1000-Lb. Sisters’ Tammy Slaton Has Skin Removal Surgery (Exclusive)

Tammy Slaton has finally undergone skin removal surgery.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the 1000-Lb. Sisters star opened up about the overwhelming emotions she felt after getting approved for the long-awaited surgery amid her incredible weight loss journey.

“After six years and losing over 500 pounds, I was finally approved for surgery,” the 38-year-old tells PEOPLE. “I was just overwhelmed with excitement. I worked really hard for this, and now it’s here. I’m pretty sure it was noticeable on my face how immediately shocked and then overwhelmed with joy I was.” 

At the beginning of the year, Slaton — who underwent bariatric surgery in July 2022 — traveled to Pittsburgh for her skin removal with plastic surgeon Dr. J. Peter Rubin at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “The only thing I could think of was the sandwich,” she said jokingly about her doctor’s name. 

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Although Slaton spent years working toward this milestone, the reality of the procedure started to set in the night before. She admitted that she was more nervous about her skin removal than she was about undergoing bariatric surgery.

“I was really nervous for the skin removal surgery because I was really just kind of afraid of how I’m gonna feel looking at myself without the belly there,” she said.

“The night before my surgery, I was, like, seriously freaking terrified. I was even more nervous about having skin removal surgery than I was for the [sleeve gastrectomy] surgery because they’re actually cutting the whole belly!” 

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Slaton underwent her skin removal surgery on Jan. 18. During the 8-hour procedure, doctors removed “over 15 lbs.” of excess skin from her chin, arms and lower stomach.

After the successful surgery, Slaton had a celebratory greeting from her siblings Amy, Amanda, Misty and Chris when she returned home. “I surprised the doctors with how well my body was healing. I ended up coming home from Pittsburgh, like, four days early,” she told PEOPLE.

Slaton’s complex surgery was documented on 1000-Lb. Sisters. During the season finale, all of her siblings were in awe of her transformation and praised her for how far she’s come in her weight loss journey.

“Oh my God, she looks great,” Misty said on the show. “When she started, she weighed 730 lbs. and we couldn’t even get her to walk to the mailbox. Now she’s lost 500 lbs. I mean, that’s a couple people, not just one person! I am so proud of her it’s just unreal.”