is tumescent liposuction a good idea and how much can I expect?
April 12, 2007 3:09 PM Subscribe
is tumescent liposuction a good idea and how much can I expect?
I've lost a lot of weight over the years but there are certain areas I am still not happy with. one of them is below my arms - the flaps and enlarged male breasts. so when I stopped by a dermatologist the other day and found out she offered tumescent liposuction, I couldn't help but ask.
according to her, the procedure is pretty much no deal at all.
come in with three hours and three thousand dollars and she'll take care of it. I am aware of bruising and swelling and am fine with that but I wonder if there are questions I might have missed. I just don't have the background to judge whether the offer is good or bad, whether other forms of liposuction, such as Ultrasound-assisted liposuction, are a better idea, that sort of stuff.
I am not even entirely sure how much of a difference to expect.
1. is $3,000 a good deal to take care of my man-boobs and flaps?
2. have you had it and how was your recovery? any problems?
3. I have a pretty decent mass of muscles in the breast area from my workouts. should I be concerned at all about them being damaged?
4. is it reasonable for me to expect the fat on my breasts and to the sides of them to disappear in one session or would that be too much? should I expect it to be half of what it is now?
there will be one more consultation before I actually get this done. I do plan on asking her question 2, 3 and 4 but figured getting the hive minds' take as well since she obviously has an interest in me doing the procedure.
(in case it matters: I am a 6"4 male, 30y.o. currently around 228lbs. I was 347lbs in 2001.)
I've lost a lot of weight over the years but there are certain areas I am still not happy with. one of them is below my arms - the flaps and enlarged male breasts. so when I stopped by a dermatologist the other day and found out she offered tumescent liposuction, I couldn't help but ask.
according to her, the procedure is pretty much no deal at all.
come in with three hours and three thousand dollars and she'll take care of it. I am aware of bruising and swelling and am fine with that but I wonder if there are questions I might have missed. I just don't have the background to judge whether the offer is good or bad, whether other forms of liposuction, such as Ultrasound-assisted liposuction, are a better idea, that sort of stuff.
I am not even entirely sure how much of a difference to expect.
1. is $3,000 a good deal to take care of my man-boobs and flaps?
2. have you had it and how was your recovery? any problems?
3. I have a pretty decent mass of muscles in the breast area from my workouts. should I be concerned at all about them being damaged?
4. is it reasonable for me to expect the fat on my breasts and to the sides of them to disappear in one session or would that be too much? should I expect it to be half of what it is now?
there will be one more consultation before I actually get this done. I do plan on asking her question 2, 3 and 4 but figured getting the hive minds' take as well since she obviously has an interest in me doing the procedure.
(in case it matters: I am a 6"4 male, 30y.o. currently around 228lbs. I was 347lbs in 2001.)
This post was deleted for the following reason: poster's request
As with all surgery you should definitely make sure that your doctor is reputable. A lot of plastic surgeons will give you a free consultation, you should shop around before moving forward. You should also try asking people in your location for recommendations for a good surgeon.
Ask your regular doctor for his/her advice too, they might not agree with you on whether you need the surgery, but they may give you advice on reputable doctors. On preview: I completely second decathecting's advice on other questions you should be asking. Additionally you need to be asking about recovery time, what kind of help you may need from friends/family after surgery, and how long it will take you to get back to your normal life after surgery.
posted by nerdcore at 3:44 PM on April 12, 2007
Ask your regular doctor for his/her advice too, they might not agree with you on whether you need the surgery, but they may give you advice on reputable doctors. On preview: I completely second decathecting's advice on other questions you should be asking. Additionally you need to be asking about recovery time, what kind of help you may need from friends/family after surgery, and how long it will take you to get back to your normal life after surgery.
posted by nerdcore at 3:44 PM on April 12, 2007
krautland, email me or add your email to your profile.
posted by necessitas at 4:33 PM on April 12, 2007
posted by necessitas at 4:33 PM on April 12, 2007
Dermatologists are not surgeons. There is a lot of noise about this in the medical community.
Find a reputable plastic surgeon.
posted by 6:1 at 6:42 PM on April 12, 2007
Find a reputable plastic surgeon.
posted by 6:1 at 6:42 PM on April 12, 2007
Response by poster: okay, perhaps I should add that the dermatologist in question here is Carolyn Jacob, MD - Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology, Chicago. chicagodermatology.com.
posted by krautland at 9:33 AM on April 13, 2007
posted by krautland at 9:33 AM on April 13, 2007
She is not board certified in cosmetic surgery, according to her bio on that website. I would consult a board certified cosmetic surgeon and ask a lot of questions before proceeding.
posted by decathecting at 10:01 AM on April 13, 2007
posted by decathecting at 10:01 AM on April 13, 2007
Response by poster: update: I have cancelled the surgery based on an email and decathecting's comment. thanks everyone for the input.
(I will ask jess to delete this thread. I don't want her to find out why I cancelled.)
posted by krautland at 11:44 AM on April 13, 2007
(I will ask jess to delete this thread. I don't want her to find out why I cancelled.)
posted by krautland at 11:44 AM on April 13, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
How much experience does she have doing these procedures? How long has she been doing them? How many has she done? What training and certifications has she had? Is she board certified in plastic surgery? Can you get references from previous patients? Can you see before and after photos of her previous patients? What is the worst possible complication? What is the overall rate of complications among patients who have this procedure from any provider? What is the rate of complications among her patients? What hospitals is she affiliated with, and will your insurance cover your stay there if you have to be transported there to deal with a problem during or after surgery?
If and only if these and other questions are answered to your satisfaction should you consider having cosmetic surgery.
posted by decathecting at 3:33 PM on April 12, 2007