Was Better off Before

I have waited to write this review, in fairness my surgeon, Dr. Millard. I had Vaser liposuction on 2/18/19 on my upper and lower abs, and my flanks, which cost $8,775. The surgery itself was very painful (definitely recommend general anesthesia/sedation), as I was not even close to numb. I was in tears through the whole procedure, and I have a very high threshold for pain. Unfortunately, the staff did nothing for my pain (no extra injections to numb me more), I just had to breathe in more laughing gas and deal. I just kept thinking that the pain would be worth it if I got the belly I had dreamed of and paid for. After surgery, the nurse and another assistant wrapped me in my foam and compression garment and I was sent home. The next few days were very tough. The pain and fatigue were worse than I had planned for or expected.
On the third day (2/21/19), with a lot of assistance from my husband, I removed my compression garment to shower. I noticed two very prominent creases from where the garment was too tight. One on my belly button which made sense because the belly button is anchored (so to say) so the swelling was very noticeable. The second was higher up (about 1.5 inches above belly button). I emailed my doctor’s nurse (with a picture of my belly) who responded promptly (about 1.5 hours later) and told me to lay flat and massage the crease with firm pressure. I could tell right then and there that the deep part of the tissue was stuck down deep and the fat had been forced above and below the adhered crease.
I went in for a follow up on 2/22/2019 so the doctor could check the creases. He then custom fit (cut with scissors) a much harder/firmer board to go directly on my skin to try to flatten out the creases. By this point, the crease at my belly button was almost gone, but the one above was horrible. I was still very swollen, so I tried not to be disappointed in the fact that my belly did not look smaller at all.
Fast forward through many massages, and wearing the firm board on my skin, layered with the foam on top of that, and the compression garment over that, and I still had a crease. Not to mention, my size (diameter) had only gone down a very small amount (1/2 inch at belly button and less than that above and below my belly button).
I expressed my dissatisfaction every time I saw Dr. Millard, and when my final pictures were taken, I was in tears. I had spent so much money to see very little reduction and now had this large crease. The assistant was hard pressed to point out any “changes” to my shape on the before/after pictures. In fact, my 'before' picture were zoomed in more than my 'after' photos to try to make it look different. My flanks looked somewhat improved, by not by much.
At my six-week check-up, Dr. Millard said he could fix the crease and my loose skin he "thought would be okay" with a full tummy tuck, and that he’d give me “deal”. His "deal" was laughable, as I had just paid him almost $9,000 for my surgery. Prior to consulting with Dr. Millard, I had gone to another reputable surgeon (who did my breast augmentation years ago) and he quoted me $10,000 for a full tummy tuck and new implants. It was only after I consulted with Dr. Millard’s office, I chose to go the Vaser route, as I was assured that I was an excellent candidate, and I really wanted to avoid the scar that comes with a TT. So much for Dr. Millard’s promise to “make things right” as he constantly claims.
After another check-up, and after I still expressed my dissatisfaction, Dr. Millard offered to try out J-Plasma on me (at his cost - so this cost just under $1000) as he just got the machine and needed test subjects to practice on before he charged full price. This was to try to tighten the skin above my crease, and he also was able to go in with tiny scissors and cut the adhered skin beneath my crease during the J-Plasma treatment. I can say this time, I was numb and the procedure itself was a cake walk. I was able to return to work in two days, with just mild discomfort. I had this done 9/21/19.
The J-Plasma and cutting the adhered section helped the crease slightly, but nothing noteworthy. To be fair though, I was also treated by Dr. Millard with the J-Plasma before he had done this treatment on many people and he even told me he was still getting used to how aggressive he could be with it. Meanwhile, nothing was done to reduce the size on my abdomen. No mention of revision Vaser to take out more fat and correct the crease and fat pockets. Nothing! Now that I am 8 months post-op from the J-Plasma, I feel that my skin is looser than it was prior, so this was a complete waste.
It has now been well over one year since my surgery (Vaser lipo) and I saw Dr. Millard for the last time on 5/8/20. I was basically told there was nothing more he would do, other than his offer of a full TT at his “deal”, and I was sent on my way.
I have stalked this website for a very long time, is I know how people heavily rely on reviews and pictures (I did). I also know some of the questions that will be brought up or at least thought by anyone reading this.
Yes, I am now exploring all my legal options.
No, my weight is not the issue, nor am I heavier now. I was 136 pounds the day of surgery, 135 at my 6-month mark, and today I am 133 (due to strict dieting). My belly actually looks worse now than before. While the shape may be a tad smaller, the crease is horrible. There is no fat directly beneath the crease where the skin was adhered, and two pockets of fat directly above the crease and below the crease. I now look like I had children and have a “pooch” where I never did before.
Yes, I have consulted with other surgeons who advise having revision Vaser preformed. To break up and redistribute the fat, and to remove more as well. I have been told by other surgeons that Dr. Millard did not come close to removing enough fat via Vaser, but Dr. Millard said he never takes out much because there is a greater chance of rippling and imperfections if a good amount of fat isn’t leftover. I certainly wish I would’ve known he wasn’t “aggressive” in the amount of fat removed before I wasted all my money. I just simply cannot afford more surgery to have revision Vaser completed, and I am a little gun-shy to ever do any cosmetic procedure again. Not only did Dr. Millard not remove enough fat, he and his staff put me in an ill-fitting garment which caused my stomach to be disfigured.
My advice to anyone reading this would be – don’t simply trust reviews, as I researched Dr. Millard thoroughly and the majority of his reviews were positive (there were some negative ones as well, but I glossed over those); pay extra for sedation/anesthesia; take 10 days off of work at minimum; ask to be laying down when they wrap you in your garment to reduce the risk of creases by compressing down on the swollen abdomen; take off your garment as soon as possible (as advised) to check how things are looking. My doctor said I could take it off to shower on the second day, but I wanted to make sure I got back in the dang thing properly so I waited until day three, so I could move around better. I had trusted that the doctor’s office had me bundled up better than I could do at home. I was wrong in trusting them. In hindsight, I would have removed the garment immediately and noticed the crease.