37 Year Old Male - Liposuction of the Abdomen and Waist - Edison, NJ

Let me first start off by saying how helpful this forum has been. I have been thinking about getting Liposuction for years now, and I finally had the guts to do it. A little background about me. I have always been very active. When I hit puberty, I gained some baby fat and shopped in the “husky” section for a few years. In my twenties and thirties I got really into fitness and exercise, including cardio and weightlifting. I have done a lot of running, and even completed a half marathon and a marathon. No matter my exercise routine or eating habits, I have always had a layer of fat around my lower abdomen and waist that would never go away. I have tried all different types of workout plans, eating regiments, etc., and all the while I would get bulkier with muscle, or toned and slimmer through cardio, yet the fat around my waist never really changed either way. I had the elusive four pack, and then a slight pouch around my lower abdomen and my waist. It would show through fitted shirts, etc. I always felt like I put in so much effort my diet and exercise yet I could never fully achieve the desired results of my labor.

I looked around real self and finally gained the courage to make an appointment. I found Dr. Cuber through my searches, and saw the great reviews. I also saw that there was a free consultation, so I figured what the heck, it never hurts to talk to someone about this. I made the appointment and went in for a consultation. I felt kind of silly…here I am, this athletic guy at basically an ideal height to weight ratio seeking out liposuction. For years I kept telling myself I wasn't a candidate and that I should just “try harder.” Yet at the same point I remembered I have tried everything and in the end I am doing this for me.

When I first met with Dr. Cuber I immediately felt at ease and in good hands. We talked in a lot of generalities about liposuction and he assessed my concerns about my abdomen and waist. I left informed, yet I wasn't sure if I wanted to go ahead. A lot of what iI knew and learned about liposuction was through this meeting. I did some more research on my own, and informed myself more based on the conversation I had with Dr. Cuber. I know that people say to interview a few surgeons, yet I felt like I was on good footing with Dr. Cuber and wanted to meet with him again now that I had a better understanding of the procedure. I booked another appointment no problem, still a free consultation the second time around. This time I went in with a list of questions specific to liposuction, and me, my expectations, how he works, how he would approach to procedure on me, etc. I really felt like this second meeting solidified for me that this is guy who knows what he is doing and what he is talking about. He never sold himself outright…he never said “I'm an amazing surgeon” or “you are going to be so happy you chose me.” Instead, his expertise came across in his explanations of his experience with other patients, and what I could realistically expect if I were to do the procedure. I can't quite explain it, it is just a gut feeling that I went with. After that second meeting I knew I wanted to have the procedure, and I knew I wanted to have it done by Dr. Cuber.

The pre-op procedure was good. I booked my procedure about a month out, and a few weeks before my surgery I met with a great nurse, Claire, who took my blood and went over the pre op instructions. Easy enough.

The day of surgery was a Thursday morning and I was actually quite calm. I think I was excited to just get it done after thinking about it for so long. I met with another nurse and an anesthesiologist who were fantastic, very informative and helped me relax. Then Dr. Cuber came in and took pictures of me from different angles and marked me up. I was escorted into the operating room and laid a down in the table. The nurse was setting me up and the anesthesiologist was putting a needle in my arm. We were talking about work and then a little about running, and then the next thing I knew I woke up about two hours later and it was over! I actually thought I had been rude and zoned out for a few seconds from our conversation about running! But no, the whole procedure was over and they were wrapping me in my binder and sitting me in a wheelchair. I found out I had 1300cc's removed which makes sense to me... I wasn't looking for major fat loss, I was looking to reshape my lower abdomen and waist and this is where all of my fat stored.

By the time I got to the car I felt OK, and the ride home was a breeze. I of course has someone drive me home. The nurse said people usually go home and take a Percocet and go to bed, but I ended up just laying down on my couch and watched Netflix all night! LOL

To be ahead of the game, I made sure to take Percoset through the night, so I set my alarm for 5 hour increments and took another dose. Friday was ok, I could definitely feel the surgery set in. It didn't hurt, it was more of a pressure on my stomach. I could really feel it if I had to get up out of lying in bed, or get in bed from a standing position. I needed assistance in these circumstances. But if I was sitting in a chair and had to get up I was ok. It just felt like I had done a ton of sit-ups.

The weekend was ok, still felt about the same feeling of amount of pressure. I actually stopped taking Percoset by the second day and just took two Tylenol and I felt so much more clear headed (I don't like the Percoset!). Since it was day two I was considering taking a shower, but I didn't know what to do about my gauze pads under my compression garment that were covering my incisions. I leaked a little and there are some red spots in the compression garment and gauze pads. I decided to call the office and someone answered (maybe a switchboard) and the woman connected me directly to Dr. Cuber! I think I was transferred to his personal cell phone, and I was pleased and a pleasantly surprised that I was able to speak to him directly on a Saturday afternoon. He was very helpful and explained that I could take the gauze off and take a shower and even wash the binder.

I went to work that Monday (desk job) and nobody could tell I had surgery. Getting up and out of the chair, or sitting down, was a little tough but nothing that would prevent me from going to work. The next two weeks at work I was a little slow to walk but I just took my time. Again, nobody asked me questions and if anything I would have just said I had cramps!

I would say that I felt “puffy” for the first two or three months. It's funny because you feel so much more puffy than you actually are! The compression garment helped a lot and I fit the same into all of my pants, I think the tightness of the garment helped pull my stomach in.

I have to comment on my recovery/results timeline too… a lot of what I read on real self and other websites is that you should see 80% results by four months, and 100% results by six months. I was initially upset at my six month mark because I wasn't totally happy with the supposed “end result”. However, I just stayed patient and I am currently eight months out and I am still noticing changes. I have had a few follow ups with Dr. Cuber and he even says that I a, still slightly puffy. I really feel like I will have the full assessment once a full year has passed. I have learned (and continue to learn) that liposuction recovery is a SLOW process that requires lots of patience. Overall I am happy with my results so far and hope to continue to see changes. I would recommend anyone interested in liposuction to see Dr. Cuber, he has been a great doctor to me and I am happy I went with him.