Vaser Liposuction Experience Details (Outer Thighs and Upper Arms)

I lost a great deal of weight on my own and kept it off for over a year so I felt I was ready to invest in the areas of my body that had no responded to the weight loss. I decided to get my saddlebags and my upper arms done. I looked up the various methods and decided to go with vaser for many reasons. I liked that this procedure allowed me to remain awake and had no history of major complications. I went to my free consultation and scheduled my procedure for the following week. Since I weigh 124 pounds, the doctor felt it would be safer to perform the arms and legs on seperate days so as not to overdose on the lidocaine. I was told to eat a light breakfast and was given an anti-anxiety pill for that morning. I had to have someone drive me there and home again afterwards. Once I arrived, the doctor marked the areas to be worked on. (We did the legs first.) I was set up on a table and my leg was positioned with a special wedge. The doctor was very good about explaining everything as he worked. First he injected a small amount of lidocaine in 2 areas of my leg and then made 2 small incisions. A small tube was then inserted and this was the only pain I felt throughout the entire procedure. The tube filled my thigh areas with a large amount of fluid which contained saline, epinephrine and lidocaine. After a few minutes, I was all numb and ready to go. At this point, the vaser was inserted. An annoying, high pitched sound was heard during this part and was really the most bothersome part of the procedure. (Imagine nails on a chalkboard.) After another few minutes, the doctor began to suction out the melted fat. At this point, I was asked to stand up and the doctor fine tuned his work from this position. After the other leg was done, I was bandaged using pads similar to feminine hygiene pads taped over my incisions and was helped into a tight pair of spandex/ girdle type shorts. I was given tylenol #3 for the pain but I really haven't needed to use them. I am now 48 post op and so far, the pain is most severe only when changing positions. (Going from sitting to standing and visa versa.) In fact, mainly I would describe the pain as "nauseating" more so than anything else. I haven't had much appetite because of it but I am able to move around and do my normal activites without any problems. It's just a dull kind of pain, more of an uncomfortable feeling but definately tolerable even without any medication. Otherwise, the biggest surprise has been the amount of drainage. I went for a follow up 24 hours post op and the nurses removed my bandaged and "squeezed" my legs to aid in the removal of the fluid. One hole on each leg had actually already closed and they gently reopened them to allow fluid to drain. They then allowed me to shower in their beautiful facility and finally, massaged my legs before putting new pads and another garment back on. The told me to repeat the process myself at home the next day. (Today) Again, I was very surprised at the amount of fluid I was able to remove. The pads are saturated with a pink fluid and when I gently press on my incisions to "open" them, it's literally as if my leg is "pee-peeing" bloody water. Even though I was told to expect this, it still scared me and I called the nurse for reassurance. I have been so pleased with the quality of care I have recieved from the doctor, nurses and staff. They have been very gentle, informative, honest and supportive. I have only one area of bruising and I can already see results. My right leg is more swollen than my left which is obvious in the photos and accounts for the slight increase in pain in that leg. I am excited to already see a difference and the doctor assures me that it will only get better with time. You can see my skin is smooth and firm before the procedure and afterwards is a little loose in comparison. I'm excited to see the results once my skin has firmed over my new contour! I do my arms on friday! I have posted before pictures and also pictures taken 36 hours post op. I will post new pictures each week so you can the gradual improvement!