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My Journey Through SmartLipo - Charlotte, NC

I wanted to sort of journal through my days of...

  • 15 Jun 2012

I wanted to sort of journal through my days of smart lipo.

Yesterday I went to see Dr. Bruce Marko in Charlotte, NC for Smart Lipo of the upper/lower abdomen and love handles.
I am in my upper 20’s. 5’1” tall. Doctor’s scale said I weighed 128, my home scale says 125.
I do want to state, before I say anything else, that I did do research on him. I did not find any bad reviews on him. He is NOT a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, but he is Board Certified in other specialties and I feel he has had the hands on experience long enough. He has been around the area for a while and had been doing this procedure since it was first available. Minimum of 5 years. I did see his before and after photos and asked as many questions as possible. I felt confident he would do a great job so I went along with him as my surgeon.
Operation Day (June 14th 2012)

I went in and had my weight and before pictures taken.
First he gave me a small injection of a numbing agent in 2 areas. I already had a scar on my back so we agreed he could use that and make the small incision on my back side, and then he did one really low below the belt line in the center. From there he started injecting the numbing agent into my sub fat layers. After that had time to set in he cranked up the Smart lipo machine and went to work. First he lasered over all areas and then he went in with the suction and suctioned out everything. I could see in the canister they got 800mL of fluid out. Not all of that was fat of course. 100mL they could see distinctly so far was solid fat. The nurse told me it would take some time for it to completely separate and when I came back for my post op in a week she could give me the official mLs that were just fat.
The nurse helped my sit up and showed me how to put on my compression garments. One is like a small lycra body suit that is crotch less and goes from my thighs up to just below my breast. The second is a elastic band I wrap around and then Velcro. It goes just around my mid section. I had drainage therough out the rest of the day at home as they told me I would. Went through about 3 super maxi pads on the back. Maybe ½ a one on the front. Total from after surgery til the AM. At night time when I put on my fresh pads before bed I was super swollen below the belt in the female areas. It looked scary and ridiculous at the same time. I knew this was just swelling and where the fluid had migrated so I wasn’t worried and I went to bed. Sleeping the first night was fine.

Day 2 - Recovery
I haven’t leaked any more from the front according to my maxi pad this morning, but I had filled up the one I put on the back before bed. When I was in the shower I saw some of the pinkish fluid go down the drain from the back part. I’m getting a little sore now, it is 3pm. But still nothing unbearable. Just feels like I have bruises on my back maybe and like I did too many sit ups on my upper abs. no more swelling in the female regions below. That makes things much more comfortable. I have had no problems working today. I have a sedentary job, but I have been up and about as much as possible to keep the soreness from setting in and help my metabolism stay up to metabolize the fluid and liquefied fat that the suction left behind.

The second night was fine. I felt it was easier to...

  • 16 Jun 2012
The second night was fine. I felt it was easier to sleep the second night vs. the first. Woke up this morning and felt fine. I actually felt less sore than I had yesterday. I don't see any bruising yet. If i touch on certain spots it is tender but if I'm not touching them I don't notice it. I'm very suprised I have no bruises. I bruise so easy in general. I had my garnment off for about half hour this morning. I threw them in the quick six min wash cycle while i showered. No more drainage from either incision site. I know I'm swollen but when I was looking in the mirror I look exactly the same as i did the day of, or at least thats what my mind thinks. So naturally I assume that when all this fluid and swelling goes away that will lead to results. I'm taking pictures each day right before I shower and i will comlare them in about six weeks. I have also been drinking as much water as i possibly can and urinating frequently. I know thia helps flush out fat and helps assist your body with the process. I walk breifly and slowly with the dog or around the gouse too. I try not to just sit around all day. I will post again on day three and update my journal.

So today is the 2 week mark since the day I had...

  • 28 Jun 2012
So today is the 2 week mark since the day I had Smartlipo. But I still dont know how I feel about this. It week one (picture posted) you can see I lost the lump on the front lower abdomen which was my main goal. But now I have photos that side by side with the original before the procedure look exactly the same. So where did my resuklts go I wonder. How could I have lost the fat and even with swelling see that, and now I cant? I am going Monday for my post op check up. I will post what they have to say about this. I have also posted a question on this on this site hoping to hear form some other surgens on what they think.

As far as my appearance though I did not bruise, I am still a bit tender if i get poked or grabbed but nothing noticable just living life. I am not lumpy and bumpy. And I dont feel swollen. I have not changed anything as far as diet or excersise goes and I dont intend to. I did not have a bad diet before. I just ha da trouble spot and I want to see TRUE results. Not result assited by added dieting and excersise I wasent doing before.

I will keep you posted.


And if I need a revision down the road I am considering Coolsculpting on that lump I want gone. I kind of wish I would have tried that first, but who know I may turn out happy as a clam in another 2 weeks. SLOW lipo is what they should call it lol.

So my doctor agrees from photos taken at three and...

  • 5 Dec 2012
So my doctor agrees from photos taken at three and six months that not a thing has changed after thw proedure. So, Monday Dec 10th he is doing the procedure all over again at no cost to me. Sooo maybe this time will be a charm

So it's been six months since the revise and...

  • 13 May 2013
So it's been six months since the revise and almost a year since the initial procedure. For $4,200 I wouldn't do this. I would rather do traditional liposuction. I didn't see any results thirst six months and now I see rusults, but the are minimal and it noticeable to my husband who offers his honest opinions. Waste.

Great review?

My Doctor: Dr. Bruce Marko

My rating:

Doctor's Bedside Manner
Answered My Questions
After Care Follow-Up
Time Spent With Me
Phone or Email Responsiveness
Staff Professionalism & Courtesy
Payment Process
Wait Times

I want to rate them at the end when I have seen him for my last post op. I will revisit this section then.

Comments (6)

It’s been six months since the procedure and every day I’m so pleased. It’s been six months and my clothes look and feel so much better on me than they did before! Dr. Marko worked on my upper and lower abs, took a little off my back and it’s great. Don’t get me wrong, there was some pain and discomfort (take the pain pills!), and it took a little while before I could twist and turn easily, but every day it got better. I LOVE IT! I’m In my mid 50’s and wanted that tummy pooch gone. The internet was a great resource for background information and helped me set my expectations. Everyone at Dr. Marko’s office helped me know that I was in the right place for this. Kind and focused, they listened to my questions and concerns. The staff is very supportive and the results are great. I was not looking for confidence, but last week I spoke in front of a group at a conference and found myself feeling, well, like they didn’t have to look past me to get to the words. It was a great feeling. Be sure to look at before and after pictures because you aren’t going to have a ‘new’ body – you’re going to have a better body! Best thing I ever did for myself!
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Dr Marko is a rip off! I paid $6000 for a procedure that was performed in November of 2012. During my 1 week post op appointment he stated that there was no change and that I did not need to wear the compression garment. I explained to him that I wanted a refund at that time. He explained to me that it takes time to see results and to come back for a 2 month check up, then for a 4 month check up... During the 4 month check up I again told Dr Marko that I wanted a refund for unsatisfactory service. He explained that he could redo the procedure but I would have to pay for the cost of materials and operation room fees. I told him that I was not giving him anymore money, and that I didn't want him to perform anything else on me. Dr Marko then stated that he could give me a refund minus the cost of materials and the operation fee. It has now been 9 1/2 months since the "procedure" and I still have not received my refund. When I call to schedule an appointment ( Dr Marko still wants to see if any changes are present) I get the run around. I'm sending a letter of complaint to the NC Medical Board - which I recently discovered that he has had other complaints( for a different medical matter) non the less its a complaint and his medical license was suspended for 12 months in November of 2009.
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Thank you so much for you posts

  • Reply

Hey there, thanks so much for sharing your experience with us, it's very helpful. I hope you're doing well and things are getting a little easier for you. Please keep us updated with your progress!

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I continued to walk around and do whatever I wanted on day two of recovery. I even took my ATV out for a ride. Nothing crazy of course, just enjoying outside on a beautiful Saturday. Around bedtime I felt the muscle ache type feeling setting in on my sides. But I still don't see what all this talk is about people say they feel like they have been hit by a train. I still feel fine. I don't need pain meds. I only get sore when I'm about to lay down for bed and I can feel it when I first wake up. The sore feeling I have now is no longer the same as doing too many sit ups, but I actually only feel it on my sides and back now. And it feels the same as if I had slept for too long and it made my back sore. I don't know if anyone can relate to that or not, but I have done that many times before in my pillow top bed. Laying around for too long will make me ache but boy its a dream to sleep on.

Sunday I was fine. Woke up a tad sore but wasent uncomfortable at all through the day. Still no bruising and the tenderness is fading quickly. I guess I was blessed with a quick healing response and won't be in agony like some other stories I have read on here. When I went to bed Sunday night I took of my additional compression garnment in the middle of the night. It was over heating me and I would go through a hot phase and sweat and them be cold from the moisture and on and on. I was prob only without that second one for around 5 hours. No problems at work today. I have both garnments off now and are washing them quick. I started looking at my own before photos I took and I can see a difference. I'm happy so far with the results and I'm positive that in a few mire months as the swelling goes down I will be exactly where I wanted to be. I will post photos later on in my recovery. I think I'm going to start back on my cardio routine now that I am not sore. Oh, and also I think my garnments are getting a little looser on me as the days have passed. For now I think there won't be any major changes so my updates will be farther apart .
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Sometimes on the before and after pics, they are ones thats recycled off of other peoples website! Ill keep checking your review because I stay in the same area and I really want/Need to get this.

Good Luck Hun!
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