Laser Lipo on Inner Thighs and Mons Pubis (Pubic Area) - Melbourne, AU

I am 37 years old, 5'3 (160cm) and 108lb (49kg). I work out regularly, mostly running, gym and weights, 6 days per week. I am told that I am very slim, and based on my weight and measurements, this would appear to be true. But, I have never FELT slim. Because I have pockets of fat, that remain no matter what. My weight has fluctuated over time, up and down, but certain areas just never change. So, finally I decided to do something about it!

My areas of concern are inner thighs, pubic area, lower abdomen and bra line. I thought it would be too expensive and too traumatic on my body to have all areas done at once. So, I decided to start off with just the inner thighs and pubic area. My thighs have always rubbed together, a lot... resulting in rashes and many pairs of gym pants developing holes in that area. And the enlarged pubic area causes trouble when wearing pants... there's never quite enough room in the crotch area, which is really uncomfortable, particularly when seams are involved... ouch! :(

I had the procedure done at CDC Clinics, in Armadale (a suburb of Melbourne, Australia). I was a little perturbed by a few negative reviews online, and the many spelling mistakes in their literature (petty I know, but attention to detail I think should be important...) But the price was quite reasonable, and all things considered I decided to go for it...

My appointment was 11:30am. Being very nervous, I ended up arriving early. I suffer from a fear of needles, so was really worried about the IV needle and the anesthetic needles. I spoke to the receptionist when I arrived, and she showed me into one of the rooms straight away, and had the nurse come and see me. I explained my fears, and we discussed where the needles would be placed. She then put numbing cream on my hand, and gave me a robe to wear. Then she took my photos, and then the doctor came and drew on me, outlining the areas he was going to treat.

After a while, I was showed into the operating room, and told to lie down on the table. I didn't feel too nervous, but it was hard to lie down, I did not want to! Then my legs started shaking all on their own! The doctor could see I was nervous, and I guess he was told about my needle phobia. He gave me an inhaler (it was Penthrox inhaler, a painkilling anaesthetic type gas, similar to laughing gas I think) and told me to bake deep breaths. Then when I was sufficiently relaxed, he put the iv into my hand! Surprisingly it was okay (probably due to the gas), I felt 2 pricks, so maybe he messed up the first one, not sure. Then he put the sedative medication, which I think was Midazolam, into my veins.... then after that I was left alone, for what seemed like a very long time, I guess they were waiting for the drugs to take effect. I think it must have worked, because while lying there, I had a wonderful thought that maybe the procedure was over already! Unfortunately, that was not the case haha... the doctor and nurse came back, and started their work...

The procedure itself was not too stressful, to start with. I was pleased that I could not feel any pain, just some pressure and rubbing sensations. Towards the end though I think the drugs may have started to wear off a little, as I felt a little bit of anxiety creeping in, and also felt one jab of pain that made me flinch... that was a bit scary. I am not sure how long it all took. I might have fallen asleep afterwards I am not sure. I left 3 hours after I arrived, at 2:30pm, still numb, and wrapped up in sanitary pads and a nappy (daiper).

By the time I got home, I was soaking wet. All the incisions were leaking like crazy. So I went to try and change the dressing... and got the shock of my life when I saw my legs! I managed to replace a couple of the pads, but ended up in tears, totally freaking out. My mother had to help me change the dressings, whilst I sobbed uncontrollably. It was so bad, she thought I might be going into shock!

Then I managed to get extreme stomach and back pains due to constipation and bloating, probably due to the pain medication. So I was awake well into the early hours, as I could not sleep due to the pain... which was worse that the pain in my legs as the anaesthetic had not yet worn off completely.

The next morning, I had a Valium before getting up and attempting to go to the toilet and have a shower. That helped with the shock of dealing with the leaking, swelling, and deformation! I think that was the worst part of the first few days, the mental challenge, more so than the actual pain etc.

I went back for a review at the clinic after 3 days. They checked the incisions for infection, and it was all clear. Also confirmed my thoughts, that there was still significant swelling, at the surgical site, and around it too. I am swollen all the way down to my knees, and up into my lower abdomen. They took more photos. Definite results even at that early stage.

Today is day 7. I took some more photos, and I definitely see a slight change. Even with the swelling, my thighs are definitely smaller at the top, and there is less touching together. My measurements are still much the same though, which is interesting. The pubic area is where I notice the most change, I think it is going to turn out well once the swelling subsides, and hopefully the skin shrinks. I am still in a lot of pain, and have only just now stopped the pain meds. Swelling is still the same too. And the bruising is now starting to appear. I do not want to take off my compression garments, at all. It does not feel good at all to have it off! (I had to buy my own garments, the clinic did not provide anything, so I'm just wearing regular tights, not a proper medical compression garment)

The last few days, I have been able to walk, for 30-45mins at a time, and I can do some light upper-body weights. But I feel dizzy and weak after a while... maybe mind over matter... but I am still feeling quite ginger when moving around...

Overall, I feel quite hopeful that the final result will be okay. It is still early, so I'm trying to not worry about how I look. Just concentrating on getting myself feeling well :)

Time for an update! It's been just over 4 weeks. The good news: I am feeling a little better. The last 10 days or so, I have been able to go running at my regular pace, which has been great! My legs are feeling a little smaller which is good. And the lower half of the pubic area is a lot smaller, the difference is really noticeable in the picture.

The bad news, is that I still have some pain. Its mostly when sitting on the toilet (I have only just started to be able to sit down and stand up without having to put my hands on the toilet seat!), getting in and out of the car, and there's still some stretches that I cannot do which is annoying. I am still taking ibuprofen and paracetamol every day.

There is still a lot of swelling. The top of the pubic area I feel is the worst. I cannot wear certain clothes because of it as it really sticks out. And it hurts most of the time. You might be able to see in the photos, there is a quite firm area of swelling forming a ridge basically along the top of the hairline. It actually hurts, like a stinging/burning sensation, most of the time.

My thighs are really odd looking. I think it's mostly loose skin at this stage. There are significant bulges, but also indentation, just below the bulge. The indentation for me is the most concerning, it is right around the area where incisions were made. I'm worried too much fat was taken from that spot, and the skin will end up adhering on to the muscle. Or it could be scar tissue... who knows.

I had another post op appointment at the surgery yesterday, and raised the above concerns. Basically told that there was nothing to worry about, and to come back in a month or so. No infection, maybe a little swelling.... boring. So, all I can do is try not to worry and just see how it goes. But, I have to say I am not feeling very positive about the situation at this point...

To make it worse, I am due to go on a vacation to Thailand, in 10 days time. I am worried about this, because I will not be able to wear any compression garments at all, due to the heat. I will have to let all the loose skin just flap about in the breeze, so to speak! I am not to sure how this will go, because right now, I can not stand the sensation of having bare legs, there's a really strange tingling sensation and eventually an ache after about an hour. Putting pants back on fixes the problem and feels great.... but not going to be possible in the heat!

Sorry this update is a bit negative! Hope to have better news next time :)

It has now been four months since my surgery. Unfortunately, I am now feeling really upset and distressed by the results. The most upsetting is the indentations that have become increasingly apparent, on the inside of the thighs, around the incision mark. Above the indentations, the skin is very lose, and the area has become very rounded and also bumpy. I have been trying to keep an open mind and hope that things will improve over time, but at this stage, it looks very unlikely. I have emailed the clinic to try and get an appointment to discuss my options, so hoping to get to see them as soon as possible, after the holiday period is over.
I'm not sure at this point what my options will be. I cannot afford to pay for further corrective surgery...