Sono Bello - Edina

Before I had kids I had a "perfect "body in my eyes. I was very athletic and worked out 3-4 days a week and always had a pretty good diet. I watched what I ate but I wasn't a fanatic about it. After I had my first son I noticed that I had problem areas that would not go away with exercise but it wasn't bad until my second son was born. I was able to get back to my pre-baby weight which was 135lbs. I was satisfied but not happy about I looked in certain areas. I never thought in a million years that I would have underwent liposuction. My husband and I was finally done having kids. We made this official by him getting a vasectomy last year. When I turned 34 I realized I needed to focus more on myself. Instead of working out at home, I got myself a gym membership and took up pilates classes and cycling. I had put on about 10lbs with been busy and working. I was weighing in about 145lbs. I still had my flat stomach and nice lifted butt but my inner and outer thighs and knees had problems and it was not going away.
Being a registered nurse I did some research about body contouring. I wasn't really looking to lose weight but to tone the areas that I had problems in. I had been working with my pilates instructor on certain areas I wanted to focus on for a year and I was seeing slow results. My upper body responded so well. Lower body-not so much . I made a consultation at Sono Bello. I had a friend whos sister went to Sono Bello's and had amazing resultry and I heard nothing but great things about Sono Bello. I had all my questions lined up and all of them were answered. I research the surgeon who was recommended for me and he had many years and experience of doing this type of procedure. Sono Bello made me feel so comfortable about everything. I discussed this with my husband and the decision was made for me to do it. I didn't tell my family members , coworkers or even my bestfriend. I wanted no judgment and I wanted this decision to be my decision.

I had pre-op exam and everything was explained to me on what I needed to do and not to do the weeks leading up to surgery. I followed these instructions strictly. I made sure I drank 2-3 liters of water per day. Limit my salt intake and abstain from any alcohol use and including additional instructions that were given by them.

The day of the procedure I was very nervous and anxious but they gave medications to help with that. I was given an anti-anxiety medication called Xanax and anti-nausea medication called Zofran and my first dose of antibiotic which was keflex. The doctor came in and mark me all up and verified the areas that were being done. I was also given a pain medication called demerol which is similar to morphine. The nurse also put in an IV just to have access in case for an emergency situation. Everything was going smoothly and the medications were kicking in. I was placed on the table and the numbning process began which was the most uncomfortable part but not bad. He started the other process where the tumsent fluid went in. Sorry if my spelling is wrong but this is where they fill the areas up with lidiocain, epi, fluids. This part was uncomfortable but it seemed to fly by. I was in and out do to the medications. Dressings were put on and the nurse helped me into my compression garment.

My husband drove home and i slept most of the day. The surgeon called and checked on me the night of the procedure. I was pretty sore. Pain rating 5/10, like I had done a extreme leg workout and them some. I took my pain medication that I was prescribed which was percocet. The next day I was pretty sore and but I got up walked everyou 2-3 hours. Made sure to stay hydrated with water and elevated my legs as often as possible. I had a ton of drainage that I changed my clothes 3 times. The next day the nurse called you check on me and I was doing good. Still sore. I switched over to ES Tylenol and was feeling good. Took my first shower. Felt woozy and a little nausea when I took the compression garment off for the first time after surgery. I made sure to move slow with this process so I wouldn't faint. Changed my dressing on my incisions and some were already starting to close up. I could notice results right away. No bumping my outter thigh and my inner thighs do not touch anymore. My knees I notice a significant difference. The fat was gone and this was only post op day 1

Post-op day 2

Up and about around the house doing light house work but making sure to take it easy. Im still sore. I'm having burning and numbing sensations which is a normal healing process. Changed my dressings again. Significant less drainage. Some areas are not draiNing anymore and have started closing up. Still swollen in my thighs though but this is expected. I did wash my garent while I was in the shower.

Post op day 3- is today!!!!
That's today and in feeling great!! Taking ES Tylenol. The swelling on my thighs have decrease a lot. I'm planning on taking my dog for a walk today to get outside. Still having the burning and numbing sensation at times. Drinking plenty of water, limiting salty foods and taking it easy.

Updated on 15 May 2016:
Sorry for any misspelled words or for my grammar. I'm writing this on my tablet. I will take pictures soon. I wish I would have taken before and after pics because I noticed results already. I'm still having some swelling in my thighs but I'm making sure to elevate my legs and drink plenty of water and continue a low salt diet. My pain is way better. Pain rating 3/10. Still taking ES Tylenol because I'm still having the burning and numbing sensation. I go back to work tomorrow. I'm a little nervous because I work 12 hour shifts and I'm on my feet a lot. I'll remember to take my Tylenol, drink water, elevate my legs while I sit. Like I said. I will put some photos on the next couple of days to follow . Thanks for the support

Ife

Updated on 16 May 2016:
I went back to work today. I was super anxious because no one knew I had the surgery done. Of course it had to be a manic Monday. I tried elevating my legs as much as possible but of course my coworkers were suspicious and the worse thing about it, I work with all nurses!!! I just said my legs have been swollen and I needed to elevate them. To be honest my legs were very swollen. I worked a 12 hour shift and I think it set me back a day. I'm elevating my legs right now and will be sleeping in the leather recliner chair tonight. Thank goodness I have the next day off so I can rest my legs and elevate them all day. I did give away my 12 hour shifts this week and some next week to help aid in my recovery. My incisions are healing nicely and are very small and non-noticeable areas. That's really good. I forgot to mention that I also been taking arnica pellets which is an hemopathic medicine that helps with bruising, swelling and pain. I totally forgot to bring that with me to work today. Oops. I will take pics tmrw. I'm super shy and negative comments really do hurt my feelings so please be nice.

Thanks

Updated on 17 May 2016:
Things are a little better today. Still dealing with swelling and mild pain. Didn't have to work today so I took it easy and ran some errands with my 4 year old son. Thanks to my supportive husband he cooked dinner so I could relax and be off of my feet because I do have to work again tomorrow. I did talk with the nurse and the swelling is completely normal and gets worse at post-op day 6 and 7 and starts to get better around the two week mark but everyone heals differently. Im still a little nervous and shy to post pics on here as I want to stay miss anonymous for a little bit. I hope this doesn't make anyone mad. I just don't feel comfortable putting half naked pics online of myself. I hope people can understand this and thanks for understanding. I find this site to help me a lot because Im really unable to express my feelings and update anyone on my progress except for my husband. Thanks for listening ?

Updated on 19 May 2016:
It's been 8 days since I had my procedure. I'm doing really great. Back to work and working about 8 hr days. My pain is nearly noticeable. The only thing is I'm still having a lot of swelling in my lower legs. This has increased has my activity has increased because gravity pulls downward. Towards the end of the day my legs are swollen like balloons. I'm elevating them at work and when I get home and during the night. I'm not taking any form of Tylenol or ibuprofen anymore. The only thing I'm taking is my arnica pellets. Which also helps with pain swelling and bruising. I also noticed my bruising is way worse too. My incisions are closed so I have started using my arnica cream on my bruises and swollen legs. My follow up is tomorrow at 2pm. Theses are the things I have noticed already. My clothes fit very loose even with my swollen legs. Lol. I've lost weight even though I wasn't trying to lose weight. I'm down to 140lbs. The day of my procedure I weighed in at 147lbs. I honstly thought I would have gained weight due to the swelling??? I'm curious to see what I weigh when the swelling goes down. I'm excited to wake up to see the results of the day. I also forgot to mention I noticed that my thighs are more firm and tight. I haven't noticed any bumps or irregularities at all. Those of you out there. This takes time. Be patient and the results will come as everyone heals differently and at different speeds. Thanks for reading and your time. ????

Updated on 22 May 2016:
I had my one week following up and it went great. I've already lost inches off my inner and outer thighs even with the swelling. The nurse took more pictures and my compression garment that I have now is fitting a little loose so I'm down to a medium. I'm feeling great today. Everyday my swelling is getting better and my results are looking better every day. Sorry I don't have any before pictures. I honestly didn't know what to expect with this procedure. I had my husband take this pictures of me last night. I will be wearing my little blue dress today with leggings. Haven't worn it in 7 years. I will try to keep posting stuff every couple of days. As always thanks for reading and your time. ????

Updated on 24 May 2016:
I'm having a great morning. Woke up and notice more results. Even my husband made a comment, "your legs are looking more toned". Yesterday I did have some soreness but it was tolerable. I did do a lot of house work yesterday with organizing and cleaning, going up and down stairs. The swelling has been a lot better. Theses are the things that I have been continuing to do. Eating a well balanced diet. Making sure to include all food groups and picking healthy choices. Staying away from processed foods and preparing my meals from home. I've been eating like this for many years so this is easy for me to but can be hard to change if this is something hat needs to be changed in your diet. Im Drinking at least 2 liters or more of water a day. I don't drink soda or pop. Since I was a kid I never was a soda drinker. I do drink coffee but I don't drink specialty coffee's such as mochas or cappuccinos because they contain a ton of sugar and calories. I stop doing this about a year ago. It was hard but now I don't even care. I just drink light roast with almond milk. I have not drank any alcohol since my procedure. I do like my glass of wine and a cocktail every now and then but I think it's best to just refrain from drinking until my body fully recovers and plus alcohol can make you retain more fluid and cause dehydration. I'm choosing not to drink for about 3 months. Keeping my stress level at bay. Avoiding certain people or things that can cause stress in my life. I know this is getting a little personal but I have also ease back into sexual activity. Taking it very slow but this is important to me and my husband so making sure you get your alone time with your significant other. Don't be afraid to ask for help. There are times that I need to elevate my legs or take a break and asking a friend or your spouse for help is ok. This is what I've been doing. Please feel free to add or give me any suggestions as I'm learning along the way. As always thanks for reading and your time. I will post photos at the 6 weeks mark.

Updated on 25 May 2016:
It's officially been two weeks since I had my procedure done and I'm seeing results every single day. I'm so happy and excited that I had this done. I worked a 12 hour shift today and it wasn't too bad and it was busy but I made sure that I took care of myself and elevated my legs and took my breaks. Not nearly as much swelling as last week. I have tomorrow off so I will rest up because I do have a long weekend ahead of me. I work Memorial day which is my holiday to work this year. After that I will have six days off to relax so I'll be fine. We'll I'm continuing on with my healthy eating habits and drinking plenty of water. Like I said before, I will post pics at the 6 week mark. As always thanks for reading and your time.

Updated on 30 May 2016:
I know I said I was not going to post pictures until the 6 weeks mark but I wanted to post more pictures because I'm seeing amazing results and it's only been 3 weeks. I still have slight swelling but it's tolerable. I was able to work 4 days in a row, one 12 and the rest 10 hr shifts without feeling like my legs were swollen like balloons. Today was the ultimate test because i hit 10,000 steps at 430pm!!!! We were crazy busy this memorial day. Almost 300 patients were seen and a lot of walking back and forth. My legs were expected to be swelling and achy. My sweet husband had dinner prepared and waited on me while I elevated and rested my legs. In the meanwhile I took a couple of pictures because I noticed how small my legs are getting and I wanted my fellow readers to see the results. I even got myself a long mirror so I can see how clothes really fit me. I feel so much more confident. I feel like a different person. The first pictures are week 1 and the second pictures are week 3

Updated on 8 Jun 2016:
It's officially been 4 weeks since my surgery and I'm feeling great. The swelling has gone down so much. I still have a little swelling in my inner thigh. I looking forward to working out in two more weeks. I'm down to 137Ibs. I started out at 147lbs right before surgery. I have been walking and trying to stay active as much as possible. Just not doing leg exercises. Still eating really clean and healthy. Drinking plenty of water and no alcohol. I will post pics at 6 weeks. Again thanks for reading and your time.

Updated on 22 Jun 2016:
It's officially been 6 weeks since my surgery and I'm absolutely loving my body again and the results that I'm seeing every day!! I've went shopping and feel so confident in my clothes. My coworkers have notice that I've lost weight and look more tone and I wear scrubs at work. I did post pics of myself at the 6 week mark. I did do a short 20 min pilates workout today. It felt really good to work out again. I just have to keep reminding myself to ease back into my workouts to avoid injuries or set backs. I also get to wear the garment on an as needed basis but they did say the more I wear it the better my results will be. To be honest, I like wearing the the garment, its very comfortable. I will continue to wear it until it's no longer beneficial. I hope everyone that's reading this is doing well and as always thanks for your time and thanks for reading.

Marathon runner, Yogie and all around healthy guy. Overall in good shape. Always had trouble with my midsection and lower back area. No amount of exercise would fix it. Post procedure i am very excited with the results! The staff at Sono Bello Edina did a fantastic job! They have continued to take great care of me post procedure as well.

I've had nothing but success with my lipo procedure preformed by Dr. Volk and my cellulite reduction, in which Deana does. I love everyone at this office, including Julie, Joy, Cassie and the nurses. Sono Bello in Edina has the BEST STAFF! Every day, someone says to me how great I look and I couldn't be happier with the results. I have changed my eating and exercise habits and I live a much healthier lifestyle.

After three children I had the tummy pooch- under my belly button that rubbed against jeans and made things just uncomfortable. I finally decided to go for a consult at Sonobello in Edina, MN to see what could be done. My areas of concern were primarily my tummy and also my legs (especially my calves which have always been large and heavy and out of proportion to my 5'1 frame. )
The initial consult was done with Cassie who went over some general information, looking at my frame/ body over my clothing and giving me a rough estimate of cost. It was more than I anticipated as one 'area' might only be $1300...but basically no one has 'one' area done. Your tummy might contains 2-3 areas such as upper abdomen, lower abdomen, flanks, etc...so it seems like it's always more than you anticipate. I later read that people 'diggered' the price quote given, which made me feel a bit taken as I didn't try to digger them down.....live and learn?

I was able to meet with Dr. Volk that same day which was convenient as I am 2 1/2 hours away and this appt met my pre consult dr. visit. Jess (I think was her name) was a great nurse...very open and fun and up front about what to expect. She made it less 'uncomfortable'- cus let's face it, getting naked in front of people and analyzing your fat and flaws isn't a ton of fun....but she focussed on the excitement of what they could do and what she's like to have done someday and that made it less weird.
One thing I read was that you would expect the areas of concern to have 50-70% less fat. I told them that WHY would I want 50% less fat if 70% was an option?! She said that Dr. Volk was very good and known to be aggressive and she said I would be happy. I hoped she was right.
Because I was having tummy, flanks, inner and outer thighs, inner thigh and calves I needed to have two separate procedures. (I wasn't going to do outer thigh at first but Dr. Volk suggested it saying tho I was pretty muscular he thought it would benefit the overall results. I didn't get the impression he was trying to 'up-sell' me..but just giving me some honest & educated opinions.
Proceedure 1: Tummy area: after getting my drugs and prep I went into the surgical room. Did it hurt? Most of the time it didn't hurt..but when the probes went high into my rib area or very low down into my pubic bone area it did hurt a fair degree. Kinda like a sander was grinding my bones. This wasn't constant and so I survived...tho they had to keep telling me to put my hands down. Josie was my nurse for the procedure and I was a tad disappointed not to have Jess- but Josie was friendly and I liked her as well. She was super nice putting my garment on my swollen body and getting me ready to go home.
She took a photo of the fat vials and said they removed about 5 lbs of fat!
RECOVERY PROCEDURE 1 (TUMMY area). Expect a lot of wet drainage. I wasn't prepared to feel so faint and nauseous when we tried to change my pads out that evening when we got home. The removal of the garment lowers blood pressure and makes one feel super dizzy. Be prepared. I have no idea how anyone would 'do this' alone as I was basically a drugged floppy sick mess. I was extremely sore and just trying to get horizontal in bed was trying. I will say EACH day got incrementally easier. By day 3 I was still sore but I could move pretty good. I know they say you should be able to return to work after 3 days, but I think that would be pushing it. Maybe 4 days if you had a total desk job.
The first day I took off my garment to shower and looked in the mirror it took me a moment to adjust what I saw with my eyes to what I had seen for so many years ,because my whole frame looked so much smaller. It was like someone 'cut' off my sides and shrank my whole torso size down. It had shape and it was just awesome. My tummy was almost nearly flat! FLAT. I guess Dr. Volk WAS aggressive and it was awesome!!! Every day I felt better and better and I felt so great not having to suck in my tummy and wear girl fit t shirts and have nothing but flatness on my tummy. By 7-10 days I was feeling pretty much back to normal though it felt great to have the garment holding me in tight. At 2 weeks post op my tummy was flat and when the nurse compared my pre op photo to post op even she was totally amazed at the difference. I still have some lumps and wrinkly unevenness but even if that never goes away ( I think it will?) I'm happy! I didn't take a pre op photo of my tummy, but I plan to get the one the clinic took. I think I was so disgusted at the time with my tummy I thought I'd never want to see it again..but now that it's gone it would be fun to compare.
I will do a separate post on my Procedure 2 (Lower body/ legs, thighs and calves) .Procedure 1 and 2 were 2 weeks apart.

AWESOME! First, I'm glad I opted for lipo vs. tummytuck. I always had a poochy tummy; it bothered my since I was little (elementary school)...menopause & poor habits added to tummy and waist. Photos coming.
First, early July was spent on this site, others, and YouTube -- educating myself.
On 7/8 I went to Dr. David O. Smith for TT consult; opted out.
In the same building, Sonobella had consult availability the next day! On 7/9 the Sonobella consult went quickly. The price was within researched parameters, and they had a surgery opening the next day. I paid with my credit card, signed on the line, and returned a few hours later for my pre-op. Dr. Volk was going to do 5 areas - upper/lower abdomen, waist, flanks.
On 7/10 I met Dr. Volk. He marked me up and I was in and out in a few hours. Pain was essentially as expected - moderate (only painful first 5 minutes & near ribs & pubic area). The doctor got 8# of fat!
Post-op pain and drainage as expected (not pleasant, but tolerable - only used Rx'd meds for 1 day). I had a lazy weekend and was back on my motorcycle 5 days later (though taking it easy). (Since I'm a teacher, I don't have to go back to work for another month! YAY!)
I still have swelling (1.5 weeks), but it's less every day. Waist is already down 5", tummy bulge GONE! I'm 54 yrs old; I expect to have loose skin once the swelling subsides. My clothes already fit 100% better and it hasn't even been two weeks. I'M THRILLED!!

Updated on 28 Jul 2014:
Still shrinking!
I'm still pretty swollen (tummy & pubic area very firm w/ fluid). I'm wearing my CG all day & a seamless waist cincher about 1/2 the night (then I'm just too hot and take it off). My waist is down (started at 43", 1 wk post op was 37", now almost 35"). I'm kind of lumpy (as warned) and the evening itching is tough (massaging kind of hurts but it helps the itching & lumps).
I'm still avoiding carbs and losing the weight slowly, but one day pigged out with sodium and paid for it for 3 days (waaay swollen; live and learn).
Rx update - Of the 5 preop Xanax I was prescribed, I only took 2; I only took 1 of the 5 pills for nausea; and only 4 of the 30 Oxy's. I used Tylenol a few times for pain as well as hoping it would decrease the swelling. Mainly I wear the CG, add the elastic binder, and take it easy when it bothers me too much.
Preop shorts / jeans / slacks do NOT fit - they look ridiculous! YAY! I find myself most comfortable in tshirt dresses (loose on midsection & cooler). Yesterday I wore a pair of my old, smaller size slacks but used the old rubber band trick so they wouldn't pinch my waist when sitting.
Though I'm still 175#s (not slender), I'm very happy with my silhouette. My tummy is a whole lot flatter and I have a waist. My goal is to get down to 150#s over the next few months.
Regarding the photos, no, I am NOT going out to the beach in a bikini, but it was fun to see what it would look like (I had some from younger, fitter days and they cover the pannus / lumps / loose skin).

Updated on 9 Aug 2014:
I'm continuing to wear either the CG they provided or firm / extra firm shapewear I've found elsewhere (I like the variety). I'm still a little swollen, mainly in my lower abdomen and pubic area. I massage the bumps and lumps a couple of times a day. But, IN CLOTHING, I feel really confident. I have a waist!! I have a flat tummy (something I've never had). I'm down to 173# (-20# from my max weight; but only -10# from my preop photos). I only lost 2# since last week...but who is complaining. Two pounds is two pounds! My goal is 150...loose skin will be a reality, but it's definitely something I can either live with or decide to have removed in the future. Not on the agenda for now...it's about looking okay in clothing.

Updated on 8 Sep 2014:
Between week 5 & 8 I only lost a pound, but I've gone down two sizes! I was 171# and now am 169#, but I've shrunk! YAY!! I started with my size 14s being tight. At one month I was quite comfortable in my 12s. I pulled old 12s from a storage box; a week later they were baggy! I was able to fit into 10s! A measly week later, I was back into the storage boxes, looking for more clothes. I'm now wearing 8s and 10s! Quite thrilling! And now that I'm back at work and we've done the 1st crazy week (teacher), I can get back into an exercise and eating routine. I still want to get down to 150#s, so I have a ways to go. But I'm getting LOTS of compliments. It's great to have a waistline (for the first time in my life). Photos will be posted soon.

Sono Bello told me my procedure would be "uncomfortable". They told me me my recovery would be "uncomfortable" and I would be back to my regular routine in less than a week. They would not use the word "pain". The whole thing was extremely painful and 5 weeks later, I'm still in pain. Plastic surgery is elective so if they told you how painful it really is, and how long recovery really is, you probably wouldn't go through with it. The person who you pay is the first one to look at you and decide how many areas can be done! Not a DR. or nurse, just a lady that takes your payment, says "yeah, we can do that". Really? The commercials on TV are misleading, "One day fat removal". It makes you believe you'll see results in one day. NO. Try at least 6 months! 6months of swelling and pain and this could go on up to a year! They don't tell you any of that!

I saved money that I didn't really have for a very long time to have my procedure done and now I wish I would have never had it at all. I saw Dr. Brian Strand to have liposuction on my upper abdomen, lower abdomen, waist, and hips. I was very adamant about how important it was for me to have my flank area thinned out and my abdomen flattened and I was assured that I would. Dr. Strand never discussed with me the option of an abdominoplasty, which he is now saying is what I needed to have done in the first place. He destroyed the appearance of my abdomen and when I tried to discuss this with him, he was condescending and insensitive, saying to me, "how many liposuction procedures have you done?" When I replied that I only had one, he repeated his question and clarified that he meant how many have I performed. 

Not only that, each time I saw him he made a point to make comments about my "big bazongas" and made me feel like he was judging the size of my breasts in a very inappropriate and unprofessional manner. I tried to talk with him and ask him if he could at least help fix the appearance of my stomach, which you can see by the photos, is completely botched. He was rude and left the exam room before I was even done asking questions. The unprofessionalism and the multiple comments about my breasts, when I was not addressing my breasts nor did I have any procedure on them was surreal. At my first appointment with him, he went on and on about how large my "bazongas" are and how I am not wearing the right bra size and that I should see a good friend of his who sells bras for a living. The follow up appointment which was today, he made a point to demean me and comment on my "big bazongas" again. 

Not only did he make disparaging and harassing comments about my breasts, he dismissed my feelings and overall unhappiness with the procedures and he left the room in the middle of my asking questions. I asked why he did not discuss with me that the better option for me was an abdominoplasty and he said, "did you read the consent?" I stated that nowhere in the consent did it discuss better options and as a physician, it is his duty to do that with me prior to the procedure. I also asked him why he did not explain to me that my abdomen could actually look worse afterwards and he said that he could not predict that but when I asked why he didn't even discuss the possibility, he simply stared at me and made a comment about how I was not listening to him. He demeaned me, he botched me, and he does not care that I am so unhappy. He refused to attempt to fix what he destroyed and I am horrified that this is the way a surgeon would behave this way and also not take responsibility for his mistakes in this matter. Furthermore, his comments about my breasts could be viewed as sexual harassment and I will be letting everyone I know about this experience. What a horrible way to treat a patient.

I got my tummy and thighs done for 6500. They told me I'd be ready for my event in 2 mths. They said it wasn't a painful experience and I would be awake the whole time so I could tell doctors if it was hurting more than it 'should've.
WORST DECISION EVER!
Not only was the procedure painful every second It started till till it ended but I didn't make my event bc it took me 6 mths to heal AND I didn't even get results because my fat was too fibrous. Apparently fibrous fat doesn't get reduced and is a tough fat to get out so it's extremely painful to take out and doesn't come out smooth.
I wish they would have told me to do cavitation before going in but they didn't so the pain was extremely horrible. I told the surgeon to stop before they went to my thighs and he told me ' no, you already paid for it so I'm going to do it' and he went ahead and did it against my will. It was the worst experience ever.
Updated on 20 Dec 2022:
It was the most painful experience I have ever had and I've had two babies naturally without epidural. They do not give you anesthesia so you feel everything. Do not believe them when they say that it's just going to be a small discomfort because it was excruciating pain. I got lipo done on my stomach and thighs. When they start it on my stomach and the first shove of the needle went in, it hurt like hell. I told the nurse and the surgeon, 'hey, it hurts, it's hurting me'. The surgeon told me, 'it's just the numbing fluid once I feel that fluid in you won't feel a thing.' so I laid there and cried as the jabbing needle filled my stomach with numbing fluid. I told the surgeon I didn't want to do my thighs anymore and that they can just do my stomach because they hadn't started on my thighs. The surgeon refused to listen to me and said, 'you already paid for your thighs so we have to do your thighs too. I'm almost done with your stomach so we'll go ahead and do your thighs after I'm done with your tummy.'

I was so shocked at his response. I kept crying and telling him and the nurse that I didn't want my thighs done anymore but they refused to listen to me and continue to work on my stomach and then went to my thighs without my permission. Once the numbing fluid was done, The surgeon left the room before he said he'll be back in 30 minutes to start the process of fat extraction. I cried and told the nurse I didn't want to do my thighs anymore and why did they continue when I said no. She smiled at me and said that it's not her place to diagnose and stop the procedure unless the surgeon tells her to. When the surgeon got back, I was hoping that the numbing would do what he had said but it didn't. I cried the entire time as the jabbing continued and kept apologizing to the surgeon and the nurse because my crying and sobbings were so loud. It hurts so bad even with the numbing it still felt like new jabs going into my stomach and my thighs. When I went in for my checkup, I complained to the coordinator about my experience and that I told the surgeon not to proceed with my thighs and he refused to listen to me. She had the CEO of the company come in to talk to me and when I told them about the pain I felt and that I instructed the surgeon not to go further, they defended his actions by saying that it wasn't his fault that I was in pain it was my body's fault. They said I had subcutaneous fat and that's why it was so painful. They said they could have never known it was that type of fat unless they went in. They stated that the surgeon would have a discussion But that I signed a waiver relieving the surgeon and the company from any wrongdoing. They offered me 10 Venus laser sessions to help with stomach flattening as a apology but refused to return my thigh money back. After talking to several medical malpractice lawyers and hearing that there would be no help because of the waivers I signed, I took up on the 10 free laser sessions but did not see any improvement on my tummy. Overall, I would suggest that you go with a liposuction company that offers anesthesia. You do not want to be awake to feel that pain. It traumatized me and I will never do that type of procedure ever again. We're still was the company that I went with and the fact that I was fully awake instructing the surgeon to quit and he refused to listen to me. Do not go to Sono Bello in Edina.

I consulted with the SonoBello Office in my area. I started my consultation with Casi N. She knew she had an easy commission when she saw me. She made promises that weren't even possible, and mislead me all the way. She said I would be down 2-3 sizes by spring. It is almost a year later, and I am still puffy.

Dr. Volk spent very little time with me.  Once the procedure was complete, he turns his patients over to his staff, who have zero follow through.  I am left with lumps and bumps, and almost zero visual results, even though they claim they did the max. per state guidelines.  I was set up for two procedure days, so 10 pounds could be removed each time ( total of 20 pounds).  Dr. Volk thought it would be better to get everything done in ONE procedure day, with a net loss of 10 pounds.  And yet I paid for 20...

Laser Lip with TriSculpt is a complete waste of money...$3,600 for two areas and I swear I have more fat in those areas than I did 6 weeks ago. At my pre-op, procedure, and post-op appointments I was not seen until 30-90 minutes after my appointment time. I had to miss a lot of work for these appointments. I think they assume people that have their procedures don't have jobs. I scheduled an appointment today to discuss how dissatisfied I am with the results and to show them why I am so unhappy. My appointment was scheduled at 9:45am. At 10:30am I was finally brought back to the exam room. At 10:45am I finally left their office after Dr. Volk never coming to the exam room. I simply couldn't miss anymore work. I went to them to allow them to correct the problem and this is how I am treated. I left a message for Dr. Volk to discuss this with him 2 weeks ago and never heard back from him. Clearly now that they have their money I am no longer important or valued. I am not a wealthy person and am a solo parent to two kids. I worked so hard to be able to pay for the procedure and now am out money and horrified by the results. Please do not consider Sono Bello for lipo. Maybe try Edina Plastics instead. I heard they do a great job.