Scheduled for surgery with Dr. Pope on Sep 15....

[EdmondDantes]

I am really nervous but moving forward. A good guy from this board who went to Dr. Pope has been invaluable in answering questions and helping out. I will be having gyn surgery as well as lipo of the stomach. I have been working out and losing weight the past few months in preparation (I am told this makes it easier for the doctor to sculpt more precisely). I am 6'3" and currently weigh about 212. I weighed 230 a few months ago. Hope to be about 208 when I go in a couple weeks from now.

I have some questions for any who have had lipo of the stomach. There are many kinds of liposuction out there..... laser lipo, smart lipo, vasor lipo, etc. Reading user experiences (mostly woman) here http://(put three w's here).yestheyrefake.net/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=10 it sounds like most are unhappy with the results (ie saggy skin, dimpled skin, etc). I really don't want to make things worse. Anyone with stomach lipo out there. Good or bad results?

I am going with Dr. Pope because I think he is one of the best for gyn surgery. I wish he had more pics on his website for gyn as well as lipo (including what type of lipo equipment/technique he uses). For those on the fence, I will provide updates as I go through the process/surgery with Dr. Pope. Wish me luck!

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Many guys think that lipo of the abdomen is going to make them very thin with six pack abs.  That is not the case.  Lipo of the abdomen can remove the large bulges of fat and provide an even and smooth layer of skin and fat over the entire abdomen (and frequently the love handles as well).  If you want six packs, then you have to exercise like crazy and get your body fat percentage down to mid single digits -- something that the average guy would have difficulty in doing unless he devoted most of his life to working out.  Unfortunately, most guys have to work and don't have the spare time for that.

It is the surgeon's hands and experience that are most important.  There are many hyped types of lipo -- such as laser lipo ("Smart" lipo), vaser, etc.  Many docs buy these costly machines and then market them as better than traditional lipo.  However, to date, these machines have not scientifically demonstrated any superiority over traditional, carefully performed lipo.  They mostly try to convince you that they will help to tighten the skin -- but the average guy who has not been significantly overweight will have skin that will tighten spontaneously.  And sometimes, in their zeal to tighten skin, the laser lipo can acutally produce burns on the undersurface of the skin.

I believe you are in excellent hands with Dr. Pope.  Good luck with your surgery.

Dr Jacobs

[Freedatlast]

Best of luck, Dude!

[EdmondDantes]

Many guys think that lipo of the abdomen is going to make them very thin with six pack abs.  That is not the case.  Lipo of the abdomen can remove the large bulges of fat and provide an even and smooth layer of skin and fat over the entire abdomen (and frequently the love handles as well).  If you want six packs, then you have to exercise like crazy and get your body fat percentage down to mid single digits -- something that the average guy would have difficulty in doing unless he devoted most of his life to working out.  Unfortunately, most guys have to work and don't have the spare time for that.

It is the surgeon's hands and experience that are most important.  There are many hyped types of lipo -- such as laser lipo ("Smart" lipo), vaser, etc.  Many docs buy these costly machines and then market them as better than traditional lipo.  However, to date, these machines have not scientifically demonstrated any superiority over traditional, carefully performed lipo.  They mostly try to convince you that they will help to tighten the skin -- but the average guy who has not been significantly overweight will have skin that will tighten spontaneously.  And sometimes, in their zeal to tighten skin, the laser lipo can acutally produce burns on the undersurface of the skin.

I believe you are in excellent hands with Dr. Pope.  Good luck with your surgery.



Dr Jacobs

Thanks for the explanation Dr. Jacobs. Greatly appreciated. Now I am glad Dr. Pope doesn't use laser lipo. I like the idea of tried and true.

[EdmondDantes]

Best of luck, Dude!

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[EdmondDantes]

T minus 4 days. Nervous but hoping this goes well. Will keep everybody posted here.

[EdmondDantes]

Tomorrow morning I go under the knife. I met with Doctor Pope for a preop meeting today. He seemed to have a good handle on what needs to be done. Particularly with respect to the total contour we hope to achieve with excision and liposuction. I will continue to update here to let you all know the outcome. I will say that if Dr. Pope's surgical skills are on par with the friendliness of his staff all should be well. That said the most important thing to me is a good long term outcome. Fingers crossed!

[Raboze]

Best of luck! Keep us updated..

[maybeachance]

Good luck..........

[corvette09]

Good luck brother.

[EdmondDantes]

Thanks for the support guys. To those of you who have been PMing me RE update.... I am taking this one day at a time. I will comment on what I know so far. I haven't said anything here yet because I am not sure what the outcome will be (actually many months to find that out). Right now I am 9 days post op. The tape/steri strips that were placed around the nipple are still in place so I have not been able to really see the incision or contour yet. That, along with seeing what happens when pec muscles are flexed (ie no dimpling or pulling in a distorted way), are the next step. I will feel more comfortable giving an update when I hit that stage (probably in the next week or two).

When I met with Dr. Pope he gave me his undivided attention and was attentive to my questions. He seems to be a genuine good person. That is true of all the people I met in his office. As I have said previously the ultimate hope/goal is to get a naturally contoured chest (resting and flexed). The proof will be in the pudding as they say. I will report the good or bad  as the healing process unfolds and I am able to get a better look at where this thing is headed.

[EdmondDantes]

OK gang, things have settled down since the surgery but I still have "pointy boobs". It appears to be more fat than breast tissue. I got my weight down quite a bit a year after the surgery but that didn't seem to help. Dr. Pope has agreed for an additional fee to hit it again (likely liposuction only) to try to get the round chest shape that was originally desired. I also paid extra to have my stomach lipoed on round one. It looks pretty good overall but one side (right) is a little larger near the hip. I am hoping while Dr. Pope has the lipo instrument out we can hit this area as well. I am flying to Florida on the 21st for procedure on the 22nd. I am glad Dr. Pope is willing to work toward the desired result. I will keep you all posted and when this surgery settles down I will post the final results.

[fsugrad]

Thanks for the update. I have consulted with 4 or 5 plastic surgeons and I am going to have my surgery with Dr. Pope because I believe he is a man of his word and also that he seems very genuine and realistic in terms of what he can and can not achieve through surgery.

I have not yet had my surgery but I am planning to this summer. I was suppose to have it last summer but I had to postpone it due to some medication that my endo had put me on.

Good luck and please keep us updated.

[letsfixthis]

Thanks for the update. I have consulted with 4 or 5 plastic surgeons and I am going to have my surgery with Dr. Pope because I believe he is a man of his word and also that he seems very genuine and realistic in terms of what he can and can not achieve through surgery.

I have not yet had my surgery but I am planning to this summer. I was suppose to have it last summer but I had to postpone it due to some medication that my endo had put me on.

Good luck and please keep us updated.

Do you live in Florida? You are going to have your surgery even after the person who made this thread said that he requires a revision?

Things have settled down since the surgery but I still have "pointy boobs".

What type of doctors did you consult with already? What turned you off to them? Did you ever talk to that Dr.Man you were considering before? The pictures on his website actually look pretty good without any obvious scars.   

Thanks.

[fsugrad]

Thanks for the update. I have consulted with 4 or 5 plastic surgeons and I am going to have my surgery with Dr. Pope because I believe he is a man of his word and also that he seems very genuine and realistic in terms of what he can and can not achieve through surgery.

I have not yet had my surgery but I am planning to this summer. I was suppose to have it last summer but I had to postpone it due to some medication that my endo had put me on.

Good luck and please keep us updated.

Do you live in Florida? You are going to have your surgery even after the person who made this thread said that he requires a revision?

Things have settled down since the surgery but I still have "pointy boobs".

What type of doctors did you consult with already? What turned you off to them? Did you ever talk to that Dr.Man you were considering before? The pictures on his website actually look pretty good without any obvious scars.   

Thanks.

Yes I do live in Florida.  I understand your point on the revision but show me a doctor out there who has a revision rate of zero and I will be happy to go to them.  In my opinion what is more important is a doctor's willingness to work with the patient in times where a revision is needed. Dr. Pope, I believe will do this and has done so with a past patient that a spoke to directly.