Liposuction

Almost a year ago, I got abdominal liposuction in hopes of getting rid of my huge stubborn belly. Previously, I went to a center in Roseville, Ca and got an estimate which turned out to be $10k. So I looked elsewhere and found New body MD. I went in for a consult and happened to have a special so I had four parts done for about $5400. The tricky part about getting the abdomen done is there are different areas so you have to choose what areas you want done. I got my upper abdomen, lower abdomen, bilateral hips and flanks. I wish I could have gotten my upper back done too but it would have gone above my budget. I’m not a big person but I’ve always carried everything in my gut. I’m 5’1, about 115 lbs, and I do cardio about three times a week. No matter what I did, my stomach was never flat. I do love food so that may have been an issue there. Haha. The surgery my only way out at this point. So I went for the surgery! Two small incision under my bikini line and two above my buttocks (alingned to the hip bones).
I was given oral norco and Ativan to help before the surgery as I was only moderately sedated. I believe I was given propofol and versed for the sedation. I only remember small parts of the procedure then I went home where I fell asleep and only woke up for dinner. I slept with lots of padding for the leakage and believe me, there was a lot of it.
The next day, I drove myself to my follow up since I didn’t take any narcotics. The pain wasn’t too bad but it was uncomfortable. Ibuprofen helped although I was given tramadol. The leakage wasn’t too bad after the first two days. The first day when I woke up, I thought I was bleeding a lot! But I think it was just from the fluids they put in you during the procedure. I was back to work post op day 4. I do a lot of heavy lifting at work. I just made sure my dressings stayed clean and I changed it if needed. I was bruised and tender for a good 3 weeks. Some times I would feel stings but that was from my nerves returning from the damage during the procedure.
Fast forward to today, I’m still not very confident in a bikini. I do have some fatty lumps which I expected but don’t like. However, the worst one is on my left flank which is a fatty bulge. It looks very uneven compared to my right side. Also, I have a line across my belly that the dr said is from the loss of elasticity that he wouldn’t be able to fix but I could try some laser procedure. Overall, I don’t regret doing the procedure as I am able to wear clothes more confidently now. But I refuse to wear midriffs or bikinis at this point in my life. I’m still trying to figure out what I can do that won’t require any invasive procedures that could help my current situation for the left over fat that didn’t get suctioned out. “(
Side note: the provider was very nice. He made me feel very comfortable. However, after the consult, surgery, and day 1 post op, I never saw him again.
Overall thought: lipo is helpful overall, but it’s not perfect. There are definitely areas it misses and causes fat pockets to standout compared to the rest of the abdomen that may now be flat.