Cellulaze Patient Review - Durham, NC

I have posted some new photos. While I was satisfied with the outcome as of my last post, I can now say that I am even more pleased at this stage. I have definitely seen continued improvement since my last appointment with Dr. Miller. As I have said all along, I never expected perfect legs, so perhaps this has made the whole process a more positive experience for me. Given the percentage of improvement, I would absolutely say that this procedure worked for me. Based on the other posts, though, it is clear that this is not for everyone, and the response rate appears to be variable. Therefore, it is important for prospective patients to understand this risk before making the investment. Best of luck to everyone!

Update 9/18/12: I am posting new photos from the surgeon's office (much better than my "homemade" photos, which I have removed.) After looking at the new photos in comparison to the pre-procedure photos, I do think I am now starting to see some improvement in the back thighs. As a reminder, I had the back of the thighs done as a second procedure approximately 3.5 months ago. The surgeon indicated that improvement may be slower for the back of the thighs (for me in particular.) So, hopefully, I will continue to see some additional smoothing. The sides and fronts of my thighs still look good and are definitely improved at 5.5 months post-procedure. So, I am now going to change my worth it rating back to Yes. I don't have perfect thighs, but I do have improved thighs. This procedure may not work well for everyone. But I must say that after seeing the results from Dr. Miller's (Durham, NC) other patients (here on Realself), I do believe that surgical skill plays a huge part in the success of the procedure. At this point, I am also free of any tenderness or discoloration. I still have the incision scars, but they continue to fade. I do have another appointment with the surgeon in two months, so I hope to post more photos with even more improvement. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Update now that I am 4 months out on the first procedure to my front and side thighs and 9 weeks out from my second procedure to back of thighs. NOTE: the second procedure was not a touch up - it was a first procedure to new areas - the back of the thighs - which I did not get done during the initial procedure.

I remain reasonably satisfied with the improvement to the front and side thighs. They appear smoother to me. The only issues are the remaining discoloration under the skin (which has continued to fade, but four months of mottled tone under the skin seems long.) I also noticed some slight increase in spider veins on the side thighs. It is not dramatic, but I wasn't expecting it. The discomfort in the front and side thighs has almost completely resolved, even when pressure is applied. So, for those of you still experiencing tenderness at 1-3 months, hopefully it will eventually resolve as mine did. It has never been painful, just tender and uncomforable when pressure was applied.

Regarding the second procedure to the back of the thighs, I really do not see any improvement at all. I did not experience the mottled discoloration in the back of the thighs, but I do have some residual swelling under the treatment area on the back of one of my thighs. It looks odd. The surgeon expects that it will continue to resolve over time and it does appear to be getting better... slowly. The back of my thighs are still tender to the touch at 9 weeks out, but this is getting better each week. The surgeon did note that the cellulite on the back of the thighs is different than the front and side thighs and it may take longer to improve. I worry that it won't improve at all, but am willing to wait out the full six months before I declare the procedure a failure on the back of my thighs.

I have posted a few photos. The before photos were taken by the surgeon, but we will not be taking the after photos until September when I am four months post the second procedure. However, I have taken some "home" after photos until I can get the official surgeon photos. Just keep in mind that these are not using controlled lighting and the quality is not great.

I have also changed my rating to "Not Sure" - specifically due to the lack of results to the back of the thighs. I feel that my expectations are reasonable - I want some improvement, not perfection. But since there is no improvement to the back of thighs, I cannot really say the entire process has been worth it. I will re-assess after the 6 month mark.