Smart Lipo on 7/17/2008 - Hoping for Good Results!

I had Smart Lip on 7/17/2008. I was always a petite person, however after two kids I definately had a stomach. After researching the alternatives I had decided that SL could be the answer. So I went with it!

I was not really nerves the days prior to the procedure, but once I was in the waiting room, that all changed, once I changed into the surgical underwear, was marked, photographed my blood pressure and my anxiety went through the roof! I am not even sure what I was so affraid of.......anyways. They gave me a shot for pain and sedation which was a little uncomfortable but would not say that it was painful. After 20 minutes or so, I got another shot, which totally calmed me and I was drifting in and out of dreamland throughout the whole procedure. I was really thristy ( a side effect of one of the shots) so I was constantly asking for water) There was no pain involved with the procedure. I had the smart lipo, suctioning and vaser done. The procedure lasted approximately 4 hours, I had my upper and lower abs treated. Again, as far as the procedure goes, it can truly say that it was "a piece of cake".  They had taken on 1600 cc, out of which 1200 was fat.

That afternoon once I got home I was very sleepy and kind of out of it so I slept a lot. That day and that night, the worst part was the drainage. It was discusting not to be able to take the big soaked bandage off and take a shower. You definately need a garbage bad underneath you. Besides that, I had a really good nigth sleep.

The day after the procedure I was VERY swollen, all the way to down to my pubic area. I can not imagine anybody going back to wokr the next day, not because of the pain but because you can not take a shower for 24 horus. My first day after the suregery was normal, I had done some minor stuff around the houese, read, wathced TV and slept some more.

Finally in the evening I was able to take a shower. Once I had taken off the bandage, the picture was not pretty. I was really bruised and swollen and my skin was really lumpy looking. But finally i was able to take a shower, and all day I did not have to take any painkillers either.

The comression garment that you have to wear is not bad at all. It is really tight, but not unfcomfortable.

TOday is my second day after the surgery. No pain killers. Swelling went down considerably since yesterday but there is still a long way to recovery........the bruising is still there.  Last night i had a huge headache and I got sick to my stomach  - which more than likey happened becaseu of my headache, and I got a headache since they recommend not drinking coffee for a couple of days.........

Even with all the bruising and swelling I can definately see that there will be a huge change in the way I look once I am competely healed. So far, I am happy that I decided on the SL, but time will tell what my stomach is really going to look like. I will keep updating this as I experince changes in my recovery. I will also post before and after pictures once the after pictures are going to be less bruised and swollen.  

One thing, if you have small kids you will need help at least for a couple of days or even a week after your procedure!!!

Today is Monday, I am back at work 4 day after the procedure. I am not in real pain but I am not comfortable either. A lot of people compare the feeling to having muscle ache after a good workout. To me it feels more like a sunburn of the inner layers of my skin - my stomach area is sensitive to the touch with mild pain and it also feels a little warm. I have been sitting at my desk for half a day now doing my job - the compression garment feels a little more uncomfortable this way - it bulges more into my skin and it leaves indentations that hopefully are not going to be permanent. i think I will start hating the garment in a couple of days, and i will start looking for the Flexess one that someone else has recommended here on this website.

The bruising has started to turn colors - I guess that is a good sign that I am healing. The swelling is still there, mainly in my lower abs now. My clothes fit me really tight - I hope that is going to change once the swelling goes down. (it better be soon, otherwise it is going to be difficult to dress with my current wardrobe)

I was right in my first review - while the procedure itself was better than what I had expected it to be,  the recovery is a little harder (at least for me). Not because of the pain, but because it is difficult to be patient and wait out to see the real results. At this point I see the 'promise" of a good result, since my stomach does not look fatty as it used to, however it is not really pretty yet either.......lumps, bump, bruises, swelling.

I am on day 12! So far love love love the results and I have 6 more months to full recovery! The pain is totally gone. The swelling went down considerably. All the bruising turned from purple and blue to a very pale yellow. I do have a lot of hard lump, some smaller some bigger and visible without clothing. But that is part of the healing process. I should massage them more, but I can only do it once a day.

I am very pleased how I look now with my clothes on - no rolls, no muffin tops a much slender figure! I am sure once I am totally healed my results are going to look really good even without clothes on. (i feel that i have a shot at wearing a bikini again in my life! Which would be a nice plus, but not a a necessity for a succesful outcome).

If you find the right doctor with great experience, this is definately a great solution for portruding tummies.