I had an extended tummy tuck, muscle repair, and lipo to the flanks and upper back on March 1st so I’m now 2 months post op. I was absolutely terrified to go through with this but it wasn’t near as bad as I had expected. I stayed on top of my pain medicine around the clock the first 3 days and my pain level/uncomfortableness was maybe a 3 out of 10 max. No regrets at all. Dr McClendon did an incredible job and I truly cannot believe this is my body. I can’t recommend him enough! He was also kind and caring and explained things very well.
I’ve battled everyday with a thick middle area including lower pouch and flabby sides since my late teens. Dr McLendon told it is hereditary, and I don’t doubt it. I can’t help to think that my mid section’s disproportionate figure has to do with cortisol from life’s trauma. Regardless, I have worked hard on eliminating it by run three marathons, taking phentermine, CrossFit and 5:00 am boot camp for years. The midsection tightened up but never left. My last full marathon I would not even remove my tank top that caused me to bleed from chaffing at mile 11. I suffered through miles, burning and bleeding because I would not remove my shirt. It revealed my flabby stomach. This summer I gave up the idea of a flat stomach. I started a Botox regime with a trusted provider this past fall. I asked her about different plastic surgeries and if they were really what everyone hypes them up to be. She said that her tummy tuck was the best thing she had ever done and she had recently gained some weight, that she had a flat stomach. I asked her for the surgeon’s number. 6 months I waited for a consultation with Dr. McLendon. I respect that. I did not want to make such a big decision with out marinating on it. I went to the consult where he showed me exactly what he would do and explained the results. He and his nurse were very warm hearted, approachable and funny. I was actually comfortable naked and being marked up with a Sharpie. That makes a world of difference. He mentioned the recovery process of 2-3 weeks of not working and really 6 weeks of real recovery. He and his nurse were very thorough. I got dressed and met with his Patient Coordinator we’re she booked me for his next surgery appointment, 6 weeks out. It required 10% down. I have a pre-op appt a week prior to surgery. I’ve called to ask silly questions like, I’m switching birth control, is that OK? And, I am getting my booster, is that cool? Every time I have called, I have left a message and received a phone call within a hour. That speaks volumes to me as a patient. I’ll continue to update as my journey proceeds. Updated on 22 Mar 2022: Today I completed my pre operation appointment at the surgical center, which is 1 hour and 40 minutes away from our home. For some reason, in my mind, this was supposed to be a quick overviews drive clearly I am ignorant to surgery operations ????. I brought my 23 year old step daughter who will be assisting me post surgery. We arrived 30 minutes early which was convenient as the front desk received my payment. I decided to finance it with 0% interest through care credit. I recommend researching the financing options and choosing one best for you. Payment took about 15 minutes and was a super easy and great experience. Kudos to the front desk. We then sat down, again early for the appointment, and was seen with in 5 minutes. I was impressed. I met with a younger, new nurse that went over 3 disclosures and I signed. She escorted me to the photography room where I had my “Glamor Shots” or, “Money Shots”. I called them that to be funny because it is about as comfortable as a whore in church. Moving along, fortunately my supportive step daughter was not required to be a part of that duty so she rejoined me for the Surgical Nurse’s instructions. This is important. This nurse, Charmain, was everything. She laid down the expectations, requirements, legals and everything in between. She was a God send to me because I was truly a nervous wreck and on the verge of tears. Disclosing the pre op, operation and recovery is not easy, especially to a very scared patient. I know this is an elective, cosmetic surgery. I know I have run three full marathons. I know I have delivered 2 children within 2 years, one completely natural. But still, this is a big 4 hour surgery and I am supremely nervous. I walked away from that appointment feeling confident and ready. Many blessing to that woman. God put her on earth for that job. She reassured me by sharing her experience with this surgery and that was the icing on the cake for me. I will continue this update Updated on 31 Mar 2022: Yesterday was surgery day. My fiancé, Eric and I arrived at 7:45 at Renaissance Surgical Center in Macon. I felt completely comfortable for two reasons, one, I was on 1 MG of prescribed Xanax and two, the pre op staff were warm and kind. They seem to have a great work culture there. I answered questions verifying my identity, then I disrobed and was escorted to the surgical room. The Nurse Anesthetist was a sweet man that had no problems with finding an injection vein for my anesthesia. I was asleep in less than 2 minutes. Once I woke up, I felt no pain but was a bit diasporas expected. If I remember correctly, a nurse verified through some tests to ensure I was ready to go home. I hopped in a wheel chair and my fiancée drove us home, about 1 3/4 hours away. I slept the entire ride home. I had no problem getting out of the SUV and walking up 2 stairs where my walker awaited me. I borrowed a power lift chair, walker and shower chair. I should have bought a toilet riser but it is not 100%needed. Once I woke up after a small nap, the pain began. I did not feel pain in the stitches area because I opted in for the slow release pain medicine which was placed right under my stitches and cost $400, well worth it. The pain was from the liposuction in the flanks and belly. Wow, I did not expect for lipo to be that painful. I compare it to severe period paid. Oh, and the bruising from lipo is a lot. Luckily I was prescribed muscle relaxers and Percocet. I am not a fan of prescription pills as I was once married to an addict. I decided this was not the time to be a “Pain Hero” and took them as prescribed. I have taken the Percocet every 5 hours since then so avoid that pain. So, as a skeptical prescription person, I do 100% recommend having Xanax the night before and the morning of surgery. Also, the pain pills- take them. Any who, I was able to walk around hunched over and using my walker so I decided yo drain my 2 drains. There were some 6” narrow blood clots in the tubes. That was a bit scary so I called to surgical center and they had a DR call back with in 10 minutes. Dr Powell explained that was to be expected. I have been on top managing of my drains because I want to have them removed during my one week post op appointment. I forgot to mention that my throat was a touch scratchy as I was tubed during surgery. That has begun to go away. Tonight I finally opened up the binder/ girdle to take a peek and wow, just wow. I can not believe how amazing my stomach and sides look. The way it looks reminds me of what I looked like as a teenager. I can not believe what he was able to do. I’ve tried so hard in the past to achieve a more slender stomach through diet, exercise, running, etc. Dr McLendon far exceeded my expectations. The pain, recovery time and cost is worth it. Updated on 1 Apr 2022: I got the courage to post photos of the full tummy tuck with flank lipo results. Day 3 post op still very swollen. The advice I would give for recovery is not to skip the pain medicine. I have Percocet, a nerve pain pill and a muscle relaxer which sounds like too much but it is not. I decided to skip the meds one night and was very regretful. I got caught up with work today and forgot to take the Percocet and again, very regretful. It takes about a hour to set in so I sat in tears for a few minutes. Stay on the pain management plan. Updated on 5 Apr 2022: Yay! What a great appointment. We took photos of the results, I can now wear any compression garment, drains pulled and will come back in 10 weeks for final look with surgeon. I teared up talking about how happy I am with the results. The staff are so compassionate. I wholeheartedly recommend having a full tummy tuck with lipo done through Dr. McLendon and his team at Renaissance in Macon. Updated on 6 Apr 2022: The final result should settle in with in the next 3 months. My flanks are still very swollen. Photos don’t do my current results justice. I feel so much better than the photos show. The most amazing part was the lower abdomen area that was removed. It was 4 lbs worth of skin and fat. I was able to see the photo of the removed area ????
I'm just a few days out, scared nervous and excited. I have lots of questions concerns lol. I've wanted this shortly after I had my child. I gained 80 pounds with my pregnancy. I'm 5"6 and 80 pounds is a lot in 9 months. Reading everyone's reviews and seeing your pictures has helped me out so much. I think it's important to have this support Updated on 6 May 2016: Today is Friday , I had the surgery Wednesday morning and it's painful but I am slowly feeling better. So hard to find a comfortable position. Constipation... Well that struggle is very real and can be very painful. Updated on 6 May 2016: When I'm feeling a little better , I will upload pics Updated on 7 May 2016: Updated on 8 May 2016: Updated on 8 May 2016: Finally was able to shower and it was amazing , could not have done it without my husband. He has been a huge help. I'm walking a little better , still not close to standing up strait tho Updated on 9 May 2016: Emotional roller coaster with bad side of headache. My hair has not been washed in days. I miss my bed a lot Updated on 9 May 2016: I am so swollen and my belly looks giant lol. When does the swelling start to subside? Updated on 10 May 2016: This was definitely a journey and a process , something I've always wanted since I gave birth. I am great fil for this site as everyone on here is very inspiring and quite helpful. I am 6 days post op and have had my questions and a couple emotions. My husband has been my biggest hero. He came thru for me like I never would have dreamed. At the same time this site has been a good back bone too. I am so eager to see the new me after I'm healed a little bit more :-) Updated on 12 May 2016: I'm so excited about this recovery. Some days are great and some are very swollen. Ups and downs. Thank God for my healthy healing and thanks to real self for my support system Updated on 14 May 2016: Updated on 18 May 2016: Good news- went to check up today and one drain was removed!! Yay!! I'm bathing myself, driving myself, cooking dinner. I'm definitely recovering well. The only down side is I am Very Swollen. I think I may need a few bigger bottoms to get me thru the next couple months ;) Updated on 26 May 2016: So I'm very swollen in the upper abdomen ( see pics) plus I feel like I have two dips in my tummy in the upper abdomen Updated on 26 May 2016: I'm on week three as of today. Still have one drain in :( I'm swollen where the muffin too would normally be. This is very disturbing to me. I'm tired of carrying around this bulb lol. Is anyone working with a drain in still? Does anyone have a desk job that has to sit 8 hours and do you feel stiff when u get up? Updated on 9 Jun 2016: So Wednesday was my 5 weeks since my tt. I have a pic of my incision , I have had a pretty good recovery so far, however this week I have been super tired and swollen. I thought I'd post the pic because I enjoying everyone else's help and advice along this long journey Updated on 10 Jun 2016: I'm excited about my progress but it's been a long journey. I'm 5 weeks po and still can't lay flat for too long and still have major upper swelling Updated on 19 Jun 2016: Hi, I'm almost 7 weeks post op from tt. I see a huge difference in before and after surgery. However I swell soooo much. I'm only walking 5000 plus steps a day , seems to help but I feel so pregnant with a bulge lol. I can't wait for the swelling to go away. I've never really worn the compression garmet as my doc did not recommend it. Updated on 21 Jun 2016: I think it's closing up some not sure. Does anyone do the ear plug in the belly button? Updated on 28 Jun 2016: So recovery is slow but definitely moving along. I've been riding my bike some, walking some & the elliptical a small bit. Still have burning in right side and bulge in upper stomach mostly in evening. I tried jogging some but it feels so weird Updated on 30 Jun 2016: 8 weeks, I'm sitting down , happy with results but swelling is no joke Updated on 6 Jul 2016: Finally broke down and bought jeans, 2 different sizes because I have faced major swelling in the evening. However these past few days , the smaller size fits in the evening!! This is a major breakthrough ;) I decided to lay on my tummy tonight for first time and managed 5 mins b 4 it felt too weird Updated on 9 Jul 2016: So as of Wednesday I'm 9 weeks po from tt without lipo. I did a 45 minute workout with a tight spanx on. It was not as bad as I thought it would be. I'm proud of myself. I look forward to tomorrow's workout Updated on 14 Jul 2016: I'm 10 weeks po and am slowing gaining weight , it sucks it's absolutely depressing. Feel like I was bed ridden for a month almost sitting on my butt goinging a couple. Then I was well enough to move around , weight and inches going down. Back to work I went and sitting on my butt again does not help Updated on 30 Jul 2016: So I still have this bulge in my upper tummy. And I swell sooooo bad especially in the evening . I need some inspiration from those 3 months po and up please. Tell me swell hell goes away Updated on 17 Jan 2017: I'm happy overall however I've gained 20 pounds and this has totally messed with my mind. I have the same bulge up top not sure what's going on but kind of down and out Updated on 18 Jan 2017: 8 months po with pics attached
I just got on this site, and this review is 15 years after the surgery, but I wanted to say what a wonderful experience I had with Dr. McLendon in 1999! I had always wanted a smaller nose, but I was always too scared for surgery, especially on my face. A friend of mine used Dr. McLendon for her rhinoplasty and she looked fantastic, so I decided to go in for a consult. Dr. McLendon was so nice, thorough, and professional. I told him what I wanted (a small, thin, upturned nose) and he very kindly listened without interruptions. He then explained to me that with my bone structure and facial structure, this first of all would not look normal, and secondly, it might compromise the integrity of my nose structure (think Michael Jackson). He showed me what he could do, and explained how this would give me a more natural look that would fit with my face. I agreed, and I went forward with the surgery. I am so glad I did! I love my nose, and it looks very natural to my face - not too small for my face, but definitely smaller than it was! I would trust him for my face, which says a lot. In fact, a few years after my nose, I had him do my eyes as well, and was just as pleased with the results. He is fantastic and I would highly recommend him! He is also so kind, so patient, and so professional! Also, his nurse, Charmaine, and office manager, Nikki, have been with him for years which says a LOT! They are both awesome as well!
I have always had excessive neck fat (all of the women in my family have double chins and poorly defined jawlines), but after I had a baby 3 years ago, it got significantly worse. I am very slim, but you would not know it from looking at pictures of me from the shoulders up. I realized that it was only going to get worse with age, so I decided to have neck liposuction as a 40th birthday present to myself. My goal was to have a defined jawline and get rid of the prominent roll of fat under my chin. Day of Surgery - Got to the surgery center at 7:30am. I changed into the gown and was given a robe to help me stay warm while I waited. After receiving a visit from the nurse and the anesthesiologist, the doctor came in to answer my last minute questions and to draw on my face. I was under general anesthesia for my procedure. I felt some moderate discomfort when I first woke up and sat up, but the nurse gave me something through the IV that took the edge off. I left the surgery center heading home around 10:30am. The ride home was a little uncomfortable due to the bumpy road. I started taking the Percocet as soon as I got home and took it every 4 hours for the first 24 hours after surgery. I had no pain or discomfort at all. I was a little tired, but was able to work for a few hours that afternoon (I am a computer programmer, so I work remotely online). Day after surgery - Took off the bandages and got my first look at my chin/neck. I was really impressed by what I saw! It was better than I expected. It might seem like a subtle change to others, but it looks SO much better to me. I had the typical bruising and the sutured areas are starting to go numb, but still no pain. I showered with no problems. I took the Percocet every 6 hours on this day. The swelling seemed to have gone down a lot overnight. My jawline is the most swollen and bruised area. Days 2 & 3 post-surgery - Only taking 1 Percocet every 8 hours. The whole neck area is partially numb now. The ONLY thing that hurts or causes me any discomfort is the compression pad. I wouldn't be taking any pain medicine if I didn't have to wear this thing. It is about to drive me crazy. I was given a thick piece of foam to place under my neck and a very long foam wrap to secure it in place with. I have had a great deal of trouble getting the pad positioned and getting the wrap on. The wrap goes over my ears and makes them hurt. I think I had it on too tight yesterday and got a terrible tension headache. I also had some muscle spasms in the back of my neck. I took the compression pad off for a couple of hours last night and put it back on looser and I feel better. The pad is slightly tacky and sticks to my skin. When I move, it pulls on the skin and makes it sore. I have had to take it off and re-position it several times. It takes me about 15 minutes to get the thing back on. I am not even sure I have it on correctly. I am stressing out about this because I know I need to wear the compression garment, but it is causing me a ton of trouble and pain. I have ordered a real compression garment from online because I don't think I can deal with what I have now for much longer. I tried to find one in a store, but I couldn't. Hopefully, it will get here in a few days. If you are going to have neck lipo, order a compression garment with velcro before your procedure because you do NOT want to have to go through what I'm going through now! Ugh! I’ll update again in a few days after my follow-up. Updated on 22 Feb 2015: I felt SO much better after a shower. The bruising is not as bad as I had expected. Updated on 25 Feb 2015: I saw the Nurse Practitioner today. She said I was healing nicely and only need to wear a compression garment at night for a couple of weeks. I go back in 4 weeks for another checkup. I am feeling some tingling sensations, but no pain. My neck is stiff from wearing the compression garment and it feels really good to stretch. I'm still pretty numb directly under my chin and near my ears. I'm a bit more swollen in today's pictures but I still look much better than I did before surgery. Updated on 2 Mar 2015: Overall, the healing process is going as I expected. I stopped taking anything for pain at 8 days post-surgery. The swelling is going down, but I'm still partially numb from ear to ear. I also have a couple lumps under my neck, but I know time will take care of that. What I didn't expect was how limited my range of motion would be. I am doing gentle stretches regularly, but I have less than a 30 deg. range when trying to look up. It is also very difficult to drive because I can't turn my head very far to the left or right. The person who was helping me after surgery has left town and I have a 3 year old to care for. Not being able to drive safely is a problem for me. Also, I am still MUCH more sore to the touch than I thought I would be at this point. My son is begging to hug me, but even the slightest touch almost brings me to tears. I don't want to take pain meds just for this. It does add to my frustration at this point. I'm still happy that I had the procedure, just a little down and frustrated right now. Updated on 8 Mar 2015: I am still numb down the middle of my neck and still not able to raise my chin up. The soreness is better everywhere except for my jowels on both sides. The slightest pressure on those areas causes deep, shooting pains. I'm going to call the doctor tomorrow to make sure that isn't a sign of a problem. The area right under my chin is hard and I am lumpy, but it's not visually noticeable. I am still swollen some, but not nearly as much as last week. Updated on 23 Mar 2015: I saw the doctor last Friday. I still have a lot of swelling and inflammation right under my chin, so the doctor said to apply heat and massage the area a few times a day. It's still really sore, so I really hate doing it. It's hard to hurt myself. Updated on 31 Mar 2015: These were taken today, except for the one with my hair down, which was taken a couple of days ago. I'm still lumpy, but no one would notice if I didn't point it out. I do put a touch of makeup on the scar under my chin because it shows a little due to the swelling I still have in that area. Updated on 15 Dec 2015: Updated on 19 Jan 2016: It has been 11 months to the day since my surgery. Here are my before and after pictures. Though you'd never know it from looking at the pictures, I actually weigh about 5lbs more now than I did before the surgery.
I had this procedure done 6 days ago and felt like I had done a lot of research before getting it done. I failed to research the "after" effects. The swelling, nerve pain and numbness are nothing to take lightly. I am very uncomfortable but am hopeful that as the days pass this will subside. I did two treatments on my lower abdomen in a criss cross "v" pattern. I think I am almost back to my normal size from the swelling going down but the next few weeks will let me know if it was worth it or not. I have a second treatment scheduled 4 weeks after the first. Just hopeful to rid my tummy of the mommy apron. Obviously if I have good results it will be worth it, but the residual tummy ache is not fun. Apparently this is the hardest part of recovery, so maybe in a few days my opinion will be more positive. Updated on 19 Apr 2014: So thankful as the medicine is very helpful. Apparently I had a condition that only happens to 10% of people....it was very painful but now....bearable. I am 9 days post cs and I have already lost an inch in my tummy. I cannot believe I am already seeing results! Highly recommend this procedure! Updated on 19 Apr 2014: Procedure through day 6 Updated on 23 Apr 2014: So still on the neurotin but everyday is getting much better. I have lost one inch from the first day so that is good. I guess now I just wait. I do feel that I can see a difference although very subtle. I have to keep in mind that I am not supposed to see a difference yet. Updated on 30 Apr 2014: Not a huge change, hoping it will start going down soon :) Updated on 26 May 2014: Started neurotic on day of treatment this time and it made a huge difference. No major change yet from first or second procedure but not supposed to see it until 2-3 months after first procedure... Waiting game.
I had 3 areas done today because after a lot of weight loss my abdomen just wouldn't shrink any more after 3 years. So here it is an honest review. Did it hurt? Yes like hell. Was it unbearable? Not even close. Each section I had done was done separately so I was in the office for over 3 hours. The first section was with the large cup size covering my right side and front of lower abdomen. When the suction first went on it was a burning feeling. Much like a severe sunburn. After about 15 minutes the area goes pretty numb. You still feel tingles off and on but it is not painful. Once the hour was up the practicioner released the suction and let the frozen mass come out. Now this was pretty painful. I mean grind your teeth painful as the frozen section of fat hits the warmer air in the room. Then they massage the lump of what I can only describe as looking like half frozen chicken until it looks like a part of your body again. It is very red and although the massage is uncomfortable it actually helps with the thawing out alittle to make the pain subside. Repeat this process a few more times and it was time for me to head home. I did not hurt when I left. I was completely numb and do feel as though I could have functioned with my day or work. By tonight about 4 hours later I am still numb and expect to be for atleast 2 weeks. I read all brochures and have viewed all sorts of results so I am not expecting a major change, just some smoothing out. I wanted to post a review so someone considering this procedure would know what to expect. You can look up results and every body is different, but if you are like me you are terrified because you don't know how it will feel. Is it worth it? It was worth trying. I wish the cost was lower, but it is cheaper than a tummy tuck. And if I can go to work tommorrow and the next day instead of recouperating from major surgery it almost negates the cost after a few weeks. So whatever results I do end up with are going to be worth it to me. I don't have to miss work, I can still do things with the family, and I can maintain a normal lifestyle and it only took a few hours. Diet wise I intend to stick to 1300 to 1500 calories a day until results day in 2 months. I want this to work, so I am going to work for it in my own way. So for someone who is thinking about it I say weigh your options and decide first who you are and what you are looking for out of this. Its not a magic fix, it is assistance for troubled areas. We still have to work at it. Updated on 24 May 2012: So 6 days after cool sculpting I still feel Ok. I am still numb all over my abdomen and sometimes it feels like when your foot is asleep and wants to wake up... It doesn't hurt but can be uncomfortable. I still am religiously wearing the compression garment. I think that is part of why I have had no pain. I can't tell if I am swollen or not, and it scares me because I can't tell if it is working. With so many people posting about pain I wonder if because I don't have pain if it won't work?
I now love my new breasts, I did not realize the way i would feel after surgery, very depressed for at least 2 months, did not sleep well for at least 2-3 months, they gave me 15 oxycotten to take and then nothing. Which I thought was a little wrong. And I told my dr. that, I thought I should have had a step down. But I would do it again!!!!
I had Facetite with chin lipo about a month ago. First of all I want to say that this procedure is NOT minimally invasive as advertised. A month out I am still tender and felt very beat up for over a week after the procedure. I did not feel ready to go back to work and had a ton of bruising and swelling even days after. At first I was hopeful with my results, but now after the swelling has gone down, I have bumps, contour irregularities, and volume loss that makes me look older than before. You read all of the reviews from others who have had this complication, and the response always seems to be ‘can take up to 6 months to see full results’. That is a really long time to wonder if your face is going to be screwed up forever. Updated on 14 Jul 2023: Over two months out. Still have dents and some tenderness in lower face. Seeing doc for follow up in a couple of weeks. Have tried some massage to try to smooth this area out. Will post an update after visiting with the doctor. Updated on 21 Jul 2024: Wanted to add an update since I am over a year out now and supposedly results can continue to improve over a year. If anything the irregularities that I had after this procedure look even worse than before. I will probably end up getting a facelift at some point to correct the laxity that was created in my lower face from this procedure. I would not recommend it to anyone. It seems to work well for some but I think there is too high of a risk that the results will not be as planned. Updated on 18 May 2025: I am a couple years out from this procedure and getting a mini facelift at 39 now to correct what has happened because of it. STAY away from facetite! The likelihood it will go bad is just too high! This company should no longer be allowed to operate and there should be a class action lawsuit against them in my opinion.
I had a tummy tuck and breast lift performed 2 years ago. While I am pleased with the results, I had severe complications that required an additional surgery. I began bleeding internally and was rushed to Coliseum Medical Center where I was opened back up and the bleed repaired. I understand that this is a risk that I accepted when opting for this surgery, my problem is not with that. My issue is that NOT ONCE did Dr McLendon contact me after the original surgery. Not while I was in the hospital for 24 hours recovering from the emergency surgery, not during follow up care, nothing. I would have thought that because of the severity of my situation, he would have shown even a small amount of concern for my health and well being. I really got the impression that after my check was cashed, he didn't feel like any contact was important. I even requested that he call me, several times, and he never bothered to contact me at all. Because of this, I would not recommend seeing him for your procedure. I also would like to add that my personal insurance was billed for the emergency surgery, and almost two years later I am still fighting with Renaissance to pay their share. Cosmetic surgeons carry separate insurance to cover patients in situations like this, I never should have been billed for anything at all beyond the $12,000 I paid to the office. It's been a struggle to speak with anyone or to get them to return any phone calls or emails.
