Lipotherme: Stories

Update:  December 7

Today is Monday, and I went back to work no problem after having the procedure done on Friday morning.  Surprisingly, the swelling hasn't really intensified much at all.  I expected to be much more swollen.  I am, however, extremely bruised - very dark purple around my lower abdomen and sides.  I'm using Arnica gel 2-3 times a day, which will hopefully help.  It's pretty amazing what a significant difference I see already.  My love handles are almost completely gone, as is the flab I had around my belly button area.  Even with the swelling, I'm very pleased with how it looks.  I'm eager for the sorness to go away, but even that is far less intense than I anticipated.  I'll update again after my one-week follow-up this Friday.

After reading the many positive reviews on this site, I decided to give Lipotherme a try. Today was the big day. People's descriptions of the process were quite accurate. Aside from the initial injections to numb the skin, the procedure was relatively painless. I had my lower abdomen and flanks worked on, and the entire procedure took approximately 3 hours. It's true that you leak an incredible amount of fluid during and after the procedure. For hours after the procedure, the volume of leakage was heavy. I am now in my compression garment, which I don't find to be nearly as uncomfortable as others who have posted reviews. I'm definitely experiencing some soreness, which I expect will intensify over the next couple of days, but it is not bad at all.

My doctor tells me that the swelling reaches its peak around Day 5, and then begins to diminish. According to him, 90% of the swelling should dissipate in 9 weeks. The remaining 10% dissipates gradually over the following 4 months. He also indicated that the incision sites (8 in all, in my case) heal in approximately 3 weeks, although the redness of the incision is still quite noticeable for approximately 3 months. Over time, these scars become almost invisible.

After I got home from the doctor's office, I slept for a few hours, but have otherwise been productive - getting work done without any problem. My bandages are covered with blood, as is my compression garment, but I will change these tomorrow after I shower. I believe the leakage should stop completely tomorrow.

I plan to keep everyone posted over the coming weeks, as other posts were so helpful to me. Thus far, I am rather surprised by how easy the whole process has been. Almost like going to the dentist, really.