Liposuction Flanks, Inner, and Outer Thigh - Chicago, IL

The inner thighs feel like empty bags of skin that belong to an 80 year old woman (see downward light photos). I specifically mentioned *right* before surgery that I did not want to be aggressive on the inner thighs because they are not forgiving and the surgeon was quick to correct me and say the outer thighs are less forgiving - unfortunately we were both right. Per the operative report he suctioned 200cc from each inner thigh. My legs are completely uneven so either this report is wrong or I had asymmetrical amounts of fat in my inner thighs which is something that I would expect a board certified plastic surgeon with 15+ years of experience to pick up on and lipo accordingly instead of just pulling out equivalent amounts of fat irrespective of the pre-op fat difference in the legs.

Left: Inner thigh dent goes down to the muscle fibers (can feel fibers with my finger tips - also still have pain there 1 year after surgery) and right below is a hard lump. It looks like I had some kind of accident or shark encounter, which is why this deformity is called a "shark bite" deformity. The outer left thigh started off with cellulite, which now looks like a hole (see downward light photos).

Right: Inner thigh is rippled, but not as badly oversuctioned. The outer right thigh looks good - he only took out 50cc here which is appropriate.

Left hip: Pre-op I had a significant amount of flank fat with a flat valley just below, which created an odd curvature and a bad silhouette. After lipo the flank also looks like a deflated sack and that margin between the fat "hill" and the flat "valley" is like a ridge/roll (see photos). Again, I would have expected some kind of suggestion to maybe fill it in with a fat transfer if there existed a probability that there would still be a clear ridge there given how much fat overhang existed beforehand.

Right hip: Looks good and natural.

Incisions: Scars are very visible - red and irritated after 1 full year. This may not be due to technique however the front incisions are outside of the bikini line/groin crease. Again *right* before surgery he marked the incisions inside this line and I woke up with incisions in a different place. If I wear a bathing suit they are so obvious.

Overall: My body looks unnatural in a bad way. I wish my thighs were not suctioned at all. It makes me more self-conscious than before. I do not let anyone touch my legs now because I feel so grotesque. I wish he suggested a fat transfer to the "valley" on the left hip. For a surgeon who "doesn't go a week without lipo" I expected more from him.

Dr. Wiener said he would try to repair the inner thigh dent with fat transfers for the cost of supplies. He said it would take a couple of sessions. I am trying to decide if I should do the repairs or just move on with my life.

The 2 month mark is when the swelling significantly reduced and the contour irregularities and problems became apparent:
-Left inner thigh dent (measuring 2.75" x 3") with fibrous band of scar tissue (measuring 1" x 0.5") underneath
-Dents in outer left thigh
-VERY loose inner thigh skin on both legs
-Moderately loose skin on flank/love handle area
-Front entry points not hidden
-Scars still very red

It's almost as if the left inner thigh was over-suctioned because the skin in the "dent" has tacked itself down to the muscle and feels very attached as opposed to the surrounding skin which is loose. My surgeon told me to "mobilize" the tissue by pulling on it and kneading it. He said that he would fix anything that was wrong in a couple of months as it is too early to think about revisions. He also said the dents in the outer left thigh were not from the lipo, but none of my pictures show any evidence of the outer thigh dents existing prior to the lipo.

The contouring on my waist and flank area looks good considering what he had to work with, however I did not expect this degree of skin laxity. The flanks are much looser than expected, but I can deal with it.

The thighs are the major source of my dissatisfaction. The dent in the inner left thigh is visible and palpable. It feels like a crater when you run your hand over it. All the loose skin just makes it feel that much more creepy. I don't want to let anyone see my legs let alone touch them. Never in my life have I looked at my reflection in a mirror and cried due to frustration and disgust. The dents in the inner and outer left leg are visible in stretchy workout apparel as well as jeans. I would not dare wear a bathing suit in public at this point even IF the entry points were hidden within the bikini line.

I really hope the surgeon fixes the dents for the price of materials (no surgeon fee). Looking at my before pictures I think my thighs were not the same size prior to surgery, but according to the operative report he took out the same amount of fat (200cc) from the inner thighs and I think that's why the left one looks so deflated and has the scarring underneath the skin. He took out more fat from the outer left thigh than the outer right thigh (because I had a larger saddle bag on the left) and again I think the dents are due to the lipo being more aggressive on the left outer thigh.

The surgeon seems like a nice guy who wants to please his clients and I'm hoping that's going to be the case.

I did need the norco for the first 3 days. Lipo makes you VERY sore.
I went back to work on post-op day 8 and it has been uncomfortable in my Marena 1st stage suit with suspenders due to the hook/eyes digging in. The ABD pads help cushion but they make the suit too bulky to fit under work clothes. With the blessing of my surgeon I wear a beige Marena 2nd stage suit to work with NO zippers and that makes working a lot easier and my clothes fit better. I wear the stage 1 suit when I am not at work because I am still swollen and want maximal compression. I do want to note that Marena bills their second stage suits as "tighter" so take from that what you will. Both suits have a full back with suspenders that can attach at the sides or in the middle so it gives you more options. The suits goe down to the calf. I am definitely glad I got the Marena brand in this style. Very comfy.

My shape is evolving every day. I'm still swollen and doughy so I will not make any judgements about the outcome until that goes away. I don't want to focus on any details until my shape is set. Here are some pictures to show you how I'm doing.