Abdomin and Flanks Liposuction - Tampa, FL

Bottom Line: This is the plastic surgeon you want for liposuction (can't speak for other procedures). His price, experience level, medical qualifications, office staff and extremely clean surgical suite, made him the number one plastic surgeon for me.

I selected Dr. Halpern after consulting with four (4) other plastic surgeons in the Tampa Bay area. I am an informed consumer, so I did my homework to ensure I asked most of the tough questions, and he never hesitated with his answers, even when they were not to my liking. He went into detail about the procedure, risks, techniques used and recovery process, which were all very accurate. In addition, I did a malpractice check with the medical boards which resulted in no claims or complaints.

Of note, his bedside manner is remarkable. He's very patient with you, spends all the time you need to ensure all questions are answered, and makes you feel at ease regarding a procedure that is not by any means, simple or routine.

He has an impressive portfolio that he shows you during the consultation, which is another reason why I selected him. Let's be honest here - you go to a plastic surgeon for results, and he delivers.

And lastly, he follows up with you after your procedure either through office visits, or a personal call to make sure you are doing well, and that all of your recovery needs are being met. These days, that's impressive. In essence, what makes him so successful is the fact that he builds a relationship with you which makes it hard not to refer others, or write a review like this on the internet.

Dr. Halpern is a must see if you considering liposuction. He's an artist at work and most of all, a trusted and extremely experienced physician who instructs other physicians how to do it at big name medical conferences. If you're going to get liposuction done, get a consult by the physician that teaches others how to do it.

--signed, very satisfied patient.

So RealSelf is asking for more information - the procedure took 2 hours from the time I walked into the surgical suite, to the time I walked out of his office. They start an IV on you prior to getting into the surgical suite and once you lay down, within a matter of seconds, you're out under general anesthesia. The next thing I remember is waking up in the examination room fully clothed, bandaged up, ready to walk out. Obviously, you'll need someone to drive you home as you'll have a coctail of prescription drugs and painkillers to help you through the recovery process.

I used the Percocet (Oxycodone) for 10 days, after that it was unnecessary. You can't shower for two weeks after the procedure because you'll have a drain pulling fluid out for that time. After you stop draining, they'll pull the drain out at the office (takes 2 seconds), feel a little pressure, and all done. They'll put some ointment in your belly button (where the drain tube was), and you can shower 3 days after it comes out.

You'll feel sore for about another week and things are slow going, but you quickly get back to normal.

You will also wear a compression garment for 4 weeks, 24 hours a day, to help reduce swelling and to encourage your skin to retract and tighten.

I recommend buying a few pairs of commercially available compression shirts that you wear beneath the elastic/Velcro compression garment you get from your surgeon. It helps a lot.

You'll feel numbness around your abdomen and flanks as that is normal because of the damage done to nerve endings as the fat is extracted. This will also slowly go back to normal over time - it may take up to a year, FYI.

Stick with the instructions provided by your physician and I'm sure you'll be very happy with the results.

Lastly, there is some swelling around the flanks area which looks like fat that was not removed, but its just swelling, and fluid from the procedure that has yet to be absorbed. May take 3-6 months for that to gradually go away. Liposuction is not a gentle procedure by any means, know that going in.

Hope that helps.