SmartLipo: A Woman’s Journey & Success
For Kathy Larsen*, it was menopause that started it. “I’d always had a flat belly,” said Kathy. But when she entered menopause in her early 40s, her body began to change. “It’s terrible, your hormones going up and down. You’re more hungry, your more stressed. And once you get that belly, it’s hard to get rid of it!”
Now age 63, the retired hairstylist was fed up with the belly fat that just would not go away, despite diet and exercise. “You look at yourself, and think, whose body is that!? Is that my mother?” said Kathy of her 5-foot-2-inch frame.
“I was just so tired—I’d bend down and would barely be able to breathe,” she said. That’s when Kathy began thinking about liposuction.
She first saw a plastic surgeon who told her the only solution would be a full tummy tuck. “He said, ‘You’re gonna have all this loose skin’ if I did liposuction,” said Kathy. Not wanting to have major surgery with its pain, risks, scarring, and long recovery time, she put the idea out of her mind. “I don’t do pain!” she said.
Then one day while driving by Salem Women’s Clinic, she saw “SmartLipo™” on the electronic sign. It prompted her to do some research: she learned that because SmartLipo™ is laser-assisted, it actually helps tighten the skin—you don’t get that with traditional liposuction.
She also learned that SmartLipo™ is gentle, with much lower risks because there is no need for full anesthesia. Also, the recovery time would be very short—a few days, if even that.
“I was nervous!” said Kathy about her consultation. “Then I talked to Carey, and she is wonderful. And then Dr. Harmon—she explains everything to you, which is great. Then I relaxed.”
Kathy’s procedure was virtually painless. “I even took a little nap,” she said. It was followed by fast healing and downright transformative results.
“My fear was I was going to have loose skin. Mine is not! As much belly as I had, the skin is tight.”
Kathy is very happy with the result from SmartLipo™. “I don’t buy extra large blouses anymore just to cover my tummy—now I buy medium.” She also went down two pants sizes.
“We all want to look good. I worked in the business of beauty I know what it’s like.” She encourages others who are considering liposuction to look into SmartLipo™.
“Women go through a lot in life. We’re always thinking of others, thinking of our families, never of our own wants.” Kathy herself gave birth to and raised four children. “It’s good to do something for ourselves,” she said. “If you’re thinking about doing it, go for it!”
*Name has been changed to protect privacy.
