Many of you know me as the Patient Coordinator at Colorado Plastic Surgery Center. I’m the one who guides you throughout your plastic surgery procedure. I’m that friendly face you see when you first enter our office. I’m here to answer any of your questions, assist you in schedule your cosmetic procedure, listen to your concerns and fears, and share in the joy you feel following your transformation. I’ve been considering Liposuction for years and after almost four years of working in the cosmetic surgery industry, I finally took the plunge myself. Since so many of our patients share their cosmetic surgery stories with me on a daily basis, I want to be candid and share my experience with those considering Liposuction.
Day of Liposuction Surgery
On the day of my plastic surgery procedure I really did not have many nerves. I was having circumferential Liposuction to my torso to get rid of the stubborn fat that most apple body types get. I have to thank every staff member of the surgery center for the amazing care and compassion that I received. Trust me, we were there late and it was a very long day for them. Not to mention the biggest thank you of all to Dr. Slenkovich for being the complete perfectionist that he is, which by the way is exactly what you want in a plastic surgeon, maybe not so much a boss (just joking, he happens to be an amazing boss and surgeon).
I was honestly surprised with how calm I was the entire day and going into the operating room. I guess I can attribute to knowing how amazing our staff truly is. I can completely relate to patients nervous of not knowing what to expect when they wake up from their surgery and how they will look. I definitely was not expecting to wake up with as much fluid seeping out of me as I did, but that is to be expected after Liposuction surgery. It is common to have some fluid expelled from the incisions since tumescent fluid is injected during the procedure. It’s your body’s way of getting rid of that extra fluid. I was handled with such care from the staff, as well as my boyfriend who was a complete ball of nerves not knowing what to do with me.
My Helpful Hints for the Night of Your Liposuction Surgery
Here are a few tips, straight from me, for the night of surgery (trust me you will thank me later). First, there is absolutely no shame in adult diapers to help catch the extra fluid. I strongly suggest Depends or heavy duty maxi pads (you might get strange looks at the store, but it will be well worth it). Also, to protect your mattress I suggest garbage bags under your sheets or if you want to be fancy maybe a protective mattress cover that you may use for a five year old that still wets the bed. Better to be prepared than sorry. Other things that saved me were Arnica tablets and Arnica gel (a homeopathic drug that helps with swelling and bruising) and, it sounds silly, but drinking straws are a must.
I slept well through the night though surprisingly between the constant “we should have hired someone to take care of you” coming from my boyfriend every five minutes, but the medications I was given tend to help with that.
To be honest, it is a lot to handle, especially when you are a man that has no idea what to expect their loved one to be like. I hear it all the time from patients that they are going to be fine after surgery and really don’t prepare their caregivers for their aftercare. Maybe it is a woman thing that we don’t want to inconvenience anyone, but trust me it is better for them to know ahead of time. It will not only let them get mentally prepared on what to expect you to be like, but it will save you the headache when you are already a hot mess.
To read more about my Liposuction experience, read Lyndsay’s Liposuction Story – First Week After Surgery.
