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“Please Don't Do This to Yourself.”

bethsheba 1 post

Comments (10)
Updated 13 Jan 2009
Posted 12 Jan 2009

Not Worth It

Spent: $12,000 in Tomball, TX

Had smart lipo 6 months ago and I am so sorry I did this. Please do not do smart lipo unless it is with an experienced and qualified plastic surgeon who has done this procedure.

This doctor (who is not a plastic surgeon) ruined my body image. I can never go naked or wear shorts or short-sleeved clothes ever again. My legs, arms and stomach are uneven and lumpy and I look horrible. I now look like I was born deformed. I want people to know that I look nothing like the after pictures I've seen.

The doctor did not see me for 6 weeks after the procedure and then said to me that she will give me some free massage treatments to correct it. After the massage treatments (done with a machine device) didn't help me, she then gave some lipo ex treatments that did not remedy the problem. I will have to go to a plastic surgeon to hopefully correct what was done to me and spend a lot of money now or never allow anyone to see my body.

Please don't do this procedure unless you know other people who have done this and you can look at their bodies without any clothes on. I am sorry I did this and spent so much money now. I will post pictures shortly to show before and after so you will see too and be warned.

This review is the subjective opinion of a RealSelf member and not of RealSelf, Inc.

My Doctor:

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This doctor stopped for many breaks during my procedure, leaving the room for 30-45 minute breaks. After the breaks, the pain solution had to be repeated. After the procedure she did not see me for 6 weeks. The doctor's response now is you have to wait and heal and I am now told that will take up to 8 months when initially I was old 4-6 months. When I made the comment about how bad I look now she only stared and me and told me to give it time.

Vote: 19 members found this review helpful

Comments (10)

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random_thoughts79 (15 posts) 13 Jan 2009

I truly hate you are unsatisfied with your results. Maybe your results aren’t as bad as you think…we are our worst critic. I also noticed that this has been the common theme on the boards. There is warning after warning encouraging people to seek a trained plastic surgeon to perform your SmartLipo procedure. When I first looked into Smartlipo, I was going to see a retired neuro surgeon who recently started performing Smartlipo in his spa. I decided not to because of warnings like yours. I hope your procedure can be corrected! Good luck and please, please keep us posted!

just wondering (unregistered guest) 13 Jan 2009

Thank you so much for this information! I have interviewed 5 Dr's in the San Francisco Bay Area before even considering this procedure (haven't done it yet). All have done 100+ treatments, so they are very experienced, but they all have very different ideas of what my body should and could look like after the procedure. There is one Dr who has done 300 treatments of Smart Lipo that I would never go to! I got a bad feeling from them. Your warning is very important. Do your homework people!!!

unhappy in RI, agape (unregistered guest) 14 Jan 2009

i had this procedure done over 1 1/2 ago and I still lament two things, first the entry scars that I have and secondly the waste of money...not to mention I feel discouraged. I had this done in Lincoln, RI the person who did it was the P.A. Physian Assistant. He only did the front of me, didn't explain that the side (love handles) were extra and not included, right there, red sigh a person dealing with you body that is unable to give you a full picture, its about aesthics people. I hate how it came out, big waste and lost sensation in my belly area FOR NOTHING, please think twice.

AV. (31 posts) 15 Jan 2009

Wow, this sounds really serious!! While I had SL done by the same doctor, my results are not perfect either, but I definately can not say that I was left deformed. I had my upper and lower abs done, and while I have some lumpiness, I still think that the procedure was worth it (for me at least). I have started the Lipo Ex as a follow up procedure to remedy some of the lumpiness just recently, so i hope that with that it will look better. At this point in my case, I can live with some of the lumpiness, considering that if I would have opted for a tummy tuck, I would have had to live with a long scar. There are no perfect solutions. I hope that you are going to be able to feel better about your results either with time of with a help of another surgeon. I am VERY sorry that your results turned out like this and that they are making you this unhappy!

newyorkperson (2 posts) 23 Jan 2009

i hate to say it...but how did you trust some one who is not a certified plastic surgeon?? You absolutley have to do your research... I went to a surgeon that does a lot of very high clientel here in NY...I got the name from my very wealthy friend's mother who had a face lift...And she would ONLY go to the absolute best place... And even though I had to borrow half of the money bc I couldnt afford it I am very happy with how I was taken care of....

Sissy (1 post) 28 Jan 2009

I had Smart Lipo done by Dr. Barbara Marino almost two years ago. I am very happy with my results. She and her staff were great in taking care of me. I have had other family members use her also. Hang in there time may be needed to get the best results. I am still seeing skin tightening.

ksl1968 (1 post) 30 Jun 2009

Smart-Lipo is not a quick fix, it is a tool for those who are willing to make a change in their life style. I am sadden by those who choose to have an elective surgery done and expect a 100% difference. There is not one doctor or plastic surgeon who would ever guarantee that. With all surgeries there is a possibility of scar tissue forming, which causes the hardness and lumps under the skin. This is a normal process of the body healing itself. Patients are told to start gently messaging the areas to eliminate some of the scar tissue as soon as possible. As for the comment about the doctor leaving the room for 30-45 minutes so that he/she could take a break is absolutley absurb. Your doctor was letting the tumescent fluid take effect(numbing agent)before they started the lipo-procedure so you wouldn't be uncomfortable. If he/she hadn't done that it would be intolerable. As for reinfusing the areas so that the patient felt more comfortable it is not the physicians decision but the patients. When you choose to do a procedure where you are not under general anestesia it is obvious that some discomfort may be felt. You made the chose

sunflower01 (1 post) 20 Aug 2009

Hello all, I also had this procedure done by this Dr. and I am not happy at all with my results. My procedure took 12 hours the first time (all at once) and I had to return a few more times to finish the job. It's been 2 years now and each time it's worse. I started out with smartlipo because I did not want a tummy tuck (because of the major scarring) but I ended up with one anyway. She also had me return for different types of treatments (velashape, lipo x6, lipodissolve, etc.) which had no effect. I am still not happy with it and I now have many scars from the cannulae. It's not that I am hard to please but it looks worse than when I started. I can't even go swimming due to the embarrassment from the scars. Please choose a different doctor for this procedure.

Joseph M. Perlman, MD (168 posts) 9 Jun 2010

It's important to choose a surgeon who is skilled in liposuction procedures.There can be complications with any procedures and not all doctors know how to avoid them ,or how to treat them when they occur.

View answers from Joseph M. Perlman, MD

6907anon (1 post) 22 Jun 2010

I am sorry to hear about your bad experience with smartlipo. I had smartlipo procedure done on my belly and a little on outer thighs and my results were amazing!!! My doctor is very experienced and I recommend him highly, Dr. Daryl Blinski, Miami Fla.

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“Please Don't Do This to Yourself.”

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