This is a brief story of a man called Vincent who had a Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck operation. The Fleur De Lis procedure is explained below followed by correspondence between Vincent and Tanner (the owner of this website) who had a tummy tuck with body lift.
 Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck 2 Weeks Post Op |
What Does Fleur De Lis Mean?
In French, fleur means flower, and lis means lily.
What Is Fleur De Lis?
A Fleur De Lis is a stylized and decorative symbol that resembles a lily. It was historically associated with the French Monarchy. A Fleur De Lis can have many variations of the same shape. Here are a few examples.
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| Fleur De Lis Symbol | Fleur De Lis Symbol |
What is a Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck?
A Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck is a tummy tuck that uses both vertical and horizontal incisions. It gets it’s name (fleur de lis) from the shape of the pattern drawn on your skin to indicate where the incisions will be. It is often used on patients with massive amounts of weight loss. A fleur-de-lis tummy tuck is used to maximize the amount of skin that can be removed because it allows the surgeon to remove skin “side to side” as well as “up and down”. Another advantage of the fleur-de-lis tummy tuck is that it results in a slimmer waistline and better shape. A disadvantage to the fleur-de-lis tummy tuck is that you end up with an additional scar running up and down your stomach/chest.
This is What Vincent Wrote About His Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck
“The fleur de lis…. well, first off, my surgeon gave me the option of the normal tummy tuck surgery or the fleur de lis. He specifically wanted to let me make the decision, because the fleur de lis surgery gives you a much larger scar.
They perform this type of surgery, as far as I know, when the amount of skin above the belly button is far too much to reduce to a normal amount with just the normal tummy tuck. In that case, they also need to make a vertical incision to pull the sides together to decrease the amount of skin there.
However, having undergone this surgery, I can tell you that it DOES decrease the amount of skin above the belly button drastically, but it does not eliminate ALL the extra skin. The reason for this is that they take away a tapered flap of skin, meaning that at the top of the incision (nearest the rib-cage) the least amount of skin can be taken away. This is to reduce the chance of a ‘dog ear’ at that site. A nub of skin there would look rather silly, you have to agree.
There’s some things you should know though. With this type of surgery, you have two scars, the horizontal and the vertical, which come together at some point. This, my surgeon explained, creates a very weak point. There’s a lot of tension on that point. In fact, it’s exactly where my own scar ruptured almost 4 weeks post op. (This doesn’t happen to most people though… it’s because I still had a lot of fluids and old blood in my body, which caused a lot of extra pressure on that point while I tossed and turned in my sleep).”
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| Before Picture | Morning After Surgery | 5 Weeks Post Op | Surgical Drains |
CORRESPONDENCE
Correspondence is between Vincent (who lives in the Netherlands and had a Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck) and Tanner (who lives in the U.S. and had a full Tummy Tuck with body lift).
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
SUBJECT: Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck
Dear Tanner,
Thank you SO much for setting up this website with your experiences. I have been looking for something like this for AGES, and have finally found the resource I’ve been looking for.
I lost 90 pounds after a life of being fat. I’m 34 and have had severe migraine attacks all my life. After having been treated by a neurologist since I was 12, my neurologist finally told me there was nothing else he could do for me (after we’d tried every available treatment). The only thing he could think of was me trying to lose weight. So I did.
And it worked. I have far less migraine attacks, and the ones I do have are far less intense. However, now I have a lot of skin left. So, I am having the skin ‘chopped off’ in 3 months. Your results look amazing, and I can only hope that the results of my own surgery will look the same.
Selecting a surgeon was tough. In the end, I just went on a site which was specifically for women in my area (I live in the Netherlands), and looked at which results I liked best. Then I picked the closest one of the results I liked best, and had a meeting there. One hard demand I have for this procedure, though, is that it is done in an actual hospital. This is possible here in the Netherlands, though it is slightly more expensive (only by about 1000 euro’s). It includes 3 nights in hospital, and I wanted this basically for my own peace of mind.
The total cost for my hip to hip tummy tuck with liposuction the love handles will come to 5950 euro’s (about 7000 dollars, more of less).of the love handles will come to 5950 euro’s (about 7000 dollars, more of less).
Your site has given me a clear picture of what to expect. However, what I would like to ask is this: How long does it take after the surgery before I can get back to work? I have an office job, but one where I frequently have to go on house calls. I cycle from my office to the homes of people, all through town. I have 3 weeks of vacation time I am taking for this surgery, and have asked for an additional week of unpaid time off. In case I don’t get this week off, I would like to know beforehand whether I will need to make arrangements at the office. I could, if I know what to expect, make arrangements to postpone all house calls for a week or two..
I hope you can answer that question for me…. I sort of need to know when I can expect to be able to cycle again, and when I can expect to be able to sit in an office chair for 7 hours a day again.
Again, thank you So much for this website, it is truly a godsend.
Vincent
RESPONSE
Vincent,
I too had migraines for a long period of time. I am not really sure what caused them but I suspect the main reasons was being overweight and the type of shirt I wore (a dress shirt). I was an engineer in an office and often sat at a desk or drafting board for long periods of time. When I leaned forward, my collar would rub against the back of my neck. I could tell when a migraine was coming on because one of my ears would turn red. Since I have lost the weight and had the tummy tuck operation I only wear stretchy polo type shirts and haven’t had a migraine in many years.
Having your surgery in a hospital is a smart move. If something did go wrong you know you are at a facility with proper staff and is equipped to handle any emergency.
How long does it take after the surgery before I can get back to work? I can just tell you information that I found when I did my research and from my own personal experience. I have listed some of my work and exercise related questions from my website as follows:
How will I feel after tummy tuck surgery?
It may take 3 – 6 weeks until you feel back to normal, depending on the shape that you are in. If you are in top shape you may feel normal in 1 -2 weeks.
When can I drive after tummy tuck surgery?
Driving after a Tummy Tuck is usually permitted about two weeks after surgery.
When can I exercise after tummy tuck surgery?
Typically you can exercise lightly in about 3 – 4 weeks following Tummy Tuck Surgery. Go slowly and follow your doctor’s advice regarding exercise. You can hurt yourself if you overdo it. Be careful not to stretch or pull in the area of the stitches or tummy area.
When can I go back to work after tummy tuck surgery? How much time do you take off from work for a Tummy Tuck?
It really depends on how well you are recovering and what type of work you do. For office work typically you can return to work in one to two weeks. For more strenuous manual labor work up to 6 weeks or longer. I had a Tummy Tuck with a Lateral Thigh Lift operation and I felt that one week was about right for me (office work).
My Personal Experience
(12/5/07) The Day After my Tummy Tuck – I could walk slowly
(12/11/07) I cheated and drove before I should have.
(12/16/07) I exercised with light dumbbell weights (15 lbs. weights) and various stretches for 1 hour. I think I was suppose to wait a few weeks after a Tummy Tuck before exercising but I was feeling very good. I took great care to avoid any pulling on the mid-section area and on my stitches.
(12/19/07) Stitches Removed. Fluid drained with needle.
(12/20/07) 1 hour of exercise. Still using the lower 15 lb. weights.
(12/23/07) Exercised 1 hour using the 25 lb. weights
Remember, I had a worst case scenario – a tummy tuck with a body lift. They cut skin away from me from all sides of my body. I would think that a regular tummy tuck would not be as “bad”.
Judging from how I felt at that time I would think that 3 weeks should be more than sufficient time for returning to office work. Riding the bicycle all over town may be another matter. If you don’t use or pull on you abdominal muscles or tummy area and take it easy, I would think that it is probably “do-able”.
It may also depend on the type of bike that you ride, how far and fast you go and how strenuous it is. If you do ride your bike I would suggest that you invest in additional compression garments to wear while you are cycling. I would bind myself up pretty tight to make it impossible to pull at stitches or the surgical wound area. The last thing you want to do is injure yourself and cause complications to your recovery. If you have a bike that forces you into leaning forward or in awkward positions you may want to borrow or rent a different bike that will be more compatible with a tummy tuck operation.
Bottom line is that I probably could have returned to work and ridden a bicycle at the end of three weeks (especially if I did not have the thigh lift) but I am told that I was lucky in my recovery experience. Others have not been as fortunate or pain free in their recovery. Every individual’s experiences are different.
How long do you need in order to postpone your house calls? Would it be possible to have the operation, recover for two weeks then determine if you need to postpone your house calls?
As far as sitting at a desk for 7 hours a day I wouldn’t think that it would be a problem as long as you can take frequent breaks and move around. Sitting after my tummy tuck was never a problem for me.
I would also suggest that you discuss your return to work plan with your surgeon. He will be in the best possible position to give you a clear answer to your question.
Hope this helped with your decision.
Good luck.
Tanner
FOLLOW-UP
Tuesday, June 29, 2010 2:40 PM
SUBJECT: Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck
Hi Tanner,
Thank you so much for your reply! And quick too! Like I said, I’ve had the migraines since i was twelve, and we’ve never been able to figure out where they come from. I’m just glad they’ve been gone for a while now. Only 7 and a half weeks, so far, but still, coming from a situation where I had a severe attack every other day, not having any kind of attack at all for over 7 weeks is a miracle.
The trick for me, as it turns out, is the weight loss in combination with some weightlifting. During my weight loss I’d been cycling about 20 miles a day for work anyways, so I know it’s not the cardio, but after a visit to a cosmetic surgeon (I was told, like you were, that the skin problem with the skin in the man-boob area isn’t severe enough for surgery, and the only thing to do is weightlifting to fill it out with muscle…. so I took that as a challenge) I started weightlifting 7 weeks ago. Not a single migraine since. Maybe it’s because I am using and stretching certain muscle correctly now…. who knows. I’m just happy as can be.
Your answer have really helped me a lot. I had already expected (and hoped) to a least be back to work after 3 weeks, and now I know I will be. I have a high pain tolerance (you have to develop that with the frequent migraines), so any pain I may have won’t really be an issue. The only issue might be getting tired easily. But as I can sit at the desk most of the time, I should be fine.
As for cycling…. hey, I’m Dutch…. I have 3 bikes…. I will simply select the most comfortable bike (with shock dampening technology and all) and use that one. And go slowly. But I can pretty much postpone the house calls for a week or two. The most urgent things… well… I can figure something out.
By the way…. I wanted the body lift, as I have a lot of skin around the love handle area….but they simply won’t perform that surgery here in the Netherlands. They feel it’s too big/invasive an operation to do in one go. Instead, they’re going to do some lipo on the love handles. We’ll see how it comes out, but if I’m not happy with it, I guess round two will be next year on the love handles. We’ll see how it comes out, but if I’m not happy with it, I guess round two will be next year.
Again, thanks for the help!
Vincent
Sent: Monday, November 01, 2010
SUBJECT: Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck
Hey Tanner,
I sent you two messages at the end of June, and your replies were a great help. I’ve had my tummy tuck surgery, and even though the results are amazing, and I’d gladly have it done again if I had to decide whether I needed it, I did have two complications.
Two and a half weeks after my surgery (a week after my drains had been removed) there was a lot of fluid build up in my belly, and some redness on part of the scar. A tiny little part of the vertical scar (I had the fleur de lis type surgery with both a horizontal and vertical scar)re-opened, after it had been closed for a while. It started leaking a little bit of blood.
Two days later, ten minutes after I woke up, it stopped leaking and started actually dribbling blood. So I headed on over to my doctor. My doc proceeded to drain (by simply pressing and having me stand in certain positions) a total of 3 or 4 cups of what she described as old blood.
The wound healed up nicely again, and things started to go a lot better. However, I was still real tired all of the time. So, last week (4 weeks post-op) I woke up in a puddle of blood. The horizontal scar just below the belly button had apparently ripped during sleep. I was soaked in blood, as was my compression garment, the shirt I slept in and the pillow I had held against my belly during sleep. So back to the surgeon I went.
The surgeon told me not to worry, that this sometimes happens, especially with people who had the same type of tummy tuck I had. He was actually quite pleased that my body decided to get rid of the last of the extra fluids this way, as that meant he didn’t have to drain it with a syringe. He proceeded to wash out the bit of the scar which had ruptured with some kind of anti-bacterial stuff, and sutured me back up. He also told me to take it easy for 3 days.
Hopefully, that’s all of my complications. I have to say though, I couldn’t be happier with the results!
sincerely,
Vincent
RESPONSE
Vincent,
Thanks for the update. Sorry to hear that you had complications but glad to hear that you’re happy with the results.
I have never heard of the fleur de lis surgery so I just did a quick Google search for images. They really open you up with that one don’t they.
It must have been pretty scary first dribbling blood then waking up in a pool of blood.
First the vertical incision, then the horizontal one. That doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.
How did the scars open up? Turning in your sleep? Would that have happened if the compression garment was bigger or tighter? I hope you had a plastic underlay on your bed (though probably not after 4 weeks have passed).
That’s interesting that all the doctor did to remove the blood was to push or squeeze it out of you. It must have been fascinating for you to watch (if you did watch).
Have you started cycling again? If so, how long after surgery did you get back on? Have you started exercising?
Too bad for the complications but it is a good feeling when it’s all over. I hope nothing else happens. Good luck with the rest of your recovery.
Tanner
Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2010
SUBJECT: Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck
Hey Tanner,
Thanks for the reply! Yeah, it was kind of scary to see all the blood. Well, it was scary at first, and then I was kind of fascinated… I did watch the doctor push it all out, and I remember thinking “is this never going to stop?” And it did, after about 10 to 15 minutes…
Well, if you are interested in pictures, I’m willing to send you some of my pictures, I have enough of them.
As for the complications… well, everything seems to be fine now, except that I still have one tiny little hole in the vertical scar. It keeps leaking a little old blood, but the surgeon says it’s ok, and that it’ll close up on its own.
Something I forgot to mention… Like you, I had absolutely no pain after the surgery. Nothing. Well, maybe a stab or two when I made a wrong move, but that’s it. I was completely off any type of painkillers after 2 days.
As for cycling, I first tried cycling after 5 days. And it was ok. No real problems, though it was slow going. To be honest…everything I did was slow going…. I seem to still have that problem a little… I get tired real easily.
I am back at work, and I did start doing house calls again (getting around town by bike), but it tires me out, so I have to rest when I get home from work.
As for exercising… well, I did start, but that was before I went back to work full time. Now that I’m back to work, I simply don’t have the energy. I guess it will have to wait another week or two.
Thanks for the well wishes, I’m sure everything will go fine!
Vincent
RESPONSE
Vincent,
Is it pretty cool not to have any pain from the surgery isn’t it. Some people complain about excruciating pain. I guess it’s different for everybody.
It does take time to get your energy and stamina back. But that was a pretty invasive surgery. Healing can be a really slow process.
Since you mentioned your “fleur de lis type of surgery” you got me curious about that type of surgery and why it is performed. I think I will do a web page on it and add it to my website. It may take me a few weeks or so to do it because I am working on a new website. If you would like me to add your pictures, that would be fine. If not, that’s fine too. (If you do I would blur your face in the photographs to play it safe. Once something is on the internet it’s there forever.)
If you don’t mind, I will include your email descriptions of what your “fleur de lis” surgery experience was like on my new web page. Of course I won’t use your last name (like all the other posts in my forum section).
Best regards,
Tanner
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2010
SUBJECT: Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck
Hey Tanner,
Yeah, the painlessness was a complete surprise. A welcome one, I have to say. The only pain I had, apart from a stab here and there (found out afterwards that I actually felt the stitches which were used on the inside of my skin, to keep the remaining skin in the correct place after the surgery) was just before the surgery itself: the anesthesia…. the moment they told me they were injecting the fluids, the arm into which they were injecting it started hurting like crazy. Luckily that lasted about 7 seconds before they put the mask on me and i was gone.
Yeah, I’ve noticed it takes quite a while to get my energy level back to where it used to be. Part of not having it back to regular is, no doubt, because i still can’t go to the gym. I keep planning to go, but I am too tired all the time. Tomorrow is my day off though, so I’m going to try my best.
The fleur de lis…. well, first off, my surgeon gave me the option of the normal tummy tuck surgery or the fleur de lis. He specifically wanted to let me make the decision, because the fleur de lis surgery gives you a much larger scar.
They perform this type of surgery, as far as I know, when the amount of skin above the belly button is far too much to reduce to a normal amount with just the normal tummy tuck. In that case, they also need to make a vertical incision to pull the sides together to decrease the amount of skin there.
However, having undergone this surgery, I can tell you that it DOES decrease the amount of skin above the belly button drastically, but it does not eliminate ALL the extra skin. The reason for this is that they take away a tapered flap of skin, meaning that at the top of the incision (nearest the rib-cage) the least amount of skin can be taken away. This is to reduce the chance of a ‘dog ear’ at that site. A nub of skin there would look rather silly, you have to agree.
There’s some things you should know though. With this type of surgery, you have two scars, the horizontal and the vertical, which come together at some point. This, my surgeon explained, creates a very weak point. There’s a lot of tension on that point. In fact, it’s exactly where my own scar ruptured almost 4 weeks post op. (This doesn’t happen to most people though… it’s because I still had a lot of fluids and old blood in my body, which caused a lot of extra pressure on that point while I tossed and turned in my sleep).
Also, you know that the belly button is always a difficult point with any tummy tuck. Well, with the FDL surgery, you make it even more difficult, because it is also a convergence point with the vertical scar. In fact, the spots where they came together where some of the spots which were last to close up fully for me.
You are more than welcome to use both my description and my pictures (added here). Don’t worry about taking out my face, there’s no zoomed out pictures in there. I have included a before picture to show why I did this, and to show the extra skin above the belly button. At least, I hope it shows that. I have also included three post op pictures, one of the morning after (there’s some blood there though), one of 2 weeks post op (loads of fluid build up) and one taken a couple days ago at 5 weeks post-op.
The last picture I’ve added is one of the drains. I have only added this one because they look completely different from the drains in your pictures. The drains they gave me were huge… the size of a medium order of coke at a McDonalds… I never had to empty them, they were vacuum sealed, and they were only exchanged for new ones once.
In the pictures, you will notice that my horizontal scar is very high. I just want to tell you that that has nothing to do with the fleur de lis type surgery. The surgeon did that because I had the least amount of stretch marks in the skin underneath the overhanging skin. The lower skin was least damaged and looked best. He decided that, as skin with stretchmark’s is damaged skin, and might tear again, it would also be safer to use as much of that as possible. (I happen to agree with him).
In any case, feel free to use anything apart from my last name (which you already said you won’t use), and if there’s anything I can help you with, or if you have any additional question, just let me know! (I’ll send you an update picture once I hit the 3 month mark)
Best regards,
Vincent
Sent: Sunday, November 07, 2010
SUBJECT: Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck
Hey Tanner,
No problem! Your website was of enormous help to me, and it didn’t contain any info on the fleur de lis surgery, so if someone else is looking for info on this type of surgery, I am glad that they can now find it on your site!
To be honest, I really don’t know why the drains are so different. Remember though, I had my surgery done in hospital, and had to stay there a total of 2 nights and 3 days.
As for the anesthesia, my surgeon told me afterwards that they were using a new type of anesthesia in this hospital, which drastically reduced the chance of any type of nausea. And i have to say… no nausea, which was good. They gave me a mask as well as the injection because apparently, this type of anesthesia takes a bit longer to start to work, and they wanted me knocked out straight away.
The drains and walking around with them. Well, yes, it was possible, but it meant I had to take them with me in a small plastic carrier bag. Not a big issue, but i was glad to be rid of the bag.
On the evening after the surgery, I was able to stand and shuffle about… however, because I had lost a lot of blood during surgery, and was unable to eat and hadn’t eaten since midnight, I fainted. So, really, I didn’t start walking til the day after surgery. But by then, I was pretty much able to do everything, in terms of walking. Sure, I was walking bent over, and taking small steps and going quite slowly like an old man, but I was walking.
I didn’t need any help, actually, though I’m glad to say I don’t live alone, because I couldn’t have done the house chores in the first 2 or 3 weeks.
The stretch marks. Yes, I do mean those claw like (now rather symmetrical looking) scars running alongside the incision on my stomach. If you look at the before picture, you can see that my skin ‘rimples’ a lot… well, that’s caused more by the stretchmark’s than anything else. Because I gained weight quickly as a child, the stretchmark’s formed quickly as well. So while they were still forming (or as my surgeon said: you skin simply tore) I was still getting bigger. So by the time the torn skin had healed in one place, a little higher, a new part of the stretch mark had already formed. I really do credit my surgeon for making it as symmetrical as it has become. I had loads more of those symmetrical stretch marks on my stomach than are visible now, and they weren’t as symmetrical as they look now. My surgeon really did do an amazing job, I have to say.
The compression garment… I am still wearing it, actually. I have to wear it until 6 weeks post-op. In fact, I will have to ring them to ask if I have to wear it a while longer due to the rupture of the scar and stuff. But, the hospital gave me two compression garments. (it’s the white thing with the blood on it that I’m lying on the ‘morning after picture) I alternate the garments once every two days, so I can wash them. The garment goes from just under the horizontal scar (about an inch and a half under) to my ribs. It is quite snug, yes, but not uncomfortably so.
The belly button. Well, I was told that what they did is actually exactly the same as with a regular tummy tuck. They separated the belly button from the skin, cut around it, and placed it back in the newly created stomach skin. It just looks different because there’s also an incision above and underneath. Well, and because the belly button is still very swollen on the inside. (which you can see if you compare the 2 and 5 week post op pics to the morning after picture… the belly button is much wider now than it was straight after surgery, and that’s due to swelling on the inside of the belly button.
The tubing in the morning after picture. I can see how it would look empty, but that’s because the tubing which comes out of my body is far thinner than the tubing which goes into the drain. They’re two different types of tubes. About 10 inches from my body there was this valve type thing where the tube from my body was connected to a much wider tube which went to the drain. The tube from my body always looked empty to me too, but mostly that’s because it was really thin on the inside (apparently to avoid clots in there, as the vacuum force on it would be bigger and the fluids would get out of there too fast to form clots) and because the colour was green, and there was a big white stripe on it. But trust me, there was a lot of fluid in the drains.
In total, the drains collected about a liter of fluids (sorry, don’t know how much that is in non-metric….) in about 6 days.
Anyways, good luck with the page, and if there’s ever anything I can do, let me know!
Vincent
RESPONSE
Vincent,
Thanks for the pictures, including the one for the surgical drains.
That’s curious about the surgical drains being so different. I wonder if it’s because of geography, different doctors or different surgeries. Could you walk around and go out in public with those things on?
We must have had different anesthesia given to us. Mine was very pleasant and they didn’t use a mask on me.
I see what you mean about where the two incisions come together being a weak area. Pictures do explain a lot.
It does look like they did a good job though. Your incisions are nice and symmetrical and appear to be healing very well.
I do have some additional questions if you don’t mind.
– How long were you in the hospital? When you went home could you walk around and do stuff by yourself or did you have to have help?
– When you refer to stretch marks do you mean those “claw like” marks that show up best in the 5 week post op picture or are those marks from something else? They look too uniform to be stretch marks, although I have never seen any before. I wonder why I never had any.
– About your compression garment. Did you use just one or two? It must have been pretty wide to cover both incisions. I would also think it would have to be extra snug to keep everything together.
– About your belly button. It almost looks like they sliced through your belly button. I can’t really tell from the pictures. I would assume they cut around it first to detach it, then sewed it back in between the two flaps of skin at the end of the operation. Seems like that would be tricky to do.
– The morning after picture doesn’t show any blood in the surgical drain tubing. I would have expected this to be solid red. They look empty as compared to the other picture.
I went ahead and created a new web page. I cut and pasted your pictures and our correspondence onto the page. I will add the content later. Your pictures can be found here.
That’s all good information and hopefully may be of help to others. I learned something I didn’t know. Thanks for the permission to use it.
Tanner
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