Smart Lipo - better than I hoped for

I am 55 years old, very active all my adult life. Over the past couple of years I have developed more and more fat in my flank and abdominal area that won't go away even though I exercise 6-7 days a week. The change in hormones coupled with the fact that I cannot exercise with the same intensity as I did 15 years ago left me feeling bad about my appearance, especially in clothes. I started researching smart lipo last summer and through reading and consulting with other plastic surgeons in my area, I decided to go with Dr. Orseck. Great decision! Hid staff is very knowledgeable, friendly and responsive. They made me feel comfortable even though I was very uncomfortable. I had many questions as my procedure date approached and they never hesitated to answer any of my questions to my satisfaction.
One of the main criteria for me was being able to do this procedure under local anesthesia, not general. He was very supportive of this. I am so happy that this was able to be done. I never experienced much pain at all....took only Tylenol the night of the procedure. The draining from the tumescent fluid was very messy, but tolerable and gone by the next morning. The worst part by far for me was bruising (I bruise easily) and swelling. I was diligent about wearing my garment for 2+ months but I was unsure if the swelling would ever go completely away. My advice is to just be patient, it will. I would say after 3 months I was completely thrilled!
I was able to resume exercising quickly, although not to the level I would like but it's best to be realistic. Your body does need time to heal and if you know this going in you will have a much better experience. I could not be happier with my results. Smart lipo is not a quick fix or excuse to sit back and get rid of unwanted fat but it is a great tool to get the shape you want and to be encouraged to continue to live a healthy lifestyle and to be happy with the way you look as you get older!