21 Jan How Fat Positivity and Tummy Tucks are Perfectly Paired
Wait—you can be fat positive and get a tummy tuck? Absolutely! At Dr. Shaun Parson Plastic Surgery & Skin Center, we work with clients who love their bodies and themselves all the time. In fact, many clients love themselves so completely that they want to treat themselves to a procedure that will make them feel more comfortable and even more like their true, authentic self. Katie Cloyd recently shared her journey with a tummy tuck on the Scary Mommy blog, stressing, “I am very comfortable being fat. I love my body. It’s served me well for thirty-seven years. I think I’m really beautiful, and if I wasn’t physically uncomfortable, I never would have considered lobbing part of my body off. But I won’t pretend I’m not pretty damn excited about how differently clothes fit me now, and how much more confidently I move through the world.”
A tummy tuck is not a weight loss surgery. Tummy tucks largely remove excess skin (not fat) following a weight loss surgery or after someone quickly loses weight (post-partum is a prime example). Of course, many patients also opt for liposuction during a tummy tuck to ensure a symmetrical outcome. Bear in mind that liposuction, too, is not a “weight loss surgery” like bariatric surgery, and there is a limit to how much fat can and should be removed during liposuction. However, a tummy tuck also reinforces the abdominal wall—this aspect of a tummy tuck is the same as diastasis recti repair.
Let’s take a closer look at how a self-proclaimed “fat person” came to embrace the tummy tuck and what it means for others in her situation.
Tummy Tucks for All
We’re sometimes asked by patients if they should achieve a certain “goal weight” or size before a tummy tuck, and there’s no generic answer. Yes, if you lose weight in the future you may again experience loose, sagging, crepe-like skin. However, you don’t have to wait for any magical number to treat yourself to a tummy tuck. Some people do have more than one tummy tuck in their life, especially if they are post-partum in the future. Any healthy adult with sagging skin might be a great candidate for a tummy tuck regardless of their size or weight.
However, there is “excess skin” and then there’s an “apron.” Cloyd opted for a tummy tuck to get rid of her “apron belly,” or “mother’s apron.” The technical term for sagging of this severity is abdominal panus or panniculus. There are different grades of panniculus. It is a dramatic hanging of skin (often with some fat) and it must extend below the bikini line in order to qualify for the term. When referring to the visible belly line, or the VBO, it’s the belly part of it. For Cloyd, she had a Grade 3 panniculus that hung to mid-thigh. Cloyd initially thought losing some weight after the birth of her third daughter would help with this hanging skin, but nothing changed.
Help for Skin Hang-Ups
Cloyd noticed that not only did she have back pain, but she was also had pain simply from the apron constantly putting pressure on her legs. It was difficult to exercise. She developed a yeast rash that was seemingly impossible to treat. After her skin became cracked and regularly bled, she knew she had to do something. Still, she admits that she was curious about how her aesthetic would change, too. Clothing, even plus-sized clothing, isn’t designed to accommodate a pannus. Cloyd loves fashion but felt like she was locked out of that world. “Pants are made for legs … and legs don’t typically have a twenty-pound roll of flesh just chilling in the thigh area,” she says.
She did her requisite surgical research and booked her surgery just two months later. According to Cloyd, “As far as pain is concerned, I am only a week post-op right now [as of the writing of her blog] but I feel pretty good.” Her surgeon removed a total of 19 pounds, which is much more than the average tummy tuck, and Cloyd says she’s sure that removing it was the best choice for both her physical and mental health. “I cannot WAIT to go bathing suit shopping next spring,” she says. Like most patients, her incision is hip bone to hip bone, and she has temporary surgical drains. However, by the time spring break rolls around, those incisions will be well on the way to full healing and hidden below her bikini (not her pannus). “I am thrilled,” shares Cloyd. “My body feels more like my home now.”
If you’re interested in a tummy tuck, liposuction, or mommy makeover to feel your best, schedule a consultation with Dr. Shaun Parson Plastic Surgery & Skin Center today by calling the office or completing the online form.