Laser Lipo: Contoured my shape, but the swelling has been permanent. Now bigger everywhere.

It's too early to tell how well my results will look. I only had the procedure done 4 days ago (12/3/15). However, I have already received comments about "weight loss", so it would seem that some results may be visible through my clothing already. I had an apple shape, which, in my opinion, always makes someone look so much more overweight than they are. I know that my upper abdomen is smaller already. I'll have pics to share when I think there's enough of a difference all around.

This is just to give a heads up for anyone considering this procedure, because I didn't read anything warning me about these two items:

1) The procedure itself is relatively painless because of a liberal application of local anesthetic. However, if you are an anxious patient like me, you should be prepared for the fact that the application of the local anesthetic IS very uncomfortable and/or painful. It's required for the WHOLE treatment area; not just the incision locations. Not knowing this ahead of time made me SO anxious through the whole application that the surgeon wanted to stop the procedure and have me do it under general.

With another sedative dose and a lot of internal steeling, I got through it. This would have been far less traumatic for me, the surgeon and the surgical staff had I had more information about the numbing process and how long it takes. I had my eyelids done under local anesthesia. The pain associated with this local application was NOTHING like the degree of pain associated with getting injections in your eyelids. However, the surgeon who did my lid lift was very, very, VERY determined to establish my expectations for that application. (e.g. "This is going to hurt A LOT and there are 8-10 shots I have to do."). Those warnings, though seeming excessive at the time, were exactly what I needed to get through it.

If you're a patient like me, whose anxiety is lessened with information, then perhaps telling you about how extensive the local anesthetic application is for laser lipo will help you too.

2) You can and should be prepared for treatment area swelling. This is surgery, so your body will react with water retention in trauma and the fluids injected into you will also be retained. However, I wasn't prepared for swelling in NON-treated areas. I had my upper and lower abs done along with flanks. I've been wearing my compression garment and only taken one shower since, so I don't quite know how swollen they really are. I expected the swelling there, so I haven't checked.

But when I went to put jeans on - jeans I'd worn only days before the procedure - I was unable to get them past my thighs. That's how swollen my thighs and hips are. It isn't swelling I'd consider "excessive", in that the sight of my legs is frightening or distorted or anything. It's just that I know that I cannot get my jeans on. In fact, I may have to go 3 sizes larger - provided I still have them - just to wear jeans.

I've had other surgeries. I know this can happen. (e.g. my whole torso bloated when I had neurosurgery, etc.). I just want to warn others as to the possibility.

Pictures will follow.

Day 5 Post Procedure:

You'll read a lot of personal testimony that speaks to the swelling post SmartLipo, which is supposed to be lesser than it is with traditional lipo. I think there needs to be a distinction drawn between a degree of swelling that will alarm a health care professional and the degree of swelling that will discourage a patient.

My swelling is likely NOT that which would alarm a surgeon. I don't look swollen or bloated to some distorted degree. When I had neurosurgery, my entire body swelled up as if I had been treated with steroids (I wasn't.) However, my current post SmartLipo swelling is to a degree that is extremely discouraging to a patient. I've had to fight back tears as I took my measurements and tried on the clothing I own.

I wore a Size 4 jeans a month prior to the surgery. I gained some weight (by lapsing my diet and being distracted from my exercise). This led me to wear my Size 6 jeans for two weeks before the SmartLipo, once again reaching some 4s in the days before the surgery, because I cut out grains again.

Today, I attempted to find jeans or pants I can wear AT ALL. I lost a lot of inches (and 20+ lbs) in the past 2 years of rigorous effort in diet and exercise. Once I realized that I was was holding the new, smaller size, I got rid of the larger clothing. I held onto some of them solely because they had been expensive or had sentimental value to me. Those larger sizes - the size 8s I saved? I can't get them on.

Unlike the 4s and 6s, I can get the Size 8s past my hips and thighs, but I cannot close them. I have a single pair of jeans I can get on at all. I have two pair of elastic waistband pants that I wore post-partum, when I weighed 25 lbs more than I did prior to my surgery. Those too fit me.

That's it. Those are the only pants I have that aren't lounge wear/yoga pants than I can get on. 3 whole pairs of pants. I got rid of my size 10 jeans years ago. I need those now. I know there's no way I have any dresses or skirts that I will be able to wear. When I was post partum - and at my largest ever - I didn't wear any dresses or skirts. I never had any that were Size 12, 14, etc..

I've gained the following in terms of inches (from measurements taken the day before the procedure):
Waist: 4-5 inches (with compression garment, since I can't take it off)
Hips: 2.5 inches
Thighs: 0 inches, but I don't understand why the pants are all tight there
Lower abdomen: 3 inches

I am going away for the holidays in two weeks. I need to pack clothing that I can wear. So, I've since read more about the expectation of swelling. There's the Physician Swelling category - that can last for up to 4 months. Then there's the Patient Swelling category - that many patients are reporting to last up to 6 weeks.

I am not hopeful that this swelling will subside enough in time for me to be able to wear the clothing I owned (ironically, when I was a size I deemed needing surgical help). I'll wait a week before I buy anything, but am now currently shopping for "fat clothes" on Amazon (clothing that is passably flattering to apple shaped, overweight women).

The timing was unfortunate and I knew the swelling could last long (on the outside for some patients). I was hoping to be in the portion of patients that see swelling decrease quickly.

PLEASE keep this in mind when planning your procedure. Do NOT hold expectations of some event a month or even two months away from your procedure date. CERTAINLY not 2-3 weeks.

The good news for Week 2: My waist measurement has gone down by 2.5 inches.
The bad news for Week 2: Nearly every other measurement on my body has increased and continues to increase. (And I'm back on my protein-shake, low grain, high fiber, high water diet.)

The more detailed and informed my internet searches get, the more post procedure testimonies I'm finding. And it's now clear to me that I had absolutely ZERO realistic expectations about recovery.

The pain comes and goes. It was actually worse this week than it was during the first week. Based on what I've read, this was likely due to the fact that the local anesthetic used in the procedure can stay in minimal effect for longer than 2 days. So, in some cases, the patient's recovery experience in the first half of Week 1 can see pain management aided by remnant local anesthesia. Although, even so, during Week 1, I was still in a goodly amount of pain. I've had other surgeries including even neurosurgery. I've never used up my narcotic pain meds after any prior surgery. Typically, I have to throw them out because they expire. This is the very first procedure in which I used them up at all and I did that in a week's time.

My clothing update:

6s will now go on, but nowhere close to being able to close
8s will go on more easily, but still cannot close.
Still wearing elastic bands pants.

You'll see a lot of commentary from physicians that your clothing will "fit better" after liposuction. I can report that this is accurate in terms of my tops. Tops that once made me look enormous no longer do, even though I'm nearly a full three jeans sizes larger than I was pre-procedure. The reason for this appears to be that my silhouette is now a straight line at the abdomen instead of containing a big bump below my navel.

So, there's that.

I leave for my vacation in 8 days. I have very little hope that I will be able to bring any of the pants I currently own and precious few of the tops.

Therefore, be forewarned, if you are planning this procedure near or around a vacation or any season in which you can't wear bulky sweats or workout clothes (like the holiday season), expect to add a few additional hundred dollars to the cost of your procedure to purchase "Swelling Clothing".

Also, if you're reading along here, please understand that my current experience has NO connection to surgical skill and is every bit connected to the realities of this procedure. Lipo's recovery reality is just not spoken about to a sufficient extent.

It is absolutely critical that one find a talented, skilled and board certified surgeon for this procedure. Another thing that is becoming very clear to me as I continue to read more testimony is that I did.

That part will be the most important one of this long recovery process.