What was your experience with Liposuction?

[MichiganChic 3,262]

I am no stranger to plastics, and in the past 20 months had a full body lift, brachioplasty, vertical thigh lift, breast lift/augment. My results were excellent with everything except my thighs (which were a real mess before), and even those are greatly improved. I had some complications, including a couple of open incisions on my lower body lift that took a few months to heal, and a terrible seroma on my left knee area that required a couple more surgeries and a wound vac before it would heal.

So....now I am having some liposuction on my outer thighs because I have very pronounced saddle bags that I just hate, and because my right thigh is bigger than my left and pants don't fit well. I am scheduled for this coming Friday, and I am just DREADING the pain, and I worry about complications, given my history. The other procedures were much longer (all that was done in two 6 hour procedures) and I didn't do great with anesthesia, either. However, I have worked so hard to be free of disfiguring fat and skin that I just am going through with it in spite of my reservations.

Can anyone else tell me your experiences with liposuction?

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I didnt have it, but I am on my surgeons patient's Facebook page. I guess you already know that Lipo is for many people the most painful procedure.

Thighs are tough, I got the small lift which took care of the worst of if, but I thought about revision. It turns out that fat cells are prone to returning to thighs so surgeons said not likely worth it for me. It's ok, I will just never have a real thigh gap is all....

[BethinPA 305]

I'm sorry that I can't help with any useful information, since I've never had Lipo, but I can say with confidence that it can't be nearly as bad as what you have already dealt wit in the past. You will handle this with grace and get a great outcome - I'm sure of it! ????

[MichiganChic 3,262]

@@CowgirlJane I have read that it is very painful - maybe the most painful - of any procedure. That's why I'm a little flipped out. I had really awful pain with the other surgeries, and am having a hard time imagining it could be worse! Also, I swell worse than average, and this is a guaranteed sweller, for at least 6 months, so I'm dreading that, too. I must be crazy. Yes, I am, because every time I look at the freakish saddlebags through my clothes, all I can think is that I need to get rid of those. lol!

And yes, leg fat cells are reproductive. You just keep making new ones!! I've had a small regain, and I think it's all on my outer thighs. My doc said she thinks I probably have a mild case of lipedema.

Anyway, not looking for perfection, just looking for improvement and closer to normal. Thanks for your response.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

@@BethinPA I just keep thinking/hoping maybe this one will be a little easier(no complications) than the last couple! Thanks for the kind words....and keep your fingers crossed for me

[MichiganChic 3,262]

Made it through. The picture in the black skirt was this morning and really shows how freakish my hips were. The other one is in the compression garment. Not sure what it looks like under there, but I never looked that good in any shape wear. Hope what's under there turns out close to that!

Anyway, I survived, and she took off 4 liters which is about 8 pounds! So far very little pain. We will see what tomorrow brings, but so far, so good!

[Babbs 14,680]

@@MichiganChic

Yay! I'm glad all went well and more importantly, it doesn't seem to be as painful as you thought. And wow! That's already quite a difference! Here's to easy healing and continued minimal pain!

[AvaFern 3,516]

I'm glad you're finished and it's over with! Your legs look awesome already! They are also swollen right now so the final product will be less than it looks right now, which you will probably also be happy with.

I had Lipo in all of my procedures and honestly it just felt a little like a bruise. I had it done on my inner and outer thighs both before I had a thigh lift and during that procedure a few months later and had I not also had the lift I would not have been thrilled- it made my thighs smaller, but saggy, ugh. I noticed this far more on my inner thighs than the outer thighs though. I also had it on my arms during my brachioplasty, and on my stomach during my abdominoplasty, which is normal for those procedures. The worst one was probably when I had it done on my lower back, which it was done twice- first during the abdominoplasty because I wanted the extra lipo and then again 8 months later during my posterior body lift. The first time it was irritatingly numb for almost a month and I distinctly remember finding it very annoying, if not actually painful. My thighs were done at the same time and the outer thighs were lightly bruised for a few days but I don't remember it ever being really painful. To be fair though each of my surgeries had extensive hacking up of skin and sutures, so it is very possible that the lipo pain was masked. Overall, plastics was not particularly painful as much as it was just annoying to not be able to move around well. In my experience, day 1 is great because you are totally blitzed on drugs, day 2 is less fun, and day 3-4 completely suck because you are sore, you are tired, and you feel like you got hit by a truck. I stopped taking the heavy duty drugs after day 3 on my procedures, but it seems like the bulk of the misery is from days 3 and 4 and then things very slowly start to improve. Hopefully they gave you some good drugs and you can relax and enjoy the process of your new legs healing!

Are you taking Arnica? It's a little chalky tablet that helps to reduce bruising a lot.

[jess9395 5,448]

Wow!! looks amazing already! Hope your recovery continues smoothly!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I agree with others -- the results already look great.

I hope your recovery goes wonderfully.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

Thanks everyone, for your comments. I made it through the first 24 hours relatively easily. Anesthesia didn't affect me too bad. What a difference a 6 hour procedure compared to a 2 hour procedure makes!! I am up 5 pounds today, and I won't be surprised if I'm up another 5 tomorrow. I was in swell hell from both of my other procedures, and my doc guaranteed this one will be worse. I've read you can be swollen up to 6 months post lipo!

I was really worried about the pain because I had read that Lipo is one of the most painful procedures they do (and I also read that it's not too bad) but yesterday was minimal. My surgeon used tumescent lipo which includes lidocaine, but I'm sure it's worn off by now. I am more sore today, and I can definitely tell where I had it done for the most part, but NOTHING compared to the other surgeries I had.

@@AvaFern I thought about having a little lipo in my lower mid back but opted against it. I just felt like it would be super painful, and it's just a little puffy there, and nothing anyone would ever notice. I just think it would give a better contour...but clearly, I have/had much bigger issues, lol. After hearing your experience, I'm glad I opted out of that!

I also had her work on the axilla yesterday. I hate those fat pads that show on the outside of my bra/underarm area. I have great arms now, and still couldn't wear some sleeveless things due to that.

Anyway, stay tuned...I'll be taking this compression garment off a little later, and I will see what's under there.

[BethinPA 305]

Congratulations! You look great! Like an athlete! And I'm glad the pain is not what you thought it would be.

[AvaFern 3,516]

You will totally be up a few pounds for a few days. I think it was around a week or so before I noticed any loss from my pre-surgery weight and a solid 3-5 days until all of the Fluid they fill you with during surgery was mostly gone and I was back to my normal weight. Good call on having your axilla area done- that stupid underarm flab drove me nuts. I had most of it sucked out during my brachioplasty but in tighter shirts for some reason my left side still has a bit of flab and it annoys me.

Good luck getting out of compression! And more importantly, good luck getting back in it, lol.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Results look great - how are you recovering?

I am going back to fix an issue and am going to talk about a little Lipo while I am there. I have never had it, and before he didn't think I needed it, but I at least want to discuss it. I will be there for 5 days so curious how you feel a few days post lipo!

[MichiganChic 3,262]

Well,it's day 4, and so far, so good. I am still pretty puffy. I am up 10 pounds from surgery date....and if you figure she sucked out 8 pounds, that's about 18 pounds of Water I'm hanging onto! I am surely a sweller.

I took the compression garment off, washed it, took a shower, and put it back on independently yesterday. Not too bad! It felt worse having it off. It felt funny, like exposed flesh or something. I am pretty bruised, as to be expected. I am lumpy and uneven, also expected. I have a feeling this isn't going to be my last round of Lipo, though. Maybe I'm wrong because it's too soon to tell, so we'll see. However, even with all that, it already looks way better! Those freakish thighs are deflated! Seriously, even the best shape wear couldn't compress them.

I took this week off work, but worked remotely yesterday some, and will the rest of the week, too. The pain isn't too bad. I'm off the Norco, so that's way better than my other plastics.

I'm pretty astounded when I think about it - 8 pounds from my thighs! Seriously, that's insane. Add to that the 12 pounds she cut off in previous surgeries from arms, belly, and thighs....and that's 20 pounds! On someone my size, that would enough to make me look fat. I am so thankful I've been able to do this. On the other hand, I never realized the benefit of a lower weight last time....so I feel like I've gained that much :/ Oh well, I don't look like I've gained, so I guess I'll stick with that!