Procedure OK, Not Sure the Dr Did the Best Job - Nashville, TN

I had this procedure done 6 years ago, and the procedure has probably improved over time. However, my issue is not so much with the procedure as with the provider who performed the procedure. I don't believe she did a good job. Or if she did, she probably did not recommend an additional procedure which would have left me with a more desirable result.

Anyway, I work out a lot, and I have never had a flat belly. Weight was not my issue. I felt that my problem was mostly in my lower abdomen, so I opted to have the procedure on my lower abs only. Maybe this was my mistake, but the dr was supposed to be the "expert", and if she thought the results would be unsatisfactory, I think she should have told me the possible problems, etc.

The procedure went smoothly. The dr told me she got more fat out than she initially thought she would. I would say it was also relatively painless. At one point, she hit somewhere that she probably should not have, and I felt a slight burning. Nothing that was awful and/or unbearable, though.

I was given a compression garment to wear over the incision areas, and I was told to wear it 6-8 weeks. I followed the instructions to the letter. The incisions drained for a few days, but the bandaging (infant diapers) was sufficient. It was several days before I could wear my normal jeans, however.

At the first follow-up visit, I told the dr I was not pleased with the results. There is a definite line of demarcation between the upper and lower abs. The top almost "lumps over" where she stopped. It's like she went to a certain spot and stopped, rather than trying to create a smooth ending. I will try to upload pictures, because it is hard to describe.

I had researched this doctor, and there were no issues that I could discern. But I was not happy with the outcome. She told me it was not her error, it was just the way my body healed. Perhaps. Anything is possible. But should there be an actual LINE between my upper and lower abs? She told me the only way she could "fix it" was if I had another procedure for the upper abs, at approx $3500.

All of these years later, the part that I had the lipo on is still devoid of fat. It's permanently removed. There are no fat cells to fill again. However, the second caveat is that if you do gain any weight again, you cannot gain it in this area. So you will gain weight in places you never had weight before.

I thoroughly suggest you research your provider even more than I did. And determine that if you do gain a few pounds after the procedure, that you are OK with it showing up somewhere you are not accustomed to.