We interviewed a Bruno | Brown patient who recently got a Tummy Tuck (abdominoplasty). She shares her experience with Bruno | Brown Plastic Surgery and abdominoplasty surgery.
What type of tummy tuck procedure did you have? Full tummy tuck/mini tummy tuck/extended tummy tuck?
Full. I also had liposuction around my flanks.
How long have you wanted to have a tummy tuck?
I had been seriously thinking about it for about 3 years. I had thought about it longer than that, but I started seriously considering it about 3 years ago, started doing research, looking at doctors. I didn’t know anyone who had a tummy tuck, but then people don’t really talk about it.
What finally made you pull the trigger?
It was about the timing. I was not working at the time so was able to have the time away to recover. I was home, my kids didn’t have school since it was the summer. My mother is retired so I stayed with her for the first 4 weeks or so. It was the best time to do it.
What were you most nervous about?
The anesthesia was really the only thing I was worried about. Dr. Brown was great, and I wasn’t worried about the results, I knew they’d be good. I had full confidence him. His bedside manner is incredible, he’s gifted and talented, that’s a great combination for the best doctor. The thing that really concerned me was the anesthesia.
I remembered when the anesthesiologist gave me the medicine to go out, I remember him holding my hand as I was counting backward. And rubbing my hand and he was saying ‘you’ll be fine’ and that’s all I remember and then I woke up and everything was fine.
How long until you saw results from your tummy tuck procedure?
I started to notice the results the next day. I could already see a difference in my waist and in my boobs*. They were swollen but I could still tell, and I knew they were only going to get better. This has also given me a reason to really start to eat right. I was in school, I had bad eating habits but now I’m really conscious of what I eat, and I work out. I like the way I look and how I feel.
(*This patient had a breast augmentation procedure performed at the same time.)
Can you tell us how many inches you lost from your tummy tuck? Maybe clothing size if you aren’t sure?
Waist size, went from size 14, down between a 10-11, from an XL to a medium. My stomach is flat.
How was the pain?
I’ve had 2 C sections, so I didn’t think it would be bad, but it was a lot of pain for me. Since I had the work on my abdomen it would’ve been very painful to sneeze or cough, but somehow I managed not to!
Over time it got better and better. One day at a time. Eat right, lots of tea, keeping feet elevated and walking around. In the end, once I got through it, it was well worth it.
Anything that surprised you about your tummy tuck procedure?
Only thing I don’t like is the scar, but it’s very low below my bikini line. He did it on the same line as my C section. It’s hip to hip so it’s big. Not the prettiest but the results are so good, who cares?! I already had a scar from having kids, so it was OK. But when I went on my vacation you couldn’t see anything. However, it took a while to wear jeans. You stay numb for a little while. They said I should be able to wear low jeans because of the incision area, and some people can, it just didn’t feel comfortable for me.
How was your overall experience?
I can’t stop saying good things about the doctors at Bruno | Brown Plastic Surgery. You never know with these kinds of things and you hear so many horror stories. I watch that show ‘Botched,’ but it was just such a great experience. If I ever need anything else done, I’d definitely go to their office, for sure.
Even afterward, the nurses and the recovery nurses and staff were great. Dr. Brown went the extra mile. And he made sure he called; he took the time to make me feel like a VIP. I wasn’t just another patient, another number. I said to him ‘just treat me as if it was your wife.’ And he did, I felt like part of the family.
It was a great experience before, during and after, just impeccable.
