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What’s The Difference Between High Definition and Traditional Liposculpting?
What’s The Difference Between High Definition and Traditional Liposculpting?
Everything.
Before we get into high def lipo, let’s review your anatomy again.
Most areas of your body have fat divided into three distinct layers: superficial, intermediate and deep.
Traditional liposculpting mostly allows for debulking via removal of the deeper layers of fatty tissue. On the other hand, High Definition liposculpting employs the use of VASER. This novel tool allows me to go through all of the layers of fat, evenly- including the intermediate and superficial layers, through the same small incisions as traditional lipo- to emulsify, or liquify, the fat. Next, the liquified fat is suctioned out and muscle definition emerges.
High Definition liposcultping allows me to remove significant amounts of fat- enough so that it enables your underlying muscle definition to pop out! This is how we achieve abdominal etching and highlight your semilunar lines, linea alba, and inscriptions.
Traditional Liposculpting
High Definition Liposculpting
What is VASER?
Other than being a game changer in high definition liposculpting, VASER is an acronym. It stands for:
Vibration
Amplification of
Sound
Energy at
Resonance
​
It’s an ultrasound assisted tool that emulsifies (or liquifies) the layers of fat which can then be liposuctioned, and used for fat transfers, such as BBLs.
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Unlike laser assisted liposculpting that kills the fat cells, VASER allows you to safely transfer healthy fat cells to other desired areas! The great thing about VASER is that it can be performed through the same poke hole incisions of liposcultping!
Let’s also briefly review basic anatomy. Most areas of your body have three distinct layers of fat: superficial (top layer), intermediate (middle layer), and deep (lowest layer). The deep layer of fat sits on the muscles.
Traditional (non-VASER) liposculpting is meant to debulk the deep fat layers.
VASER, on the other hand, can be performed throughout all three fatty layers.
This not only allows for maximal fat removal/extraction, but also introduces the realm abdominal etching which allow your muscle definition to come to life!
We review how to address the skin after VASER assisted liposculpting in a different video!
Female Abdominal Etching
The key to female abdominal etching is to highlight the underlying natural anatomy!
The rectus abdominal muscles- which help define the “packs”- are either 4-pack muscles or 6-pack muscles. What allows these rectus muscles to stand out are areas of natural depressions where the muscles fade and become solely connective tissue. These areas are known as inscriptions. In addition, there are two vertical counterparts- the Linea Alba and Semilunar Lines.
The Linea Alba spans the midline- starting from the inferior (or bottom) portion of the chest (or sternum) and spans to the level of the umbilicus (or belly button).
The two complementing lines on either side of the Linea Alba are the Semilunar Lines. These help define the borders of the rectus abdominus muscles, and span from the bottom of the breast (inframammary crease) at the level of the areola/nipple line down to the groin creases.
The Linea Alba and Semilunar Lines help define a toned, athletic abdomen.
Abdominal etching is performed through meticulous VASER assisted liposculpting!
Male Abdominal Etching
The key to a successful male abdominal etching procedure is to ensure that you accurately identify and highlight the underlying anatomy.
A common misconception is that the “muscles” at the end of the procedure are “fake.”
This, in fact, is not true.
The key of the surgery is to remove enough fat to highlight and bring the underlying muscles to life.
As such, the key steps of the procedure are identifying your rectus abdominis inscriptions, semilunaris lines, and linea alba. In addition, identifying and highlighting your serratus muscles on your lateral chest. The goal is to create a natural, yet athletic look.
This is made possible by VASER assisted liposculpting and a skilled surgeon.
A key complement to this procedure is masculinization of the male chest and arms.
Chest Masculinization
A procedure they really brings my male abdominal etching to life is chest masculinization!
What this procedure entails is highlighting the natural pentagonal shape of the male chest.
How this is performed is through meticulous VASER assisted liposculpting of the lateral chest, anterior chest, obliteration and/or removal of any glandular tissue- with or without any fat grafting to the chest. In addition, most procedures require Renuvion J-Plasma or BodyTite skin tightening rather than a large incision!
Are Abdominal Etching Results Permanent?
Are Abdominal Etching Results Permanent?
The short answer is YES!
A key procedural step with abdominal etching is the use of VASER assisted liposculpting. This allows me to maximally remove fat and highlight the natural abdominal musculature!
Prior to your abdominal etching procedure, you’ll have some work to do- crunches and leg lifts. These will allow your rectus muscles to really delineate themselves which will make your surgery more successful!
What happens if you gain wait after surgery?
We maximally remove the subcutaneous fat (between the skin and muscles) as a part of the procedure. The fat that remains is the visceral fat- below your abdominal muscles and around your internal organs. Unfortunately, we can’t address the visceral fat with lipo. What may happen is that you may increase your abdominal girth. To get rid of it, you’ll need to diet and exercise!
What Are Drains?
A drain is just a tool that helps collect fluid!
Whether you’re having a tummy tuck or liposculpting, there is always the creation of a “potential space.” For example, when I liposuction the fat, it creates a an “empty” or “potential space.” Now, our bodies are smart- they try to fill the space the best way they know how to- with fluid. That’s where the drains come in and drain that fluid.
The removal process depends on several factors- color, character, quantity.
Initially, the effluent color is reddish. It’s often times confused with blood in the early post op period. However, it’s not- it’s a thin fluid (unlike blood), that looks more like Kool-Aid; this is called serosanguinous drainage. As time goes on, this color changes to more of a straw or apple juice color, and is called serous drainage. The goal is to have less than 30cc of thin, serous drainage in a 24 hour period prior to removal.
My primary goal is to help you have an easy post-operative recovery, and to become the best version of you!
Surgical Drain Care
We discussed what drains are and their functionality in a previous video. Today, we’re going to discuss how to take care of your surgical drains!
1. Clean the drain. This is done to minimize the risk of infections! The easiest way to do this is to hold the drain in place from the exit site of the skin with your non-dominant hand, and to clean the drain with your dominant hand using alcohol. Once you reach a distance, keep your dominant hand clamped, and advance your non-dominant hand to the spot. You’ll repeat this until you reach the drainage bulb.
2. Empty the drain. As the bulbs fill, you’ll want to empty the contents and record the output.
3. Compress the drain. You want to ensure that the drain is always compressed to allow a vacuum like seal of the fluid into the collection bulb.
Voila. You’re now a surgical drain care expert.
Waistline Narrowing
Waistline narrowing involves the maximal removal of fat from the waist line and love handles! It’s performed differently for males and females. The proper aesthetics of a male patient is more of a “V” shape whereas the female counterpart is a “S” shape.
Depending on the degree of skin laxity, redundancy, and adiposity (or fat), we have two options:
1- VASER assisted liposculpting with Renuvion J plasma skin tightening
2- Lateral thigh and buttock tuck with/without VASER assisted liposculpting
Keeping proper aesthetics in mind, I am able to sculpt the abdomen, flanks and waist using the assistance of VASER.
VASER allows for the adipocytes (or fat cells) to transform into a more liquified state through the use of ultrasound guided technology. After VASER, I then evacuate the fat through liposuctioning. This is then followed by Renuvion J plasma or BodyTite skin tightening.
If you have a lot of loose/redundant skin and fat, you may require a lateral thigh and buttock tuck which will remove the bulk of the tissue via an incision that will definite the shape of the buttock.
We often times will perform a concurrent BBL (Brazilian Buttock Lift) at this time as well.
