5'5, 103lbs, botched stomach lipo, is there any hope for fixing? (Photos)

Question

I had a regrettable bbl in 2017. I had uneven lipo on my stomach. In 2019 I saw a different doctor who said they could fix it with laser lipo I believe it was called? Now it's 2024 and I haven't worn a 2 piece swimsuit since before 2017. I'm 5'5" and 103lbs. Can I get filler or anything under my skin? I got these tattoos to try to "hide" my disfigurement. But when a shadow hits all you can see are these weird lines and divots. And sometimes the skin looks purple & blotchy. Please an ideas?

Gerald Minniti, MD, FACS · Answer

This will never be perfect, but fat grafting is your only option. First round should be very low volume, about 50 cc to just get some space between the dermis of your skin and the muscle fascia. This will act as a primer for a larger fat grafting session about 3-4 months later. The second one will have a greater impact on smoothing. A third will do even more. Your problem with this only viable remedy is donor site material.

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

I would suggest doing a series of careful Sculptra injections by someone who treats scarring with Sculptra. The first one or two treatments could be done with micro-needing to disperse the Sculptra evenly over the whole area. Sculptra acts like a scaffold and lets your own collagen grow and replace it. Each session would be at least 6 weeks apart and needs to be done carefully. You could get some good improvement.  Avoid things that will just tighten the skin.

Kenneth R. Francis, MD, FACS · Answer

Dear sarababi,
It would be very easy to say that you had an overly aggressive liposuction performed by an underqualified surgeon, but we don't have all of the facts to do that.  Going forward, laser liposuction is not going to fix irregularities that severe.  It might make things a little better, operative word being "little."  The purple blotchy skin is called erythema ab lipoaspiration and is a result of very superficial liposuction, sometimes permanent.  Look into some new possible treatments in the form of Renuva, an injectable filler/fat cell stimulating product, and Creska, a fat derived stem cell injectable that also may stimulate fat cell regeneration.  These are expensive and very new to the market, so effectiveness at this point remains in question.  Good luck!

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

Delivering consistent quality liposuction results is more difficult than most people realize.
The number of plastic surgeons who approach mastery of liposuction, and or fat transfer is in reality quite low.
Liposuction results are permanent and more or less irreversible.
There are no easy treatments that will have a significant impact on your outcome.
To make an assessment, we need to see Proper before and after pictures.
If you’ve had more than one procedure than we, we need to see before and after pictures for each of your previous operations. If you don’t have before, and after pictures, then contact your previous providers and ask them to forward copies of your medical records, including all before, and after pictures.
You should also get copies of your previous operative reports.
For anyone considering having cosmetic surgery, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of provider selection.
 When things go wrong, it is often because patients failed to put in enough effort or properly vet providers.
Perhaps the biggest mistake I see patient is assuming that someone certified and plastic surgery has mastered most plastic surgical procedures.
This is simply not true.
Delivering consistent quality Liposuction is far more difficult than most people and most plastic surgeons are not nearly as good at Liposuction as they think.
 Considering having Liposuction, I recommend starting the process by making a list of local providers who seem to have extensive experience with the procedure.
Next schedule in person consultations with each of those providers.
Always bring pictures of your body taking the same way plastic surgeons take before and after pictures to use as reference during the consultation.
 During each consultation, ask each provider to open up their portfolio and show you their entire collection of before and after pictures of previous patients who had similar body characteristics to your own.
Highly experienced plastic surgeons should have access to hundreds or preferably thousands of before and after pictures to choose from.
Revision liposuction or correcting poor outcomes is much more difficult than primary Liposuction.
Revision work should only be done by those who have a proven track record of doing quality revision work.
An experience provider should tell you right up front that revision surgery may not deliver much improvement and that it is inherently very difficult.
Always insist on seeing lots of before, and after pictures before selecting the provider.
I wish I could be more optimistic and give you recommendations on treatments that will resolve your problem.
I don’t think there are any and I question if further surgical intervention is indicated.
It may be possible to get slight improvements, but it will involve expensive surgery And in the end, it may not be worth it.
Recognize that any attempt at the revision surgery can easily make things worse, especially if you haven’t selected for some of the very best providers.
Those same providers should tell you that the chance of having significant improvements is going to be low.
When choosing providers, I recommend patient’s schedule multiple consultation before selecting a provider.
There’s no correct number of consultations needed to find the right provider.
The biggest mistake I see patients make is having only one consultation and then scheduling surgery.
The more consultations you schedule the more likely you are to find the better provider for your needs.
At this point, any assessment will definitely require an in person consultation and you should come prepared to bringing with you a complete set of proper before and after pictures and previous operative reports.
Even then, I think any talented provider would probably set low expectations for any potential improvement.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD

5'5, 103lbs, botched stomach lipo, is there any hope for fixing? (Photos)

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