb loss, she had surgery to remove hanging skin and to tighten up some things. I know she has Aetna and they paid 100% for her because it was medically necessary. She had 17 lbs of skin and fat removed!!! This put her below her orginal goal weight. I have heard that some people, not all, can develop pain in the hanging stomach or even infection in the rubbing skin and these are reasons for the surgery being medically necessary. I assume also the risk for those problems. I know I will need it. I hate the thought of anything hanging any lower LOL. That's all I know for what its worth. i would love to hear a post-op past a year talk about it. laurie in OHio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 5, 2000 Report Share Posted August 5, 2000 Hi! I'm 47 and I figure the hanging skin issue will be right behind the face lift I'm giving myself after I lose 150 pounds. Unfortunately, usually insurance *does* consider hanging skin to be a " cosmetic " issue, though I have heard of insurance companies approving the removal of excess skin in some cases. One way that you may be able to get covered for having a panniculectomy (removal of excess stomach skin) is to start going to your local doctor regularly, complaining of itching and redness under the hanging skin. You'll probably get some cream for fungus infection, but be sure to mention the constant problem of itching and redness as often as you see your PCP, so you can make a record of having infection there. Then you have an extra, documented medical reason for removing the panniculus (the hanging skin) later. It's about a $4,000 surgery, but there will also be a hospital stay (maybe 4 days, and about $15-$25,000). It's definitely not a cheap surgery. I doubt there are very many of us who haven't had itching and redness under our hanging bellies, but we don't usually mention it to the doctor (for me, that was because of embarassment plus it's something I'd learned to live with and treat with " jock itch " cream " but of course, I don't want to live with it once this weight is gone!) On another list, a woman got insurance approval for her hanging arm skin, but she had so much it interfered with her mobility. The key to getting insurance coverage for skin removal seems to be to show that the hanging skin causes a medical problem or a problem with normal life function, that it is not " merely " ugly. Kind regards, > Hello there - I'm new. Sent in the On-line form on 7/30. Waiting to > hear from my insurance. Made appointments with Doctors. Contacted > some of you. Reading everything on the website and all of your > messages. However, I have seen absolutely no discussion about all the > hanging skin that surely results (if you're over 45 like me)after > such > enormous weight losses. I know that exercise will help but what's > the > scoop on surgery to cut away and tighten up? Silly me, but I would > think that insurance should cover that - it can't possibly be > considered just " cosmetic " can it? Have any of the MGB vets had this > done? Was it covered? What are the costs anyway? Who is > recommended? > I'm looking foward to a new slim life but I just can't keep from > wondering about what happens to the hanging skin.......comments? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 5, 2000 Report Share Posted August 5, 2000 As for the skin question - I have mentioned it to my GYN for years (as I have been expecting to lose this weight for years) and he says he will help me when the time comes but he would expect the insurance company to pay for it. Also he said to mention things like back pain, etc. from carrying around excess loose weight on your belly. I also know someone who had the arm surgery and I personally thought the scars all the way down the inside of her arm looked worse than her arms did preop - just an observation. I however am praying for the day that I have excess skin that needs to be removed!!!!! Preop BMI 48 Hoping to dance...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 5, 2000 Report Share Posted August 5, 2000 Previously on this group, I saw that if you go to your local hospital burn unit, sometimes they will be willing to do the surgery (for 0 $$$$) for the opportunity for " new " skin, for their burn victims..... Just a thought! Everybody wins! Joannie Irving, Tx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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