POSTED UNDER Liposuction REVIEWS
Thigh, Knee, Calf and Ankle Lipo
ORIGINAL POST
I have hated the shape of my legs ever since I was...
missy149October 5, 2016
$8,800
I have hated the shape of my legs ever since I was a teenager. I am now in my early 40s, 5'6" tall, and weigh about 142 lbs. Even when I was 120 lbs, my lower half did not match the upper half of my body. My legs have definitely gotten worse since having children. Exercise does not change their appearance. I have not worn shorts or a sundress in over 20 years. I realize my legs will never be my best feature, but I just want to feel like I can get into a sundress or bathing suit in front of people and not feel mortified. I am sick of dreading summer!
Today I underwent tumescent liposuction with oral sedation (Valium), a shot of diluadid (morphine), and several anti-nausea pills/patch. My plastic surgeon did circumferential thighs, calves, and knees. It was a long process - probably about 6 hours. He supplemented the pain meds as needed towards the end.
I will post before and after pictures as soon
as I get them. In the meantime, I'm happy to answer any questions anyone may have!
Today I underwent tumescent liposuction with oral sedation (Valium), a shot of diluadid (morphine), and several anti-nausea pills/patch. My plastic surgeon did circumferential thighs, calves, and knees. It was a long process - probably about 6 hours. He supplemented the pain meds as needed towards the end.
I will post before and after pictures as soon
as I get them. In the meantime, I'm happy to answer any questions anyone may have!
missy149's provider
UPDATED FROM missy149
7 days post
One week post op
missy149October 12, 2016
It's been a week and I can definitely see a big difference in my thighs even with all the swelling and bruising. My calves/ankles looked a lot better right after surgery, but they are too swollen to see the difference now. Even with keeping my legs elevated at night, my feet/ankles are still bruised and really swollen.
I have to be honest - I have a pretty high tolerance for pain and this recovery is pushing it for me. I think the combination of the thighs and calves really makes things a lot more difficult. My plastic surgeon warned me about it, but I wanted to just go through one recovery - maybe not the best choice. It's almost impossible to find a comfortable sleeping position since there is a deep aching pain throughout the lower half of my body. And the soreness is way worse than a "hard workout." I had a little meltdown this morning about why I would put myself through this ... I have to keep reminding myself that this has been an issue for me for 20 years and is something I couldn't change on my own. I know this part is temporary, but it really sucks!
I have to be honest - I have a pretty high tolerance for pain and this recovery is pushing it for me. I think the combination of the thighs and calves really makes things a lot more difficult. My plastic surgeon warned me about it, but I wanted to just go through one recovery - maybe not the best choice. It's almost impossible to find a comfortable sleeping position since there is a deep aching pain throughout the lower half of my body. And the soreness is way worse than a "hard workout." I had a little meltdown this morning about why I would put myself through this ... I have to keep reminding myself that this has been an issue for me for 20 years and is something I couldn't change on my own. I know this part is temporary, but it really sucks!
Replies (3)
February 12, 2017
Hello. I am considering lipo of my thighs (front, back, outside) and my entire knees. Now that you've had a few months to recover, looking back, was the pain you experienced worth it?
I had a: tummy tuck (with lipo), breast lift wth fat transfer, and lipo of the- inner thigh, hips, back, and flanks on 01/12/17. I, too, thought I knew and could withstand pain until having this operation done. Wanted to deal with only one MAJOR recovery, but it sounds like your thighs and knees were major.
Any thoughts or insight is appreciated. Thanks
February 12, 2017
Hi! I don't think thighs and knees would be awful - especially after all you've been through. I'm told the pain level depends in part on how much fat they're taking out (vs just "shaping"). I think it was so bad for me because I also did my calves and ankles, so it impacted pretty much half of my body. My calves/ankles were really my main complaint and what prompted me to make the appointment. In fact, I still have swelling in my calves and ankles (which I'm told takes up to a year to resolve). That wouldn't be a problem for you. If you do the back of your thighs, you should consider getting one of the vinyl toilet seat cushions. I got the 2 inch Duro-Med one from Amazon for about $16 and it worked great. While you will definitely be uncomfortable for a week or two, I can't imagine it would be anywhere near what you went through this past January. How are you feeling now? Are you happy with the results?
February 13, 2017
Thanks for replying.
I'm doing MUCH better than the first week. Like I said, I thought I knew pain (past surgeries; pregnant with twins a year ago and my c section started bleeding in hospital due to too many blood thinners, so was given blood transfusion and had to have my incision packed for two months until it grew back together on its own, meaning a nurse/dr had to stick their fingers in my open wound to pack it for weeks= terrifying and stressful). The pain from this recent surgery was tremendous. The lipo in my back, flanks and hips was the absolute worst! My tummy tuck (with lipo and muscle repair) pain was invisible compared to the lipo on my backside. The lipo of my inner thigh was not bad at all, though.
I would have had my knees and the rest of my thighs done at the same time but my surgeon capped my time for safety reasons and said in three months, if I'm doing well with this surgery, we can schedule this last bit of lipo.
My healing is going nicely, however, my stomach still has a good amount of swelling. Did a check up last week and asked several times if my swelling is normal for someone at one month and was repeatedly told yes. I'm quite small (118 lbs after surgery, 125 lbs prior), and the Dr told me that where I am so petite, my swelling will look more pronounced compared to someone who is bigger.
The fat transfer to my breasts is amazing. So natural, and I never have to worry about any of the issues that come with implants. With the lipo of my thighs and knees, I hope to have enough fat removed to transfer a bit more to my breasts.
My husband is not going to like me doing my knees and thighs since this surgery was so big and really knocked me down for weeks, so when would you say you were doing basic things independently?
What would be the downtime for this procedure? 6 hours on the legs sound quite extensive.
Wishing you an uneventful recovery.