Anyone here who’s had a tryst with liposuction and/or tummytuck procedures? I am planning one for abdominal fat reduction. (I am almost 10 kilos overweight, which I attribute to a heavy insulin load and a sedentary lifestyle.)
I would like to know how you managed this apparently painful procedure. How soon did you heal? Any complications? In your experience, does the fat stay away for good?
Finally: any regrets?
(for any Americans who didn’t feel like looking it up, 10 kilos is between 20 and 25 pounds)
I had abdominoplasty several months ago. After three kids, the vertical muscle was torn from breastbone to pubis. The surgeon repaired it, and removed some skin. There was not much lipo involved in that, as the fat was removed along with the skin, but there was some additional fat removed from the lower region. Some procedures may involve taking more fat from the hips etc. I wore a compression garment/girdle for several weeks, which is why I did it during cold weather. It would be uncomfortable in warm weather. There was a drain for a while, which is easier hidden in looser clothing. I could not climb stairs, life anything heavy or be very active for a while. The doctor also said do not expose the skin to sunlight or it would die (summer was coming, and she wanted to make sure I would not wear a 2 piece swimsuit). Swelling takes a while to go away, so don’t expect it to look great right away. My doctor recommends a homeopathic table, Arnicare, for the swelling. I was back at work in two weeks, feeling fine. I could have returned sooner, but still had the drain and had enough sick time to remain home.
Three months later, the skin was still a bit numb and there were some lumpy places that the doctor said would disappear over time, and advised not to apply heat because the skin was still numb and I risked burning myself. But I was impatient and was told by my family doctor that a little heat applied there would make the lumps go away faster. I applied a rice pack heated in the microwave and got third degree burns across the area. I saw a wound specialist, who planned to do a skin graft, but my original surgeon said she could do a scar revision surgery, which was essentially another tummy tuck without the muscle repair. That was done in a very short time (under local anesthesia!), is healing nicely, and I am very happy with the whole procedure. The skin is still a bit numb, but I was never really uncomfortable after the first 48 hours. The opioids prescribed for pain made me sick, and I didn’t really need them anyway.
It is recommended to lose as much weight as you can before, because it is NOT a weight loss plan. It’s too soon to tell about the limited lip I had done, but I have heard that without a change in diet, and regular exercise, fat will return.
I do plan on lipo for my back/hips/thighs in the fall (the compression garment is just too darn hot to wear in the summer), with RF to tighten the area as well.
Thank you for sharing this! Was the weight loss due to fat removal significant? And did you really obtain a better body shape after the procedure? If you were prescribed opioids for pain it must have been fairly intense.
Lipo can definitely change your shape, but I did not lose weight because of it. And because physical activity has been limited there was no chance to lose any more, except by cutting out some sweets and junk food that I didn’t need anyway. My doctor took a little extra fat from my waist area and it is apparent that I have a better waistline. Otherwise, the few pounds I have lost are because I am determined to have the body I paid for! Without the distended stomach muscles, clothes fit much better and I am determined to improve my diet and get more exercise, which I should have been doing all along. I am in my 60s so it’s about time I grow up, eat right, and take better care of myself! My doctor wanted the ‘after’ photos before the incisions had even quite healed, and another doctor told me it is because they know that people sometimes gain weight afterward, thinking they can then eat as much as they want. Most websites about the procedure will caution that without changing habits, you’ll go right back to the pre-surgery shape.
I had a breast lift (no implants) at the same time, so from the front it looks great. From the back, not so much, which is why I am scheduling the last procedure in a few months. There are full body lifts that can be done for front and back at the same time.
Surgery for both procedures was about 8 hours, pushing the limit for the anesthesia. The doctors in my area haven’t gotten the memo on opioid restrictions, because I have had them prescribed for foot surgery as well, and didn’t need them because the pain was never really that bad.
My sister had some tummy/thigh fat removed and she said it was the most painful thing she’d ever experienced. And she gave birth to four children. That’s all I know about it though.
It is said that performing the procedure purely on general anesthesia leads to much greater pain afterward, when compared to local/spinal anesthesia. Maybe that’s why your sister experienced too much pain.