After always hating my arms, I decided that VASER lipo would be the most effective method to use to target the problem and give me the arms that I have always desired. In my 20's, I lost more than 70 lbs. and have more or less kept the weight off over the last ten years. My arms always seemed disproportionately large though. So much so that I would never wear sleeveless or strapless tops. Very limiting indeed! I researched many doctors and opted to go with a board certified plastic surgeon that had favorable reviews. After a consultation and asking to speak with at least two of his former patients, I was confident that he would deliver the results that I was looking for. That didn't happen. If I remember correctly, my arms (although muscular) were a whopping 17 or 17.5 inches in circumference. I wear a size 12 (10 at my ideal weight), but these arms were just too frickin' big. Anyway, I stressed to the Dr. that I did not want fat arms any longer. I remember saying this to him again before I was put under the anesthesia for my procedure, "I don't want to wake up with fat arms." I chose this procedure for the minimal bruising and recovery time that is associated with it. Although I woke up nauseated from the anesthesia and very sore, I was able to move about that day. I slept for most of the evening, but was not in horrible pain. Very uncomfortable yes, but not intolerable. Most of my pain was not from the liposelection of the arms and bra strap flap, but from the mini arm lift that I had him perform to remove excess skin. This involved him making a 5 inch incision that began under my armpit and extended to the fold where you raise your arm. I wanted to be sure that the fat was gone and that there was no possibility of me being left with bat wings. In hindsight, my mistake was not being EXTREMELY clear about my expectations. For instance, showing him a picture of what I would consider an acceptable size of my arms, or saying I expect my arms to be 4 inches smaller in circ. per arm. This is critical to your satisfaction after the procedure. Now I do fault him because there is no way that I should be out of $7k+ and have only a 2 inch reduction per arm more than a year and a half later. That is completely unacceptable in my book and I'm pissed to tell you the truth. RECOVERY: My arms and bra strap were extremely tender for weeks, bruising disappeared slowly after two weeks. The garment was hell on earth but did provide some comfort for some reason...perhaps because it puts an extra barrier between your sensitive skin and your clothes. The incision sites were sore for much longer and he actually screwed up a bit when he closed one of the incisions. Honestly, none of the recovery process or slight scarring that I have would have mattered if I woke up with the arms that I wanted. I have decided that I will not have my arms done again, I'm just continuing to monitor my diet and exercise. I'm confident that they will shrink a bit more with a concentrated effort on my part. If there is any advice that I could offer, I would say TELL YOUR DR. IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS EXACTLY WHAT YOU EXPECT FOR YOUR MONEY and DO YOUR RESEARCH. In this case, I did my research, but was not crystal clear with my expectations. Best of luck to everyone:)
