This Experience Was Truly Life-changing for Me.

TL;DR: this experience was absolutely amazing and the results changed my life. The communication between myself and Dr. Klein's office was seamless, the surgery was painless, and the recovery time was quick. It's been two months since my initial procedure and I'm already working with staff to plan for my next surgery. Thank you, Dr. Klein, for changing my life and giving me my confidence back!

Now, I'd like to provide a more detailed look into my overall experience-- beginning with my reason for considering surgery/my consultation at HK and ending with my surgery & recovery.

1) THE PROBLEM AREA
For context, I am in my late 20s and lead an overall healthy life. I try to exercise 5x a week and I have no underlying health conditions. Though I try to keep exercise (cardio, HIIT, full-body workouts) as part of my daily routine, I have suffered with stubborn body fat since puberty. Several years before learning about tumescent lipsocution, I decided to try Cool Sculpting (at a different location--a med spa in the Inland Empire). The results of that procedure were terrible for me. I felt as if my body was distorted. My lower belly fat, which was initially soft and buttery, had hardened and hung over my underwear line. It was not only aesthetically unpleasing and impossible to tuck in my blouses, but also it was extremely uncomfortable. All clothing was tight on my midsection, and I would always end my days with angry, red indentation lines on my skin. I dealt with this for 5 years. To remedy this, I hired a personal trainer and saw a nutritionist for meal planning. I was able to develop healthier habits and lose 20lbs, but still, the belly fat never disappeared. It wasn't until my consultation at HK Dermatology that I learned I was just one of the unlucky folks who was experiencing adipose hyperplasia, which is a negative effect of Cool Sculpting.

2) THE CONSULTATION
I did my research on different types of fat removal for a few weeks, but when I read about tumescent lipsocution, I didn't see a need to continue on with my research. It made absolute sense to me to go with this procedure, and what made even more sense to me was to choose Dr. Klein, the inventor of the process, to perform my surgery. I first visited Dr. Klein's office for a consultation in June of 2020. During my appointment, I also had the pleasure of speaking with Michele Horwich. Both Dr. Klein and Michele (and the rest of the nursing staff as well!) were extremely pleasant; they each showed genuine interest in listening to my experience with Cool Sculpting and my concerns with stubborn belly fat. I expected to be there for a quick consult and to have some photos taken, but I was there for a while chatting with Dr. Klein and Michele, going through photo galleries of different surgeries, speaking about the pre-op and post-op processes, and also just getting to know each other. During my consultation, I was given a quote and provided with different dates to choose from. I was also sent home with a folder of wonderful resources that summed up the information shared during the consultation. This was an amazing resource to have as I was able to share it with family members who were unable to attend the consultation with me due to COVID-19. That evening, I followed-up with Michele via email and was able to book my surgery for the following month. Never before had I felt more confident in a doctor and a nursing staff to the point where I was ready to book my surgery the day of the initial consultation-- and I do not regret my decision to act quicker! My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner!

3) THE SURGERY (PREPARATION AND COMFORT LEVEL)
I had my surgery in early July of 2020, one month after my initial consultation. After that first meeting and before the surgery, I returned to the office once more for blood work and to talk through the process with Michele and Dr. Klein again. I was sent home with paperwork delineating steps to take prior to surgery so I was ready the day of. By the time the day or surgery arrived, I felt more than prepared for the actual surgery. The process unfolded exactly as I had been briefed-- no surprises. Dr. Klein began with the local anesthesia before leaving the room and letting it take affect. During this time, I did fall asleep for around 1 hour. The nursing staff will check-in on you during this period. I was asked if I wanted a snack or tea/water, and I was also asked if I was feeling cold/wanted to be covered. When I awoke, it was time for the liposuction procedure. In terms of pain, I did not feel any. I do not have a high-tolerance for pain, so this was one of the most appealing facts around tumescent lipo. However, to be transparent, you do feel something-- it's an interesting and hard-to explain sensation, but I would classify it as a very slight discomfort and not pain. The length of actual liposuction part will vary depending on the patient's size and area of treatment, but rest assured that Dr. Klein works his magic without a time constraint. I never saw him rush or glance up at the clock once; he took his time to ensure that he was removing as much of the stubborn fat as possible. When he finished, I was asked by the nursing staff to turn over on my side. When this happened, I was able to leak out a lot of the tumescent fluid. Again, no pain. As the fluid leaked out, the nurse reminded me that I would continue to leak in the coming days until all fluid has exited my body. A lot leaked out! Don't be alarmed. I wasn't because I felt as if they did a great job warning me of what's to come! Before leaving, Robin from the nursing staff helped me get dressed by applying gauze and wrapping me in compression garments (and teaching me how to re-wrap for when I'm alone.) I was also sent home with extra gauze, different garments, and resources that included a step-by-step guide with photos on how to apply gauze/compression garments during recovery (It is fairly easy-- nothing too tricky!).

4) POST-OP
As instructed, I arranged for a ride home. I was feeling a bit loopy and definitely sleepy, but absolutely no pain during or immediately after the procedure. I was hunched slightly over, but I think this was due to the gauze and the tightly-wrapped compression garment. Once I arrived home, I slept for several hours before waking up to have a light meal and to take 2 Tylenol Extra Strength capsules-- this was instructed by the nursing staff, who told me to be consistent with the Tylenol to aid against any pain that may begin suddenly as the anesthesia wore off. I did take Tylenol every 6 hours, but I never once felt severe pain. I did, however, feel a lot of soreness. The soreness prevented me from being able to get up easily and it also prevented me from being able to stand completely upright, but this is all expected after a surgery on the abdominal region. Again, I cannot stress enough that nothing was unbearable or too intense. After around 3 days of being consistent with my Tylenol usage, I decided to just stop taking it because I felt no need. Everyone heals differently though, but I think what is consistent across all patients is soreness. So you can definitely expect soreness during the recovery process.

Another expectation you should have is around leaking: you will leak! You have to change the gauze after showers and re-wrap yourself-- be consistent to keep incision site clean. The leaking can look a bit scary considering the fluid has a red tint, but don't be alarmed as it is just the tumescent fluid and not blood. I leaked for about 4 days, but by the fourth day it was extremely minimal. I was sent home with enough post-op supplies to last for that duration. As the leaking stopped, I ceased wearing gauze but continued to wear compression garments. For some reason, I felt as if it was more comfortable with the compression. At the 6th day mark, I resumed wearing normal clothes with no compression garments; however, I did put the garment on when doing cardio. I was able to work out around 1.5 weeks after surgery. In terms of work, as I am working from home and have what is considered a "desk job," I was technically able to work the next day (in hindsight). But to be safe, I scheduled the surgery on a Thursday and took Friday off too. I spent those two days plus the weekend lounging and being lazy during my recovery, and by Monday, I ready to be online and was able to be productive with work.


5) RESULTS (IMMEDIATELY AFTER, 2 MONTHS AFTER)
The results absolutely met my expectations, as you can see with my photos below. I included photos before surgery, immediately after surgery, and then 2 months later during my post-op follow-up appt. In the photo immediately after surgery, please don't be alarmed by the blue ink smeared around my abdomen-- this is not bruising, but surgical marker smudged. Full disclosure: You may bruise, though. I did bruise in my lower belly area, and I still am patiently waiting for the scars to fade. Dr. Klein and the nursing staff were honest with me that the full results of my surgery won't be evident until about 6-months post-op. I'm waiting patiently for the scars to fade and the last bits of swelling to go down, but even with scarring/some swelling/some light bruising, I'm still in love with my new shape. I'm interested now in working on other areas of my body (flanks, back, arms), and I've already returned for a consultation and am awaiting finalization for my next surgery!

In conclusion, I highly recommend Tumescent Liposuction-- but my recommendation is specifically for Dr. Klein, the father of Tumescent Liposuction. You should feel most confident being treated by the person who invented the procedure and who has successfully performed many of these surgeries!