“Researched for 10 Yrs - Finally Did It! Upper/lower Abs, Flanks and Love Handles”
I've researched liposuction on and off for 10 years. Smartlipo was the first that is affordable and physically reasonable for me.
The whole procedure was very casual and easy. I took a Vicodin, had pictures and weight taken, laid down, had very small numbing injections and then a lidocaine infusion. Away we went with the laser! The lidocaine made my skin feel like it turned to stone so the laser was painless. It merely felt like someone was massaging my skin. The ultrasound was a little more strange, as it sounded like a drill, but was painless, too. Finally, the suction was a slightly uncomfortable at times, but not painful. The most annoying part of my day was laying down for so long.
I had my upper abdomen, lower abdomen and love handles (incl flanks) done. My front took about 3 hours because I had a lot of girth! Because it was mostly superficial fat, the removal from my front was a mere 4 pounds... but it looked like it should have been 10! We then took a break for lunch - had a salad and Gatorade.
My sides took about 2 hours. They were more solid, deep fat than my front and weighed 9 pounds although the mass removed looked like less than from my front! Overall, I lost about 13 pounds, but it looked like 20.
I have been a little stiff and sore the past couple of days, and experiencing a little itchiness as I heal, but this has been a breeze. I am down 2 sizes even with swelling, so my results are great so far. It was worth the money, worth the time, and I can't wait to see the end results!
This review is the subjective opinion of a RealSelf member and not of RealSelf, Inc.
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used in what area of Ca? What did she say?
To answer your questions, I had the procedure performed by Dr. Kang at Serenity MedSpa in San Francisco. Since it's outpatient, you could go for a long weekend, hang out in a hotel and order room service afterward. You'll be sore, so I wouldn't travel too far or by air.
A year and a half later, my belly looks awesome! I worked with the same medspa to get on a diet plan and lost weight. I then continued the plan on my own. I'm down 40 lbs from my heaviest. Another 40 to go.
Some things I learned about it:
1. Unless you have the other parts of your body done and you have a lot removed, you will look uneven. My hips are a greater proportion than they used to be.
2. I only have a couple of tiny scars from where the laser and cannula were inserted, but they are so tiny that they don't bother me.
3. Lipo isn't about losing weight. It's about losing inches or even centimeters and feeling more confident about your body. It's a nice jump start to a whole body transformation.
4. Doing the lengthy research panned out. Going to someone offering a cheap deal or a fixit situation probably wouldn't have turned out as well. It was a costly procedure, but for me, it was worth every dime to have the right care and precision.