BEST Experience + Results! 360 Liposculpture + BBL!

Just some things to know!
Preparing for Surgery -
-Iron and folic acid - I was advised to take these supplements to prepare for surgery
-Protein shakes - I was also advised to drink protein shakes leading up to surgery
Post-Surgery -
-Garments - Dr. Arenas includes a garment as part of the surgery, and I highly recommend you purchase all of your garments from Dr. Arenas (much more cost effective than purchasing them in the US)
-I purchased a second garment so that I would have an extra one, so that I could always wear a clean garment - I highly recommend this!
-I also purchased my second stage garment from Dr. Arenas before I left
-I was told to start wearing my second stage garment 3 weeks post surgery
-Lipofoam - Dr. Arenas will add lipo foam in roughly 1 week after surgery - Vero will help you put this on! And she will determine the optimal time to add this based on how your recovery is progressing!
-You can also purchase extra from Dr. Arenas - I recommend this!
-I was told that I needed to wear lipofoam for 1 month > with the ideal being up to 2 months
-Boppy pillow
-Dr. Arenas will provide you with a boppy pillow! You do not need to buy one!!! This will only add to your luggage unnecessarily.
-Nurses
-make sure you organise care from Vero and her nursing team before you go! I highly recommend this! They were absolutely invaluable!
-also DO the drainage massages daily! It's not fun but will really help you accelerate your recovery!
Also - follow ALL of Dr. Arenas' instructions! He 100% knows what is best for you, and will only give you recommendations that are in your best interest. If you do this, you will get amazing results!

When I was booking in w/ Dr. Arenas, I organised to have Vero and her team of Nurses look after me throughout my recovery. I HIGHLY recommend this! Especially if you are travelling to see Dr. Arenas. Vero and her Team are invaluable!

The first day after surgery (discharge day) - my nurse met me at the hospital, helped me get dressed, and traveled with me via Uber to my hotel room. We had a stop along the way - at the pharmacy to pick up the medication, and she dealt with all of that, and also picked out extra supplies for me - i.e. a pad (for the bed), sanitary napkins (to lay over any entry points that might leak fluid the first few days), etc. She helped me up to my room, and got me situated in bed and stayed with me throughout the night to ensure that I would be alright. She was absolutely awesome!

Vero came by every day to drain me. This was super not fun, but absolutely necessary, and I really feel that this helped me with my recovery! So although it's not fun...I highly recommend that you take advantage of this, and book Vero in to do the lymphatic drainage massage. She will come to your hotel room, set you up on a pad, perform the massage, help you shower, clean your garment, and put you back into bed. Seriously invaluable! I felt so much better each day after her visits, and I 100% believe this helped accelerate my recovery!

Leading up to my departure (10 days post op), I was booked in for 3 ultrasound massages. These massages are essential for breaking down the formation of scar tissue, which is an unfortunate but completely unavoidable consequence of liposuction. In order to get the best outcome, Dr. Arenas really looks after you post surgery to ensure everything is being done for you, so that you can get the best/right outcomes. These massages are great! And take place at the spa on the ground floor of the hospital from which Dr. Arenas works.

Just another thing to note - on the second day, Vero and my nurse noticed some bruising on my neck (from the neck and chin lipo), and the next day, Vero came by with some super secret special lotion from Dr. Arenas, and within 2 days my bruising was almost completely gone! This is just one of many examples of the extremely high level of personal and thoughtful care you will receive from Dr. Arenas and his Team - even once the surgery is done!

To provide you all with a bit more insight and details re - the procedure. I arrived the day before my surgery. I was originally meant to have my procedure done on the Sunday, but based on my original schedule, that would have meant that I would only have 8 days of recovery before I had to fly out. While Dr. Arenas normally does not perform surgery on the weekends, he was able to make an exception so that I would have an extra day of recovery. This thoughtfulness and consideration was exhibited by Dr. Arenas, Vero, and his whole Team throughout the entirety of my experience, and it made my recovery so much easier!

There was a bit of running around that day - I had my pre-op appointment w/ Dr. Arenas first thing in the morning, where we discussed what type of result I desired, and his recommendations to achieve the optimal outcome. I had originally indicated that I also wanted to add in buccal fat pad removal as part of the procedure, but after careful evaluation, Dr. Arenas recommended I did not move ahead with the buccal fat pad removal. I really appreciated this, and felt that this was definitely something that set Dr. Arenas apart from the plastic surgeon I had seen in Beverly Hills. With surgeons in BH, I've always felt like a number, with many surgeons agreeing to procedures to pad out their bottom line. With Dr. Arenas, I felt that he actually cared about my outcomes, and the end result. He didn't recommend or agree to any unnecessary procedures, and I really appreciated that. The other thing that I noticed at this time was that Dr. Arenas is a true artist! Make sure you listen to his recommendations, the areas that he picked out for prioritisation for my liposuction (if he were to have to have to prioritise areas for liposuction during the procedure) were not necessarily the traditional areas that plastic surgeons in the US will partner w/ BBL, HOWEVER, these areas will absolutely give you the most elegant and beautiful body after the procedure. It will give you GORGEOUS proportions, and I can see that if I were ever to gain or lose weight in the future, I will be able to maintain the beautiful hourglass figure that Dr. Arenas has given me. I can't stress this enough, he is a TRUE artist, and has an incredible eye for the female form. Also - his English is perfect! And while the girls in the office don't necessarily speak English, they are extremely nice/helpful and miming works! :)

I had my blood drawn, and then off to a visit with the cardiologist (note - the cardiologist is located at a different hospital - is a quick 15 mins Uber from Dr. Arenas' hospital). Again - one of the most thorough check-ups I've had prior to a surgery. It made me feel comfortable that Dr. Arenas was undertaking the appropriate levels of due diligence to ensure I did not have any complications during my surgery. My safety and health was definitely the highest priority for Dr. Arenas. After getting the go-ahead from the cardiologist, I was back at Dr. Arenas' hospital to check-in for my surgery. By this time, he had the results from my bloodwork back as well, and we were good to go!

The first BBL I had with the surgeon in BH, I was the most nervous right before my surgery, when I was hooked up to an IV in a cold room, just waiting to be wheeled in to the surgery. I was even more apprehensive this time around for a number of reasons - 1) in a foreign country by myself for a major surgical procedure, 2) had really really really bad nausea after my first BBL in BH even after I asked for anti-nausea medication to be given to me with the anesthesia, 3) always nervous before surgery - you never know what's going to happen! Despite all this, this ended up being the BEST experience I've ever had with surgery! I know that sounds completely weird, but honestly, I was really nervous when they first wheeled me in to the recovery area - where they prepare you for surgery. However, the Doctors and Nurses on the floor managing incoming/outgoing patients were so kind! They kept me company while I waited, gave me extra blankets when I was cold, explained everything that was/would be happening, and the Doctors managing the floor spoke perfect English! The anesthesiologist came by and explained how they would administer the anesthesia. At this point, I told her that I had, had a bad reaction to anesthesia in the past, and asked her to ensure I was given anti-nausea as part of the anesthesia. Then, Dr. Arenas came to see me before I was wheeled in to surgery and marked me up! He was extremely thorough, and meticulous and made me feel comfortable going in to the surgery. I was then given some sedatives through my IV, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up! I was all done! And I didn't feel nauseated at all!!! :)

I was fairly groggy but apart from that, I felt pretty good. The Doctors in the recovery area kept checking in on me, and after what I'm guessing was about an hour (?), I was transported to my recovery room on one of the upper levels of the hospital. I was given crackers and juice to slowly eat, and sip. And then some medication to help me sleep through the night. What was absolutely fantastic about this, was that I didn't have to leave my bed once throughout this entire process. I was wheeled in to the recovery area before the surgery, was set up in my bed, woke up in my bed, was wheeled upstairs in my bed, the nurses transferred me to my hospital/recovery bed, and as I woke up with a catheter, I was able to simply rest all the way through to the morning. It was the best/easiest night after surgery I've ever experienced. The nurses were extremely attentive, and the Doctor on call that night came by to check-in on me a number of times to ensure that I was alright.

So to sum - the best, least stressful, fantastic surgical experience I've ever had! Hands down! I received far better care pre- and post surgery, than during my first BBL in Beverly Hills. In addition, the facility/hospital from which Dr. Arenas works is beautiful, clean and modern, and his entire surgical team, as well as the recovery team are an amazing group of Doctors and nurses. I've honestly never before received such personalised, careful and considerate care. I was incredibly impressed and honestly never want to have a surgical procedure done anywhere else!