Liposuction advice sought

December 3, 2004 1:53 PM

I have been thinking lately about getting some kind of liposuction done on the assal/upper thigh region (to clarify, nothing drastic, probably only a few pounds if that much). What should I look for in terms of price, doctor's qualifications, safety issues, etc.?
posted by anonymous to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total)

A friend of mine had that region done two years ago for $2500, plus another $700 or so for some touch-ups a year later. She went to a specialist, not someone at a hospital. He was recommended to her, and I expect that may be the best way to find someone.

The safety issues are fairly standard. But I'm pretty sure she was awake for the whole thing, so there's no worry about anesthesia problems as there is with major surgery. She was pretty bruised, of course, but was up and about a few days after her procedure.

She's thrilled with the results, and apparently so was the doctor -- he uses before/after photos of her (waist-down only) in his ads.
posted by schoolgirl report at 2:05 PM on December 3, 2004

Try yestheyrefake.net for a basic resource for plastic surgery, complete with a list of possible complications and a photo gallery of various procedures. Just a warning, the liposuction pictures are arguably NSFW. The FAQ is a good place to get started with things you should know about your particular surgery and the surgeon information section has a good primer on what to look for in a surgeon. Please note that this is very much a pro-surgery site, you should do other research before you undergo any procedure. Also, don't just go by their list of doctors, I wouldn't trust that any more than any other paid advertisement. Above all else, please make sure that you're doing this for the right reasons and that you see a scrupulous doctor who does not take away your self esteem. There's enormous potential for creating even bigger problems than the ones you are resolving so I urge you to make sure that this what is best for you.
posted by hindmost at 2:13 PM on December 3, 2004

SafetyFilter: Have a Google for "fat embolism." While a rare complication of the procedure, it's enough to turn me off the whole concept.
posted by ikkyu2 at 2:49 PM on December 3, 2004

When you are researching doctors, go to your state medical board's website to find out whether or not they've been sued a lot for malpractice. You can also find out what their specialty is, what training they've had in that area, and lots of other useful info.
posted by sophie at 2:51 PM on December 3, 2004

Liposuction seems like an expensive alternative to excersize if you're just looking to lose a couple pounds. I know this sounds snarky, but that's got to be a very expensive operation.
posted by BradNelson at 2:57 PM on December 3, 2004

Well exercise alone is often not very effective for the side saddles...sadly I know this all too well. Once you have large deposits of cellulite I do believe it's almost impossible to get rid of them. That being said, I think liposuction is very scary.
posted by yodelingisfun at 3:34 PM on December 3, 2004

For any plastic surgery procedures, I suggest always using a doctor board certified by ABPS. Once you collect a number of names in your area, google each by name to see if there's anything nasty out there. Also, talk to your regular doctor about your current health situation: there may be some factor in your history that makes you a risky candidate of which you might otherwise be unaware.

Factors that make a lot of difference: whether you are having a low- or high-volume fat liposuction, exactly what kind of procedure your doctor suggests using, what anesthesia is used, etc. Do a lot of PubMed reading. Just a brief review of the material in the link cite ikkuyu's forementioned fat embolism, but also anesthesia complications, edema, seromas, infections, scarring, and the ever-comforting death. There's a lot in that link that will be irrelevant to you, but you will be able to do a much more refined search once you know the exact name of your procedure. There are plenty of people who've had this done safely, but obviously, it's good to know all the risks and go in well informed, especially about how your own medical history might affect your outcome. Good luck to you.
posted by melissa may at 7:25 PM on December 3, 2004

Make sure you ask for your free soap when you are done.
posted by Kwantsar at 7:53 PM on December 3, 2004