If I Could Do It Over, I'd Have Had Traditional Lipo. Not Worth the Cost!

First of all let me say that I'm embarrassed to even put the amount I paid down. I've had lipo previously (different area) about 8 years ago and even given inflation, it wouldn't have been anywhere near this much. The Dr. came highly recommended by a coworker who is a body builder and quite vain, so I trusted his recommendation. Of course, he had a much smaller area to address than I did. I'll get down to the nitty gritty- I had my inner thighs and upper thigh area under my butt done and my tummy trimmed down. These were two separate procedures as he only does one per day and didn't want to over do it result and recovery wise by doing both the same day. Problem #1. Traditional lipo could have all been done in one day.

The Smart Lipo is advertised as "no down time" and "able to return to work the next day". Not even close! With Smart lipo there is a LOT of drainage from the incision sites. This is the saline used to flush the area while removing the liquified fat. I drained through overnight maxi pads for 2 days and had to sleep on plastic covered with towels overnight. This was on both procedures. I used pain meds for several days after each procedure. With regular Lipo I only needed the pain meds the day of and following day. The incisions have healed as hard lumps (due to the laser I think). The results on my inner thighs are uneven. They will be better with consistent gym workouts, but still for the $$$$ spent, closer to perfect should be expected. I was out of work 5 days each procedure.

I would NOT recommend Smart Lipo. It's a gimmick. Stick w/ a qualified plastic surgeon and stick w/ traditional lipo.

An update to the above review: As with most cosmetic surgery, it takes time to see results. Sometimes if we don't see results fast enough, we are disappointed and may have some regrets. In fairness to my Dr., I was impatient and hadn't given my body enough time to heal and to see the results I hoped for. As time passes, my skin has tightened up, the swelling has continued to go down, and I do see results. The Smart Lipo laser isn't a magic wand ;-) it's only one part of looking and feeling better. You have to eat right and exercise to achieve the full benefit. Also, I didn't intend for my review to reflect poorly on my Doc; he's a good guy and I see him for other things like Botox (totally worth it!!) it's more the SmartLipo itself- It's not an instant magic fix. People don't always realize it is still surgery and there is pain and a recovery time associated with that. If you have a little area done, (like my friend) you may be able to go back to work sooner. A larger area or areas like I had done will require more down time and rest. I'm older now and I guess we bounce back quicker from most things when we're younger! LOL!!! I do look & feel better and going to the gym is less of a chore now that my goals are getting easier to attain. I can wear clothes I couldn't fit into before, which is great!!