Smartlipo

I had Smartlipo performed on my abdomen & flanks on 1/3/2011. I was uncomfortable about the "muffin top" I had in the front, sides and back that would spill out of my jeans. I had a baby 3 years ago, and I am now an athletic size 6 but it has been impossible to find clothes that look good because of my belly. So after 3 consultations with local plastic surgeons, I knew this doctor was the person I felt most comfortable with doing my surgery.

Day of surgery: We started at 11:30am. I was given 1 Valium and 2 Percocet before the procedure started. The doctor warned me that the first part was the most painful. Indeed it was! She made 6 incisions for the cannula to be inserted and the "numbing" medication is dispersed throughout the entire area to be treated. It was extremely uncomfortable, but it didn't last long. I took another Valium and another Percocet. Things got much easier. The next step was having the fat "melted" by the laser. This was not painful at all. My doctor and I were talking the whole time about our children, sports, relationships, and other things. She even told me that she herself had Smartlipo done after she had children, which assured me I was in safe hands & she understood what I was experiencing. She had very relaxing music on her IPod that played in the background. Before I knew it, she started sucking the fat out of me. This part was uncomfortable, but not nearly as bad as the first part. Every time she would break up the fat with the cannula inside of me, I could feel it, but it wasn't too painful. She said she was finished and I stood up for her to check me for symmetry. She sucked a little more out of me while I was standing, which was weird to watch. Then she taped maxi pads to my incision sites and zipped me into a compression garment. We were done at 3:00pm. I remarked that it felt like only an hour had passed by! I went to sit in the waiting room to wait to go home. I was driving myself. I very soon got lightheaded and pale and she told me to come lie down in a different room to recover. I drank appx. 3 bottles of water during the surgery and 3 more after. I was still feeling very sick and nauseous around 5pm. The Dr. had to leave to attend her daughter's girl scout meeting. She insisted I stay and nap in a separate room. I felt so comfortable and taken care of. Her mother (also a plastic surgeon) stopped in to check on me. The children's nanny came in and took me to the bathroom and she got me more water. I was finally able to drive home around 7pm. It was a 45min drive and I would've felt safer if someone had drove me home, but I was keeping this procedure a secret.

The next day was the most difficult. I was in pain and on painkillers for most of the day. I soaked through more of those maxi pads I had been using as bandaids. I couldn't sit or stand up without pain. I started bruising.

Day 3 I was back at the gym. I just did light cardio, walking on the treadmill for an hour. I did an hour on the elliptical machine on day 4. By day 7 I was back to strength training and even abdominal exercises. I continued to wear the compression garment for 10 days.

It is now 2 weeks since my surgery and I am healing great. My bruising has completely gone away. Only 2 of my scabs are visible. And they are so tiny, once they heal I know it will be impossible to tell I had this done. My doctor said it will take 6 months to see the final results, so I will post more pictures periodically. So far I am very satisfied!