If you are considering liposuction on your body and grafting that fat into your hips or buttocks to shape your figure, I really hope you will read this once. Think of it as “a letter from my future self, some time after surgery.”
Before surgery, I searched through countless reviews and hated posts that obviously looked like advertisements. So I also try to be honest: if something worked well for me, I say so; if it did not, I say that too. I believe people need to share both good and bad information so the next person can avoid at least some of the same trial and error.
This is not a post intended to reveal the clinic or doctor yet. I simply want to record what I went through first.
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I had liposuction mainly on my abdomen and lower body, and wanted to graft some of the removed fat into my pelvis and buttocks to create a prettier overall body line.
At first, things were good. Of course it hurt and was difficult, but I endured it because I trusted the clinic and, above all, the doctor who personally consulted with me and performed the surgery. It was not a small clinic either. It was fairly large and famous, and probably known by almost everyone. That was honestly another reason I trusted it more. I truly thought, “A clinic this established will take responsibility and care for me if something goes wrong.”
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A few months after surgery, I gradually began to feel that something was wrong. The areas that had been suctioned were not smooth, and the lines in various parts of my body seemed to be collapsing little by little. Before even a year had passed, I started noticing it more and more.
Even then, I tried hard not to pay attention. More precisely, I “tried not to.” How could I not care when it was my own body? I kept telling myself: “This must be part of recovery.” “It will probably improve if I wait a little longer.” “Surely this is not a case where I have a complication or need secondary correction.”
People who have had surgery probably understand these feelings. Even when something looks strange, people do not want to admit immediately, “Something went wrong with me.” From that moment, everything becomes frightening. I was afraid I would blame myself and regret having done it. So I endured it.
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Afterward, I paid even more attention to exercise and diet because I was afraid of hearing: “It is because you gained weight,” “It is because you lost too much weight,” or “It is because you did not exercise.” I kept my weight within a certain range, checked my appearance, and tried to exercise consistently so my body would not sag further.
I also strongly did not want to blame the clinic or doctor. This was the place I had trusted and chosen. If I began resenting the doctor and clinic to whom I had entrusted my body, without knowing much at the time, I felt it would become too painful for me. I did not want to become bitter toward anyone. I did not want to carry resentment or regret. It was not because I was trying to be saintly; I felt that if I let those emotions pile up, they would eventually turn against me. I hated unnecessary fights and raising my voice, and I was already worried about being treated as a difficult customer. The whole idea of a dispute was exhausting. I had other things to do, too, so I avoided it for quite a long time.
Moreover, because of personal commitments, I was not in a position to have revision surgery or aftercare immediately. Most of all, I believed what I had been told before surgery: “Even if a problem occurs, it can be managed.” “You do not need to worry.” I truly believed those similar promises. I had to believe them, otherwise I could not lie down on the operating table with hope.
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Honestly, I also thought, “This is such a large and famous clinic. Surely they would not abandon one patient who developed a problem.” If an issue arose, what I wanted was reconstruction or correction—not money. I was not asking to be compensated financially. I had already paid a considerable surgical fee. All I wanted was one thing: to restore my body, at least roughly, to a normal-looking line. I was not asking to return perfectly to how I looked before surgery. If necessary, I was willing to undergo secondary correction or aftercare and endure the pain, time, energy, schedule disruptions, and physical strain again. I had chosen to begin this myself.
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Recently, I finally gathered the courage to contact the clinic. I said, “My body has changed like this, and it is very difficult.” “I do not know what to do.” “I wish you would help me.” I was not contacting them to fight or threaten them. I spoke as calmly and kindly as possible.
The answer I expected was simple: “Come in so we can examine your condition. Please do not worry.” “If necessary, we will correct it again.” “Let us discuss aftercare too. It may hurt, but correction is important, is it not?” Something like that.
But the answers I heard were very different: “Some time has passed.” “That can naturally happen as time passes.” “There is nothing we can do now. The representative...” “There are also natural changes or aging.” If someone heard that, they might think I was in my forties or fifties; I am in my twenties. Similar statements kept being repeated.
I felt utterly empty hearing them. If the body can change like this over time after surgery, should I not have been given a sufficient explanation before surgery? At least that is not how I remember it. Everyone only congratulated me and said I had made the right decision, as if I were about to begin a new life. In a way, it is a new life—but one requiring reconstruction and correction, a life falling into a pit.
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As the conversation continued, I also heard that the doctor could not decide based on personal willingness alone, and that internal approval from the clinic representative and senior management was required, making it difficult in practice. “We are employees too.” “It will be difficult if the clinic representatives do not approve it.”
That made me feel strange. I did not decide to have surgery after meeting the clinic representative or senior management. I entrusted my body to the consultant, the operating doctor, and the clinic’s name and system. But after a problem arose and some time passed—not even that much—I suddenly felt as though I were outside the clinic’s system. Like an abandoned child. Before surgery, the clinic had felt so close; afterward, as time passed, it felt terribly distant. That was the hardest part.
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Then I suddenly wondered: Am I really the only person who has gone through this, among all those surgical patients? I do not know. That is why I am curious about other people’s experiences. If anyone has had a similar experience, I would appreciate a comment or private message.
I plan to organize my situation more clearly and continue recording what happens. I have photographs of my condition, the process before and after surgery, conversations with the clinic, and the events that have occurred so far, which I am arranging one by one. I do not think it is time to reveal everything yet, so I will not immediately post the clinic’s name or photographs. But if things continue to worsen, I intend to record the details as specifically as possible within the scope of what I personally experienced. I may even be deleted. If so, I suppose I will have to fight alone.
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For people considering liposuction or fat grafting, there is one thing I urgently want to say: kindness before surgery and responsibility after surgery can be completely different matters.
A large clinic, a famous clinic, celebrities appearing there, or heavy advertising does not guarantee that you will receive care in the way you expect all the way through if a problem occurs. Actually, I found one way to guarantee it: be a celebrity. I guarantee the “senior management” and “clinic representatives” they mention will be pleased. ^^;
Before surgery, do not ask only, “Will it turn out well?” Ask many things, especially: “Who is responsible if a problem occurs?” and “What are the criteria for secondary correction?” The blind spot is that for large areas of the body, swelling and the process of settling and recovering can last surprisingly long. Even if you allow six months, calculate how many months of the guarantee or correction period remain after subtracting that recovery time. The clinic will probably describe the recovery period as short and make the guarantee or correction period sound long in comparison. Believe it if you want. You have to believe it to be able to lie down on the operating table, just as I did. You may think your skin heals well and you will avoid everything. You are no different from me. I thought that too. I was living in a flower garden of optimism.
In any case, if a clinic says recovery may take three or four months, you should allow several more months. During that period, plus some extra time, no matter what you say or what photos and worries you show, the clinic may already think the surgery is over, the money has been received, and you are not a celebrity. Then they may say, “You are still recovering, so do not worry,” or “It is still swelling, bruising, and recovery.” You may fail to realize that your own body is being held hostage and simply accept it. You will have to believe it. Why? What else can you do by yourself? I say this because I have lived through it. In some ways, I am speaking to my past self.
Also ask: “For how many years is postoperative care available?” and “What happens if the doctor leaves or the clinic’s policy changes?” I should have asked these questions much more insistently before surgery. It is not that I never asked; I simply did not understand the blind spots.
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I will stop here for today. This is the first time I have written something like this, so it may be a little disorganized. I will keep adding to this post or write separate reviews. If anyone supports me, I will find the strength to document as much as I can.
Honestly, I am already very exhausted. It is hard to feel stressed every time I look at my body, and it is hard to finally face the problem after enduring it for so long while telling myself, “It will get better.” Still, I hope that anyone considering this surgery will see what I experienced and think more carefully at least once. If you have had a similar experience, please do not keep it to yourself—share it with us. I will continue bringing updates.