Chicago BBL Process and Review

I’m here at 4 weeks post-op and anxiously awaiting the final results (still months away realistically). Most of what I have read says a major portion of the swelling should subside by six weeks. I have taken weekly photos and can see progress but am having a difficult time envisioning the final result. I can also see my butt losing volume as each week passes. The emphasis on my surgery was really on the mid-section lipo. I was clear that I did not want too much added to my bottom, just a little. I’m happy with the shape I have but I do wish my projection was more than what it’s shaping up to be now. I also realize it’s important to be realistic about result expectations - I didn’t start out with much there in the first place! I’m really happy with the smoothness of my back so far and see better and worse days with swelling in my stomach. I notice one side has more curve than the other and wonder if I will need a revision to correct this. (That is one risk related to the surgery I was well aware of going into the process.) An interesting note about Dr. Platis is that he does not buy into or recommend any of the special pillows or abstinence from sitting advice like so many other doctors I have seen. He communicated that I could sit whenever I was able to after as pain allowed and insisted that about 65% of the fat transferred would stay regardless of the pressure I put on the area. I appreciate the advice as this made the surgery more realistic for me, but I’ll never really know if it would have helped to retain projection had I refrained from sitting as most doctors prescribe. Also in all fairness, I don’t think I would have agreed to the surgery had I not been able to sit for 6+ weeks!  Only time will tell on how things will end up!

Day 0 - Surgery The evening of the surgery I appreciated that Dr. Platis reached out to see that I was doing okay. I was pretty nauseous from the anesthesia and couldn’t keep food down, but other than that just sleeping. I could hardly feel anything as long as I didn’t move. Day 1 - The first full day post- surgery was by far the worst... the anesthesia had worn off and one pain pill every four hours as prescribed was hardly enough. I was thankful to have my boyfriend with me, even though I was hardly awake and only left bed to use the washroom. The good news is it was only a day! In the grand scheme of things, that’s a very small amount of time compared to how long we all hope these results will last.  Days 2-3 - The second and third days came around and things got much better. It was easier for me to get in and out of bed on my own. I was told I was able to shower 48 hours post-op, so on the 26th I gave it a try. I removed my garment for the first time. As I have since learned, the shift in blood pressure while doing so often leads to light-headedness and fainting, and I all but passed out right on the bathroom floor had my boyfriend not been by my side to catch me. I would definitely recommend having someone with you in the first few days afterward.  Day 3 - This is when the pain substantially subsided, thankfully... I attempted the shower again. It helps to take off the garment and stay in a horizontal position for some time to help your body acclimate to the change in pressure before getting up to shower. It was a bit of a mental hurdle to me also, as I was feeling like my mid section was very vulnerable. This could be just me, as I’ve been known to be pretty squeamish, but I specifically didn’t look in the mirror and stuck to washing up with a wash cloth and the bath faucet and washing my hair in the sink... it did the trick! I actually was able to attend a friend’s birthday party this night for a bit and was out of the house for the first time.  Days 4-5 - These days included lots and lots of rest. I was off painkillers by the 3rd day and was amazed and how much recovery progress my body was making each and every day. Things were looking up and I was certain the worst was over. All in all, even the worst wasn’t so bad.  Day 5 - I had my follow-up appointment and Dr. Platis advises that things were healing according to plan. The bruising was subsiding, and he gave me a tip that anytime I felt lightheaded just to lay down flat immediately. Luckily soon after this the faint feelings subsided naturally anyways.

April 24, 2019 was surgery date! I followed all instructions:  - Wash with hibiclens the night before and morning of  - Don’t eat or drink anything after midnight before surgery  - Pack light on surgery day and wear comfy clothes  - Have someone with you to drive you and stay with you for min 24 hours afterward (I appreciated having someone for a couple days after - more on that later)  The surgery began around 7 AM. I arrived at the facility around 6. It’s worth noting that Dr. Platis works out of an accredited surgical center, and I found all of the nurses, staff, and anesthesiologist to be friendly and welcoming. Between 6 and 7 I was dressed in the hospital gown, with compression socks, hooked up to the IV and ready to go. I met with Dr. Platis once more to go over final wish pics and be marked up for procedure. By 7 things were underway and before I knew it at 9:30 I was beginning to wake up. About an hour later I was ready to leave. My boyfriend and I rented a mid-size SUV - I was very thankful for this, as he drives a tiny sports car and I cannot imagine tying to get in and out of it in the state I was in. The hour ride home to the city (Dr. Platis works out of a surgery center in Northwest Indiana) was painful to say the least.