So, having SmartLipo 2 weeks from today. Having upper/lower abdomen, flanks and arms. Dr. has already told me I may have to come back for arms. I am not a small girl and do not expect to be after the procedures either. I just hope to have some shape back. I am very excited and very nervous. Mostly nervous about the healing process, from what I have heard and read it is not the 'quck turnaround' recovery that the SmartLipo websites try to tout. I have also read a lot that it feels like a bad sunburn, well, I hate sunburns. LOL. I also have a very demanding job and have a very low tolerance for pain. So, those two things make me slightly nervous about returning to my go-go-go life in a reasonable amount of time. I am also quite nervous about the 'drainage'. I hope some of you can go into a little more detail about that so that I can be prepared. I am so appreciative for this site, and to those of you who have shared your experience. I feel like I am babbling here....and I dont want to sound super negative. I am excite, and hopeful. But very nervous about the 'after'. I appreciate all of the honesty I have read so far. Updated on 17 Jan 2013: 1-week pre-op today. Still nervous. Trying to gather as much information as possible on what to expect, during and after. I have been eating well and drinking lots of water. Have lost 6-pounds in the last week and a half. Going for 10 before surgery....I think it will help to stay on track after the surgery. Hoping to get some more info on the drainage issue, like will I need plastic sheets? And is the pain more like a sun burn or sore muscles? How long did the pain last? I have plans to go to San Diego exactly 2-weeks after surgery for work, a little concerned about being on the plane in pain. How is the pain after 2- weeks? I appreciate reading everyone's experience, and welcome all input. Thank you. Updated on 24 Jan 2013: So, ended up getting the flu and cannot get the procedure today. :( Have not received my reschedule date yet. Bummed. Updated on 25 Feb 2013: Ok so finally rescheduled, now set for 3/21 for abdomen and flanks and then will do arms a couple of weeks after. Still very nervous....but so ready for some changes. I love seeing everyone's updates and comments, it is all very encouraging. If anyone has done their arms, I would love to hear about the healing process versus body. Updated on 19 Mar 2013: 1-week until smartlipo. Upper/lower abs and flanks. Doing arms 2 weeks later. Nervous. But still very ready for a change. Love reading everyone's updates. So thankful for this site. Updated on 27 Mar 2013: Going in tomorrow at 9am. Not too nervous. More anxiety over the 'after'. But I feel pretty good about my preparations. This website has been enormously helpful. Will update after surgery. Here I go..... Updated on 30 Mar 2013: 48 hours post op. My experience: The procedure I was given Ativan, Percocet and an antibiotic about 45 minutes before, not sure if they made a difference or not. Incisions were a little pinch, no big deal. The injecting of the fluid was a bit painful, probably a 5 on the pain scale. The actual suction part lasted about 3 straight hours, and was just pressure in some areas and downright excruciating in others. Went from a 1 to a 7 on the pain scale. I was given 8 bags of the fluid, which is a little high, but I do not numb easily. After the suction was completed, they attempted to stand me up to clean up, this did not go well. I got very dizzy and a port o potty had to be brought in for me to sit on, as I was buck naked. This was not cute, for anyone. The only good thing that came from me being stuck on that contraption for 30 minutes was that I did a lot draining right there on the floor. Finally, they got me all maxi padded up with an entire roll of tape, strapped on the cincher and home I went. Recovery so far: Got home around 3 on Thursday and slept until about 7, got up for a minute to eat, then back to sleep. Most noticeable pain is in the getting up and down. Once stationary, low pain. Friday, Day after surgery still very uncomfortable getting up and down, bruising and swelling seems to be the reason for this. I did manage a shower (no hair washing) before going to a 4pm check up. I was no longer draining, that ended around midnight of first night. Getting around very slow, still having a lot of trouble with up and down. Saturday, now 48 hours post op. still very stiff and having back pain now along with the bending issue. If something drops on the floor, forget about it. Have some nausea today for the first time, this may be from another shower, with hair washing this time. Appetite pretty good. Havent taken any pain meds other than Tylenol. A bit nervous about returning to work on Monday, but have no choice. I can see some changes, but do not have unreasonable expectations, I know that will take a while. Hoping to start moving a little better. All in all, glad I did it. Now arms in 2 weeks. I am crazy. Updated on 1 Apr 2013: Back to work! And a long day it was. Made it through ok though. Mostly still having trouble with getting up/down and in and out of car. I think I am getting used to being in some amount of pain all the time. I think the biggest downer of the day is how swollen I am. I feel bigger than I was before the procedure. From what I have read this is normal. And it has only been 4 days technically. Patience....I am told, is the answer. Updated on 2 Apr 2013: In A LOT of pain today. My bruising and soreness prevents me from being able to bend or pick anything up from below waist level. When I take my compression off I am shocked every time at how black blue and green I am. I am supposed to be getting my arms done a week and 2 days from now....I don't see how I am going to be able to do that with this level of pain. Hoping for some relief. Hard day. Very emotional. Updated on 10 Apr 2013: 2 weeks post procedure. Pain getting better, still not able to bend all the way down and bathroom remains an entertaining challenge. The horrible bruising has started to fade, but the swelling is still pretty prominent. I can see some changes, so that keeps me from feeling discouraged. I was supposed to get my arms done in 2 days, but cancelled that because I am still not comfortable sleeping and cannot imagine making it even harder to sleep at this point. I cannot wait to get these arms done though. Will post pics soon. Updated on 25 Jun 2013: Wow. For me, the arms have been a little tougher than expected. Ok, a lot tougher. I guess I had it in my head that the arms would be a cake walk after the abdomen, but I was sadly mistaken. 18-days post op and I still cannot sleep without pain, the elbow areas hurt ALL of the time, and I can barely lift my arms high enough to wash my hair. It is very painful to wash my hair. I am hoping that something is not seriously wrong, but this seems worse than it is supposed to be. Going to see the dr this week.
I was really worried that I wouldn't be a good candidate, because I honestly thought I was too heavy to have it done. I've been heavy my whole life, but I had recently lost about 40 pounds and realized that my stomach wasn't losing some of it's stubborn fat, despite the fact that I was losing every where else. After the consult, the doctor told me I was a good candidate, and as long as I kept up my diet and exercise, it should make a difference. I was really nervous when they attached the "vacuum", as I like to call it. I will say this, the first 20 minutes is painful. I have a high pain tolerance and this was very painful for me. I took lots of deep breaths and tried to focus on something else. After about 20 minutes, the whole area become mostly numb and you just feel pressure. I brought my iPad with me and just watch movies during the hour. The doctor also turned down the lights to create a relaxing environment and offered me the remote to watch their television if I wanted to. They were very accommodating. After the procedure was done, the area was very tender when they removed the vacuum. I wasn't in pain, but the area was tender and very red. That evening, I couldn't sleep on my belly due to the tenderness. As the days passed, the pain subsided. I did bruise a little bit, and every once in a while, the area would "ache". I would pop a few aspirin and I was okay. Sometimes, sitting for long periods of time would make the area sore, but nothing awful. So far I'm happy with the procedure. It's only been a week, so I don't have any after pictures to share, but I will share the before! :) My only advice for those considering this procedure is be prepared for some pain during the procedure and after. Also, I've heard lots of stories of people getting upset and claim it didn't work simply because they didn't maintain a healthy diet and exercise. Just because this kills off fat cells does not mean that the ones remaining can't grow!! Updated on 12 Jul 2012: About three weeks after my procedure and I am seeing small improvements. However, I will say the procedure motivated me to kick up my cardio and really watch what I eat. I mean, what's the point of getting this done if you're just going to backslide? This isn't a permanent fix, but something you have to maintain. Don't gain the fat back!!! The areas where I had the CoolSculpting done still feel numb. You can tell it really "killed" those fat cells. Now it's just waiting for my body to eliminate them over the next few months. I had some weird pain in the areas over the past few weeks. Nothing unbearable and nothing Advil couldn't help...but some nights it was uncomfortable to sit up for long periods of time...but that passed after about a week. I'll keep you all updated and take picture next update. Updated on 20 Aug 2012: Almost 3 months later, and I am astonished with the results. I drink lots of water, eat well, and try to exercise 3 times a week to help speed up the process and maintain my results. I've lost 2 inches around my lower belly, and went from a size 16 to a 14 (but those are starting to get big on me now!). My stomach is so much flatter than it ever has been my entire life. Even when I was 16 and weighed 130, I had a little pouch. That pouch is slowly disappearing. It's important that if you have this procedure that you maintain a healthy lifestyle to help encourage the results. You can't get this done and then eat fatty foods. Although this does kill fat cells, the remaining fat cells can always get bigger. Again, this procedure helped motivate me to continue on the path of a healthy lifestyle. It's definitely helped speed up the results I see from my efforts, and I would do it all over again. It's totally worth it. I'll try to post pictures soon. Especially the side view pictures, those show the most difference.
I've tried IPL and fraxel to remove my "sun spots" but haven't had any results, so the doctor recommended DOT therapy. Removing the sun spots is my main objective, but it's also supposed to improve skin texture and fine lines, which would be an excellent side benefit since I'm noticing my skin has started to sag in the last couple years. I had the procedure yesterday (5-27-10). To me it was no more painful than fraxel, or any other laser treatment. They numbed my face with numbing cream and also prescribed pain medicine (which was optional, but I did use it before the treatment). They also gave me a "dental block", four shots in my mouth (didn't hurt) that numbed the area around my mouth and nose, so no pain in that area at all during the procedure. They did a great job setting the expectations and telling me exactly what they were doing, etc. It hurts like a bad sunburn for the first couple hours, then feels very tight. I also had some spots of blood that appeared all over my face, but when I washed it in the evening they went away. They told me I'd have swelling today, and I do (I did sleep with my head elevated). My face is red and bloated looking, but again, that's the expectation they set. They told me it would take 10-30 days before I'd see any results, and should be able to go back to work on Tuesday. I do have to keep a thin layer of aquaphor on it to keep it moist for three days, which is kind of gross because it's like vaseline so my face is kind of greasy, and I have to pull my hair back to keep it from sticking to my face, but the aquaphor does make it feel better. Then lotion and most importantly, sun screen, for the next 30 days. Also, no exposure to the sun at all for 30 days. I'll post more as I see how it goes. It's too early to tell if it was worth it, but I'm optimistic!
I have experienced damage caused by Fraxel. It took about 3 months after the proceedure to see my skin start to deteriorate. It will be 2 years in Oct. 2014. My skin has aged rapidly, and I have large pores that have blackheads on my face and neck where I got the treatment and lines on my neck and wrinkles on my face that should not be there at my age. I looked good before I did this now I look years older! I've looked on this site since Jan. 2013 to read other stories. Today I called the FDA to at least report the damage I have from the Fraxel treatment I received in Oct. 2012. I was treated with respect, the woman listened while I explained my various skin damage. She will be emailing me to finish the report. She even gave me her name and direct number. She urged me to tell others to REPORT TO THE FDA so they will investigate the claims. I feel like there hasn't been a lot I can do to change what has happened or to stop the use of this Lazer. But she gave me hope that if enough reports are filed they will investigate it. So please take a few minutes to file a report! You can google the FDA, US Food and Drug Administration. Then go to Consumer Complaint Coordinators, each State has it's own number. Again, she urged us to call! She was an investigator herself, so maybe she will follow up. God Bless! Karyn
