A little more than three weeks has passed since my procedure and so far, so good! I have longed for arm liposuction since high school. My weight fluctuates but, no matter how big or small I am, I've always had disproportionate arms. I visited a great plastic surgeon in the Dallas area and he said I was not a good candidate for lipo due to a lack of skin elasticity. He advised me to do research and look into a laser procedure that might tighten skin (he did not perform this). He also advised me to find a board certified surgeon. I took his advice and found a doctor who performed lipotherme on my upper arms.
Lipotherme is advertised as a minor, minimally invasive procedure. This was not really the case in my experience. I never believed that I would be "back at work the next day" and my doctor did warn me that everyone's recovery, reaction, etc. is different, but it was worse than I expected.
The procedure was much more intense than I thought it would be. I remember waking up many times and being able to see what was going on. I was told I probably wouldn't remember anything from the procedure but I do. Also, my appointment was at 9:00 in the morning. While I didn't expect to walk in, jump in the chair and get started by 9:05, I NEVER expected that I wouldn't leave the office until 6:30 or 7:00 at night. I was given ambien and xanax and instructed to take a xanax before I left home. Once I arrived and got settled, I was given both medications (several of each) and that's all I was on throughout the surgery/day, besides local anesthesia, of course.
I vaguely remember the ride home and getting into bed. I woke up in the middle of the night SOAKED in fluid that leaked from my arms. I didn't feel much pain at this point, just numbness. The next day, I really couldn't raise my arms or do much at all. I needed help to shower, wash/brush my hair, etc. I tried doing things on the second day but my arms got really swollen. My arms were very sore and in pain for the first week but felt much better once my stitches were removed. Though I'm told I won't see full results for months, I could see a difference in my arms right away.
During the second week I could see more lumps than immediately after surgery. I have started massaging them in hopes that it will go away. For the last week or so, my arms have been very sensitive. Though I didn't didn't have any bruising, which I was surprised by, my arms feel like they're very bruised and hurt when they are touched, pressed on, etc in most spots. Parts of my arms still feel numb and I get a "pins and needles" feeling in my arms from time to time. I'm told this is due to nerve damage/repair. Also, my incisions were much worse than I expected. I am treating the scars with NewGel but I'm nervous about how they will look. It will be a while until they heal and I can actually enjoy my surgeon's hard work and wear short sleeves!
Again, it will be a while before I see full results. Despite the unexpected challenges throughout the healing process, at this point I can say I would do it again. I will try to update this later and add pictures. Feel free to ask questions!
Lipotherme is advertised as a minor, minimally invasive procedure. This was not really the case in my experience. I never believed that I would be "back at work the next day" and my doctor did warn me that everyone's recovery, reaction, etc. is different, but it was worse than I expected.
The procedure was much more intense than I thought it would be. I remember waking up many times and being able to see what was going on. I was told I probably wouldn't remember anything from the procedure but I do. Also, my appointment was at 9:00 in the morning. While I didn't expect to walk in, jump in the chair and get started by 9:05, I NEVER expected that I wouldn't leave the office until 6:30 or 7:00 at night. I was given ambien and xanax and instructed to take a xanax before I left home. Once I arrived and got settled, I was given both medications (several of each) and that's all I was on throughout the surgery/day, besides local anesthesia, of course.
I vaguely remember the ride home and getting into bed. I woke up in the middle of the night SOAKED in fluid that leaked from my arms. I didn't feel much pain at this point, just numbness. The next day, I really couldn't raise my arms or do much at all. I needed help to shower, wash/brush my hair, etc. I tried doing things on the second day but my arms got really swollen. My arms were very sore and in pain for the first week but felt much better once my stitches were removed. Though I'm told I won't see full results for months, I could see a difference in my arms right away.
During the second week I could see more lumps than immediately after surgery. I have started massaging them in hopes that it will go away. For the last week or so, my arms have been very sensitive. Though I didn't didn't have any bruising, which I was surprised by, my arms feel like they're very bruised and hurt when they are touched, pressed on, etc in most spots. Parts of my arms still feel numb and I get a "pins and needles" feeling in my arms from time to time. I'm told this is due to nerve damage/repair. Also, my incisions were much worse than I expected. I am treating the scars with NewGel but I'm nervous about how they will look. It will be a while until they heal and I can actually enjoy my surgeon's hard work and wear short sleeves!
Again, it will be a while before I see full results. Despite the unexpected challenges throughout the healing process, at this point I can say I would do it again. I will try to update this later and add pictures. Feel free to ask questions!
