A Guide to Choosing the Right Procedure and Clinic

For instance, in a typical abdominal VASER one incision will be “hidden” within the belly button. To allow the VASER probe to effectively emit ultrasound waves to liquefy the fats on the far left and right side of the lower abdomen, two incisions will be placed near the bikini line

My VASER procedure was a three-step process:

Step 1:- the injecting of the saline solution, and I have to be frank and honest and state this was not particularly uncomfortable nor painful and was quite fast – although the saline solution will make the area you're having treated with VASER liposuction swell up with fluid which is interesting to observe, I was reassured the swelling would disappear, (and it did!)

Step 2:- was the break up of the fat-storing cells by a long probe which lasted approximately 20 minutes, this part of the procedure is a little bizarre. You can feel probing occurring inside the area being treated but no pain or discomfort, if you have a lovely nurse like I did, artfully distracting me of what was going on, it’ll be over before you realise.

Step 3:- the final phase was the suction/extraction of fat - which call me a little weird and twisted was the best part to experience, being awake and watching a glass container filled with fat being extracted from your body for me represented a whole wave of emotions and relief. It was fat I had battled with throughout my life - fat that refused to go away and that had clung on to me for dear life, it was fat that no amount of careful restraint, dieting or hardcore gym work would melt away. So finally I got to say farewell to my fat, it was a victory in a very long battle with myself and finally one which in the space of just 2 hours I had conquered, thanks to VASER liposuction and the skilled hands of an experienced surgeon (whom I may hasten to add refused to switch the device off until he had perfected my abdomen as best as he possibly could).

My Recovery

Despite being less invasive than traditional liposuction, it is prudent to keep in mind that as with any form of liposuction, bruising and swelling will set in and can last for a few weeks after the procedure. The body will naturally undertake the task of healing the bruising and swellings. The colour of the bruises will appear in hues of pinkish red immediately post-VASER, reflecting the colour of blood beneath the skin. Following that, the bruise will turn purplish black as haemoglobin in the blood undergoes a change. Thereafter, the colour of the bruise will turn greenish and then, fade to a yellowish tint, before heading to the colour of the skin tone.

For the next few days, I have to be honest I was a little sore, tender and bruised (think how it feels to do around 1,000 sit-ups or tummy crunches in the gym, and you’re almost there!) don’t be under the misguided assumption that you’ll be back to normal “within a week” - I know recovery times very much depend on each individual but this is by no means a quick 24-hour recovery job.

I also have to point out that VASER Liposuction has had many misrepresentations in the media and on the internet as a “lunchtime” procedure. For a start, the procedure took over two hours from admission to discharge (hardly your average lunchtime unless you're a chief executive) and secondly, there is no way on earth any individual is going to want to go back to work after having had such a procedure carried out on them. I’m a member of the media myself, but I do cringe sometimes when I see gross exaggerations and misrepresentations of very intricate aesthetic procedures such as VASER Liposuction being touted as “Lunch Time” procedures, they are not, so don’t be seduced by false hook lines like that - they are simply sales jargon to lure you in.

Finally...

In terms of my expectations as to what the actual procedure would be like I was prepared and briefed very well and as professionally as I could be by the clinic and surgeon  I chose (a definite must-have for all prospective patients is good preparation, and realistic expectations). But after the bruising and swelling faded, the compression garments were removed and the recovery completed, was VASER Liposuction everything I expected it to be?

Did I get the results I wanted? And was it all worth it?

Read my final Blog and see my big REVEAL...