Arm lift and Belt Abdominoplasty

[danny]

This is my first time here on the message board. On July 20th I am scheduled to have both an arm lift and a belt abdominoplasty. I am very nervous, but excited at the same time. I am wanting to know if anyone has any suggestions that they wish someone would have shared with them before they went in for this sort of procedure. Any advise is welcome. Like should I sleep in a recliner or stay with the bed? How painful, really, is the belt abdominoplasty? My surgeon says the procedure will take around 7 hours and I will be in hospital for four days. Thanks!

[anu]

congrats on getting to this point of scheduling your surgeries. I don't have any info on the belt abdominoplasty...what is that vs just a 'regular' abdominoplasty? I am 1.5 pounds from the minus 100 pounds mark and will be having a tummy procedure along with BA that I am saving up for. Right now, I am 5 weeks post op from the arm lift/brachioplasty that I had along with spider veins, restalyn, forehead lift, a cyst removed, etc., all of which was done on an outpatient basis...I was in around 10am. and home by 6pm. Your tummy procedure must be pretty extensive to require the 4 days in hospital. I can only speak from the point of view of the procedures that I had, but it was very helpful to spend the first week post op on the couch in our family room rather than using my regular bed. I piled up zillions of pillows behind my back, and then needed no pressure on arms or tummy to be able to get up. The arms were never that painful in recovery - and I'm the one that posted about being so happy that I cried, when I got my first look at my newly reshaped arms. It's really changed the way I see the whole rest of my body. It will be very important to have someone with you for the first few days when you get home, but you should be fairly self sufficient re being able to take care of personal hygenic matters. If I can answer any other specific questions let me know. It was nice that you posted your email - perhaps I will be in touch...we may have something in common professionally, as I can tell from your email address. Best of luck with everything.

[melmel]

I assume that sleeping in a bed is better than a chair. I doubt I would even be able to fall asleep in a bed. Of course, the pain of the swelling will probably make it hard enough to sleep.

[sacback]

I think you should sleep in a chair if you can. If you happent o have a recliner chair, use it. It helps you to elevate your arms better than it does for you to sleep in the bed.