I want to start by saying that I'm not someone who handles confrontation well. I have severe social…read moreanxiety, so speaking up in the moment is extremely difficult for me. Even the next day after my procedure, I didn't know how to bring up what happened. I do like my physical results so far, but the experience during the procedure affected me enough that I've been having nightmares about it. I plan on addressing everything at my 6-week appointment because I need time to process and communicate it properly.
I originally came to Eterna Cosmetic Surgery looking for traditional liposuction where you're put under anesthesia. I explained very openly that I have bad anxiety and cannot tolerate pain for long periods of time. During my consultation with Dr. Hernandez, she reassured me that ViserLipo (awake lipo) would still work well for me because they would give calming medications and Pronox to manage both the pain and the anxiety. She said many people sleep through it or don't really remember much. With that explanation, I felt reassured and agreed to proceed. My appointment was originally set for November 25th.
About two hours after I left the consultation, the office called saying they had an opening the very next day and preferred to move me to that slot. I agreed and prepared for ViserLipo on my upper and lower abdomen the following morning.
When I arrived, my appointment was scheduled for 7:00am, but staff didn't arrive until around 7:45am. This stood out to me because their policy states that patients who are 15 minutes late are charged a $300 fee. After that, though, things seemed positive again, the staff was kind, the environment was clean, and I was given medications, a robe, a blanket, and had before-photos taken. At that point, I felt okay. I figured their appointment timing on the website was just wrong, not a big deal for me.
Once I was in the operating room, things changed. They handed me the Pronox nozzle before starting the local anesthesia injections, but based on the conversation I heard (and maybe Im wrong and didn't hear right, but it still did nothing for the pain), the Pronox was not actually turned on yet. The injections were extremely painful. I also noticed Dr. Hernandez speaking to the assisting nurse in a way that seemed snappy or short, which added to my stress.
Once the Pronox was turned on, it helped for a while. But suddenly it was taken away during the procedure. At that point, I could feel **everything** not pressure, not discomfort, but real, intense pain. I had a blindfold on, and my entire body started shaking. My arms and legs were tensing uncontrollably. Someone told me to keep still and keep my arms up, but I was trying my best just to withstand the pain. Eventually I started crying and managed to say that I was in pain, but the response I got was, "You're a little uncomfortable." I was not uncomfortable , I was in genuine pain. There is a big difference.
Someone placed a stress ball in my hand, and I remember gripping it so hard it felt like I was tearing it apart. It felt like a very long time before the Pronox was given back to me briefly. By that point, I was terrified that my shaking or tensing would cause a mistake or injury.
When it was finally over, they cleaned me and helped me into the garments. I was extremely dizzy and exhausted, but I was still asked to walk out on my own. There was no wheelchair offered. The moment I got into the car, I started crying again and begged my husband to drive to my mom's house because I just needed to feel safe. I've never experienced anything like that before.
**If you are considering getting ViserLipo here, please understand that you may feel *everything* during the procedure. It can be VERY painful, and the experience may be much more intense than what is described during the consultation. **
