I just watched this program on Discovery Health channel with the above title and HAD to see what it was about.
This lady from England had lost 300lbs down from 520 to 220.
She underwent radical surgery to remove the excess, first under her arms (she had that batwing thing going like I do) which left her with these horrible big scares. Next was Lipposuction to get rid of her double chin which I was sorry to say didn't look much different than when she started. The woman was BORN with a round face!
At the point when I HAD to shut it off because I totally could not stomach it any longer was when she found a Dr in America (because the British surgeons wouldn't preform it) that would tuck her legs and the worst part... cut a huge u shape around her stomach and slice off alot ot the excess skin! It was very risky and she was told she could have easily died from it (thus the reason knowone else would do it).

You know I was thinking of this very thing...I'm nearing a 100 pound weight loss myself which much to go. I know I'm going to have the same "problems" but I would rather have my hangy arms and droopy gut than do something so deadly and end up with gigantic scars everywhere.
The thing is the lady is still pretty round, now to be honest I would do something like this if it wasn't risky nor painful..but we all know that isn't going to happen!
She was also on an Atkins-like diet is the good news so she is a sucess story in that aspect. Also she and her husband are over 100,000.00 bucks in the hole from this. They are broke.
Years back when my mom had her breast removed because of cancer I looked at the huge cut (she was a large woman as well) and the flat area where her breast had been and vowed that knowone was going to cut me unless it was for a dire health reason like that.
I can't imagine undergoing something you could die from if it wasn't to save your life except in cases of disfigurement etc. I don't think that womans quality of life was going to suffer from a flabby belly!
Some years back I did stay in England for awhile and was only 250lbs at the time and quite active. I was SHOCKED by how horrible I was treated for being fat! I mean it wasn't like here where someone shouts in passing or snickers when you walk by which is bad enough...people would literally walk up to me and insult me with all seriousness. Young, old and inbetween and it blew my mind! It wasn't any different according to city, town, countryside either.
She talk about how terrible she was treated there where people spit on her etc. Perhaps that is what drove her to this.

Well wanted to write about that show and see if anyone has some feelings on it, watched it or just wants to comment on what I wrote.

Nibby

well....the only 2 ppl I know who lost tons of weigt like that all had tummy tucks and arm skin removed like that.... I've never heard that it was life threatening..its SUPER common! one lady I know was over 400 pounds and had the surgery, lost a lof of weight and when she got down to 150 they chopped off most of her belly and made her a new belly button..she is a good friend to me like family...I know there is risk to every surgery but in general I dont think this one is that bad?!

Sounds scary, but one of my good friends is getting the gas-bypass done next month and I just think that is a quick fix. I am scared for her.

I dont know how old that show was, but tummy tucks, skin removal arms/legs/tummy/rear/breast are ridiculously common. And this is done by plastic surgeons now as OUTPATIENT Surgery (breast/rear/arms/legs). Thats how common it is..

I just watched a medical show recently where a woman who went from 300 to 146 had the same surgery. they removed 26 lbs of skin and she endedup at 120. tummy and butt was first, two weeks later was breast and arms...

I have also seen the tummy/love handles removal surgery on a medical station. not life threatening at all...

I wonder if she had some "other condition" which made it so dangerous for her.

While its certainly extreme, and you could call any surgery dangerous, it certainly in most cases is not life threatening.

WOW ok it must have been an old show then. They really talked alot about how she could die etc. and I guess I don't know any supersized people that had this done so...Its not that bad?
I heard of smaller people getting tucks etc and wondered if they made a big deal of it because she was still 220?
Well I'm going to check out the website and see if they have a date on the show.
Does anyone know of the scarring, does it fade afterward etc?
Did you friend have any infections complications?
You know its something I thought about alot but last night I just about passed out watching it done!

Nibby

The surgery was done in March this year. She lost 309 pounds and the surgery took 12 hours to perform! That's why it was so dangerous for her. Any time you are under for that long, it IS dangerous and can be life threatening.

I watched it, but I watch all the plastic surgery shows, plan to be a Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon, only 10 more years of school LOL!
Any of you watch Extreme Makeover?

I watch extreme makeover all the time. I love that show.

BTW - when you've lost 100s of lbs. and have skin removed it is usually not for vanity's sake. People get all kinds of horrible infections and skin rashes in the folds where the skin rubs and sweat collects. Sometimes their skin even begins to break down.

When you have big upper arms having all that flab can make it difficult if not impossible to do tasks that require you to lift your arms above your head for any length of time, like washing your hair or changing a lightbulb, etc. Also, try finding a top in a size medium that will accommodate 20+ inches of arm flab or pants that will fit a 36 inch waist when you have 30 inch thighs.

I'm sure most of these people aren't doing the surgeries to look like a playboy model. They are doing it to improve their quality of life, just like they did in deciding to lose the weight in the first place.

Personally, I'm hoping exercise will help some of this flab tighten up enough that I can live with it but, if it doesn't and I could afford it, I'd be in that plastic surgery line too.

Her surgery was more than a tummy tuck-- it was a circumferential body lift-- she had 35 pounds of skin and fat removed at one time. She had the surgery in Nov. 2002-- it was a resent show.

I have a friend who had weight loss surgery and has already lost over 100 pounds. Her doctor told her that she will have to have surgery to remove the excess skin from her stomach because otherwise she will get all sorts of infections and rashes where the skin hangs down.

I am hoping that by low carbing and losing the weight more slowly I can avoid needing surgery. I don't mind a little loose skin, but apparently too much can be a problem. So far I seem to be avoiding having too much loose skin -- most of my hanging skin is still full of fat!

That is why the exercising is so important. The weight loss alone can leave you very ugly with sagging skin everywhere. I have a friend that looked so OLD after loosing over 100lbs a few years ago. I don't want to look like that either even though I'd like to loose my weight faster than I am now... I've been 'hanging' with the fat inside mine for so long it would be as easy/hard to cope with empty hanging skin too but I wouldn't WANT too after all the hard work...so I can understand. It just gives me the shivers thinking about it and makes me even more determined to exercise more.
Pat

Perhaps exercise is the reason I dont have hanging skin. I've been consistently exercising for about an hour a day, five days a week, for the past year. I've changed what I do as I have lost some weight and gotten more fit, but I've always exercised (including when I weighed over 350 pounds and wasn't losing weight -- I swam laps then).

You guys have me scared....so WHEN I get to goal weight...I will be all hangy and flabby??? oh please god tell me no! I am doing all kinds of workouts but am worried about my already gross hangy belly.

How much hanging skin you will have depends on a lot of things - age, heredity, ethnicity, exercise habits, nutritional issues, etc. Everyone's skin is different and the amount of elasticity varies. There are some creams that you can get that say they 'firm' skin and I've had some good results with the Nivea brand but, there is only so much any topical treatment can do.

But, you know what? I'd still rather be a saggy size 10 than a firm 32!!!

Well I have to say that being big in the first place can give alot of people skin rashes etc! Skin breakdown occurs when your skin is stretched so thin that it actually tears. I have had this happen a few times under my breasts and it hurts like HELL!
I don't think loosing weight is going to make that worse but actually help prevent those things even with saggy skin. I powder after every shower just to keep the dampness at bay and the rashes.
A doctor telling someone that is going to happen doesn't realize for alot of people BEFORE they loose all the weight has already had it happen!
Especially if you are supersized.

I have been thinking more about this and think another house mortage would be a little much to get my whole body zipped up.
I'm also diabetic so healing/operations etc are harder on me.
Also my vanity tells me to get rid of the batwings someday.......

Also I find alot of doctors know nothing about a supersized person so I would take what they say with a grain of salt and alot of research.

One more note...hey if I was that woman I would have skipped the chin
lipo and got a nose job.....sure I know thats cruel but she seemed to be her own worse critic anyway. *waiting for rotten tomatos to be thrown in my direction* *stepping off the soapbox and running for cover*

Nibby