anyone done lipo or work in plastic surgery?

donnar232 · Oct 11, 2004

Hi there. Been thinking of having lipo on my belly. I have 2 children and a pot belly. This is not from the children, but genetic. Ive exersize to the cows come home and it does not go down. Well my question is how dangerous is this and can it pose future problems. Having a consult on Monday. i hear the recovery is just a few days and your back to work. I have no stretch marks just a small pot belly. I weight 145lbs so I feel I can benefit from this and I will be a great candidate for the surgery. What are your thoughts anyone?

heart queen · Oct 12, 2004

I'm happily surprised that this is not already a heated debate. If you search the theads this has been discussed, maybe why you've not had more responses?

So here's me in a nutshell. 120 lbs. no boobs, sick of clothes not fitting. period. love me, hubby ok with me too. had the boobs done... now, small boobs, only a C, just to fill out what is actually sized for me... couldn't have done it before.... happy now, just the same as before... only don't have the dress without the boobs fitting nonsense.

Exercise regularly, still have adominal flab, that is purely skin stretch, being tiny and having kids. No fat, just excess skin. I've thought of a tummy tuck, although just two or three inches... I have a pouch that can't be corrected by exercise. Will I do it? Don't know.... The clothes not fitting due to no boobs was one thing... this is more cosmetic and unneccesary as I'm still a size 3. Yet when I wear tight clothes, that extra skin flapps out no matter what.

so I understand where you're comming from. I'm not against surgery and understand that the extra "skin" does NOT go away, no matter how good of shape you're in.

Its a personal decision, that you should consider as a LAST resort. After you have excercised those muscles to the fullest. The surgery is pricey, does have infection and surgery "line" risks and can only be made by you, preferably as a last resort. Consider the multitude of adominal exercises that exist and change your current work out routine to include weights as well as diet modification first. You have to loose the weight, before you can see those muscles peeking through.

Good luck and do what you feel comfortable with in the LONG run. If you don't have a good work out routine, the problem WILL reoccur.

veteranRN · Oct 12, 2004

I'm disappointed there haven't been any responses from someone working in the field. I am 5 ft tall and have had 4 kids, 2 of which were >9lbs. Needless to say, i have that ugly "apron" around my middle. You know the one we have to clean out on the obese nursing home patients, the "pocket" where things get lost or stored for safe keeping. Well, I would be interested to hear how the procedures go. I may take up a third job jsut to pay for it.

saskrn · Oct 12, 2004

Hi there. Been thinking of having lipo on my belly. I have 2 children and a pot belly. This is not from the children, but genetic. Ive exersize to the cows come home and it does not go down. Well my question is how dangerous is this and can it pose future problems. Having a consult on Monday. i hear the recovery is just a few days and your back to work. I have no stretch marks just a small pot belly. I weight 145lbs so I feel I can benefit from this and I will be a great candidate for the surgery. What are your thoughts anyone?

I can't really comment on lipo, but I have had hundreds of reconstructive plastic surgeries, and they were all painfull and hellish, and it would take me months to recover from one. I have scarring and loss of and altered senation in some areas. It is not a decision I would take lightly, and it would have to be a VERY good reason for me to do it voluntarily.

weetziebat · Oct 12, 2004

Can't say anything from personal experience, but have a good friend who had both done. She said the lipo (conscious sedation) was a weird sensation but she was very pleased with the results. As far as the abdominoplasty, that was major surgery and left a very prominent scar all the way across her lower abdomen. She said she went through hell, but would not hesitate to do it again, and, as with the lipo, she was very pleased with the results.

hipab4hands · Oct 12, 2004

Hi there. Been thinking of having lipo on my belly. I have 2 children and a pot belly. This is not from the children, but genetic. Ive exersize to the cows come home and it does not go down. Well my question is how dangerous is this and can it pose future problems. Having a consult on Monday. i hear the recovery is just a few days and your back to work. I have no stretch marks just a small pot belly. I weight 145lbs so I feel I can benefit from this and I will be a great candidate for the surgery. What are your thoughts anyone?

Lipo will remove the excess fat from the area, but it is not going to tighten up that area. It would take a tummy tuck to do that. Many pt's have both procedures done to get the best results.

Be very careful of the surgeon you use, you do not want someone, who went to a weekend seminar, and is now performing the procedures. When the procedures are done incorrectly, you can have an uneven appearance or even a cellulite appearance. Pick a surgeon, who is obsessive-compulsive ( in a good way) about the final results. It will probably cost you more, but you'll be much happier with the results.

MQ Edna · Oct 13, 2004

Try liposite.com It's an awesome support group with links to everything. I had a FTT and lipo of my hips a few years ago. Only regret is I didn't do it earlier, it had given me lots of issues, the fat apron, that is, not the lipo!

Jo Dirt · Oct 14, 2004

I'm disappointed there haven't been any responses from someone working in the field. I am 5 ft tall and have had 4 kids, 2 of which were >9lbs. Needless to say, i have that ugly "apron" around my middle. You know the one we have to clean out on the obese nursing home patients, the "pocket" where things get lost or stored for safe keeping. Well, I would be interested to hear how the procedures go. I may take up a third job jsut to pay for it.

This doesn't regard lipo but...I had a nose job done last February and it was one of the worst mistakes I ever made. What I didn't realize when I spent years obsessing over my big nose was that it did not look bad and that it added a little character to my face. Now with my new nose (my husband will never let me forget how disappointed he is that I messed with my nose, how do you think it feels to hear your husband say "Why did you have to do that to your nose?" everytime he looks at your face?) anyway, my new nose accentuated what I perceived my problem to be...it was too long. Now it looks longer than it ever did. And I am paying $1000 a month for this terrible mistake I made. If I could sue the doctor to get my money back I would do it. He made a terrible mess out of my face.

Town & Country · Oct 14, 2004

Can you not talk to him and ask for a tweak?

Gosh, if you are paying that much you deserve to be satisfied ~ not to mention happy with your nose!

If he won't "fix" it, I'd find someone who will. JMO.

Maggie in NC · Oct 14, 2004

Hey! I had lipo as part of breast reconstruction after breast cancer. They took fat off my lower abs to add around what was left of my breast area. It was painful and the sag that it left really bothered me. So much so, I went back to the plastic surgeon in tears. He agreed it had caused a significant change in my lower abs (EXTREME SAGGING!!!) and did a minitummy tuck to fix it. I hate the scar but my abs look awesome!

I agree, plastic surgery is painful but, it's temporary and NO good PS is going to let you suffer in pain. I can honestly say, my PS was willing to give me more drugs than I probably needed. I just stopped using them when I felt like I didn't need them anymore.

I will say, what ever you do, have realistic expectations. I was so stressed about cancer, I didn't pay attention to the plastic surgeon at all, which was a mistake. He did an awesome job but, I wish I had talked to him more because I came out of breast reconstruction much bigger than I was prior. I'm sure he thought it was a gift, unfortunately, it's been an extremely difficult transition for me and has affected my self esteem. I never wanted a big chest and still don't. It's hard to hide without looking FAT. I repeat, have realistic expectations.

Good luck!

RNKITTY04 · Oct 15, 2004

I had abd lipo about 2 years ago, I researched my Doc carefully, he was very well known in the community and had a great rep. Well guess what? I absolutly HATE my stomach now, It was better before the lipo, I even went back to him again and he performed a minituck and it still looks horrible.

It is uneven and ripply looking, I am also gaining weight in strange places now, ie.... my back around my bra. I surely payed the price for my vainity. I deeply regret it and will never have elective surgery again.

But thats just my story, I know many people that have been very happy with their results, I guess its just a crap shoot.

I wish I had taken the $5000.00 and had a screen porch put on my house instead, I would still be loving that!