Advice Please - Poland or NHS? - Skin Removal

[greenthumb]

Hi all,

I am writing here today for my first time after being a semiregular reader. A lil bit of history...

I am 24 and until 22 was morbidly obese, over the past 19 months I have lost 130lb's / 9 st 4 / 59kg...This has left me with the unnatractive result of loose skin on my abdomin and my chest, giving the impression of gyne (the chest area is more serious to me than the abdomin). A blood test with the doctor taking my hormone levels confirmed that the issue is solely excess skin.

It has caused me to be seriously depressed and after many consultations with my doctor and getting my BMI down to the desired figure, I am now on the list to get the op with the NHS and am due to be referred in 6 months.

I have some savings that could potentially afford to go to Poland and it is an avenue I have investigated quite a bit, getting a quote from Baranski of £1800 (most of my savings).

I am basically asking for advice on wether to wait it out and let the NHS have their go, allowing me to retain my financial security but potentially letting them butcher me OR go to Poland and take my chances there, as there is quite a bit of excess skin and I wouldn't be able to afford revision surgery...Maybe there is a particular surgeon who is good with this type of op? Maybe someone else who is here has the same issue as myself??

Thanks for any positive words anyone can offer.

[Bigdom]

Well I think congratulations are in order that is a phenomenal amount of weight to lose.

To your query, i'm really not sure.

I had my surgery in Spain, though I have seen a lot of these skin removal operations completed on both the NHS & private on TV.  The NHS can do a very good job, and I feel this may be a very good route for this type of operation as it's one they are more used to completing than Gynecomastia.  However as always YOU need to meet the surgeon first, and be comfortable with them and what they're going to do with you.

Both the chest & abdomin tuck procedures are a fair amount of work, and relatively painful recovery so it's an operation i wouldn't rush into on purely a monetary based decision, and one i wouldn't personally go abroad for on a 3 day excursion.  From what i've watched the stitches count can easily push over 100 per procedure/side dependant on what needs to be cut out and thats a lot to potentially pull on a flight, a high risk for bleeding and i would l like a 14 recovery before coming home, though your £1800 wouldn't cover all of that.

Good Luck

[kingboob]

Hi, I am in exactly the same situation following my 16.5st weight loss.....  The NHS is also making me jump through hoops so I hope to go private....

one thing I would say, is from the research I have done; Tummy tucks are meant to be the most painful / risky cosmetic surgery procedure, so if you do go abroad to a private clinic hoose very, very carefully.

I have been promised surgery on the NHS.. but only to correct my chest (no arm or stomach correction)...

Personally I don't see how they can flatten a chest, but not remove the big bags under the shoulders / arms which are all connected..

Anyway, what I intend to do, is let the NHS have their go, and then go private for the rest or to sort out any botch job they might do!

I have to be honest, after meeting my NHS surgeon, I'm not too comfortable with what he intends to do....   So I would strongly advice you to meet&discuss before having any private work done in a private clinic.

[outertrial]

Well I think congratulations are in order that is a phenomenal amount of weight to lose.

To your query, i'm really not sure.

I had my surgery in Spain, though I have seen a lot of these skin removal operations completed on both the NHS & private on TV.  The NHS can do a very good job, and I feel this may be a very good route for this type of operation as it's one they are more used to completing than Gynecomastia.  However as always YOU need to meet the surgeon first, and be comfortable with them and what they're going to do with you.

Both the chest & abdomin tuck procedures are a fair amount of work, and relatively painful recovery so it's an operation i wouldn't rush into on purely a monetary based decision, and one i wouldn't personally go abroad for on a 3 day excursion.  From what i've watched the stitches count can easily push over 100 per procedure/side dependant on what needs to be cut out and thats a lot to potentially pull on a flight, a high risk for bleeding and i would l like a 14 recovery before coming home, though your £1800 wouldn't cover all of that.

Good Luck

Good post.

[greenthumb]

Thanks Bigdom, very helpful info.

Kingboob, I know what you mean, all the skin around my chest is directly from under my arms etc. I too have only been promised it for my chest, I am quite scared of the outcome because this doesn't seem to be that common of a procedure as far as finding example cases and before/after pictures.

[kingboob]

I have just been given the all clear to go on the waiting list today with a Mr Thomas at selly oak birmingham...................... now to find out how long that list is!!!

Hopefully I can encourage him to remove the under arm skin too....

I think what people like us really need is a full body lift, but I believe that costs IRO 10k, and that is if you go abroad.

I don't know what the standard way of performing the operation on people like us is.... but I was told to expect two long scars running across & underneath the breast area AND cuts around the nipple....

 That includes lipo AND cutting out the gland... make sure whoever you get knows about cutting the gland out.... some of these muppets just do lipo and you can end up looking worse.,

[greenthumb]

According to my doctor the presence of gland is reflected in a blood test that shows your hormone levels. I had 2 and both times the levels were normal and this apparently indicated that it was just skin and some fat.

[Bigdom]

I don't know what the standard way of performing the operation on people like us is....

You need to have a look on i believe the Discovery Health channel circa 11pm at night.  They should have a similar type of surgery to give you an idea of what to expect. 

From what i've seen, a full body lift is usually completed over 3-4 operations, arms, then chest, abdomin, then leg area.  Each is allowed to heal before the next op is done, it's not a quick process unfortunately.

[outertrial]

Considering the not exactly glowing reports of Baranskis work I really wouldnt go to him for an enormously complex procedure like skin removal either, unless he's a lot better at that than he is at gynecomasty.