Things you never knew about liposuction

Liposuction helps to remove unnecessary fat and create beautiful and healthy body lines. There is a saying that dieting is a lifelong homework. Dieting is even more difficult for people with low basal metabolic rates, because fat cells are well placed in the body. Through surgery, you will be able to manage your weight more effectively and also stick to a diet more easily.

Liposuction changes the shape of the body. It has a semi-permanent effect because it takes the fat cells out directly. In order to maintain the results, you have to change your eating habits and lifestyle after the surgery.

The photo above shows the common areas where people usually get liposuction. The surgery itself is performed in this order: surgery design, administering tumescent solution on the site of surgery and waiting, liposuction surgery, post-operative wrap up, post-operative care. Every step has a very significant impact on the results of the surgery. The surgery may look simple, but any mistakes can cause skin roughness and asymmetry. You should only have surgery after consulting a specialist.

There are many ways to get liposuction. Let's talk about the differences between mini, ultrasound and vibration liposuction. 

1. Mini liposuction

Photo Credit: Ruby Plastic Surgery

A specific area is selected for liposuction. Usually, mini liposuction is used when only some areas are fat. It is difficult to remove fat near the skin with regular liposuction by machine, but for mini liposuction, fat on the shallow layers under skin can also be removed delicately. Skin chafing rarely happens because tissue damage is minimized. Mini liposuction is also sometimes used for revision surgeries, when calibration is required for low amounts of fat or bumpy areas. 

2. Ultrasound liposuction

This procedure uses ultrasonic energy to selectively dissolve fat cells efficiently without damaging blood vessels, nerves and other tissues. Similar to breaking down gravel into sand, the ultrasound liposuction breaks down and liquefies fat within fat cells. The liquefied fat is then released from the cells, which is then absorbed and released by your body. This way, you can get a smooth body line without going through a separate liposuction process.

3. Vibration liposuction

A tip that is only a few millimeters in radius is inserted into the fat layer. This tip can pull fat out of fat cells effectively using high-frequency vibration. Fats are sucked out as the tip rotates in circles as well as back and forth in the area. The damage to nearby blood vessels and tissues is minimized by using fine vibrations that go up to 600 rotations per minute. This is the most suitable way to perform liposuction for large amounts of fat.

See the results of liposuction below!

Abdomen:

Arms:

Thighs:

Accessory Breasts:

Photo Credit: Ruby Plastic Surgery

We interviewed Dr. Hu Jung Woo at Ruby Plastic Surgery in Korea on some of the most commonly asked questions. Here's his take on liposuction.

Can I also do liposuction on my face?

Photo Credit: Ruby Plastic Surgery

Yes, definitely. We have to be more careful when operating on the face compared to the body, because both the skin and fat layers are thinner on the face. The results can be unsatisfactory if the skin on the face becomes saggy after surgery, so the operation is carried out using a microscopic cannula suitable for even the thinnest layers.

In places where liposuction is difficult, such as the cheeks or jawline, Accusculpt or Acculift is performed. They provide long-term effects, facial balance, and a resilient lifting effect by producing collagen.

 

How long do I have to stay in Korea?

There are differences depending on the complexity of the surgery. Sometimes, it is possible to have consultation, surgery, and discharge on the same day. For liposuction on small areas, it may even be possible to leave the country on the day of surgery. However, I recommend that you stay in Korea for about seven days after surgery if it is not just a local liposuction.

How can I manage the recovery after surgery?

We run a customized follow-up program for each post-operative phase.

• Swelling management: Injection with several ingredients such as vitamins
• Laser management: Revitalization of damaged nerves and regeneration of blood vessels
• High frequency management: Encourage regeneration of tissues under the skin
• Scar management: Encourage regeneration of the outer skin tissues

Are there any special management methods that you recommend?

After liposuction, it is better to move around a little rather than to lie still. By moving around, your metabolism will increase, allowing the absorbed solution to be released from your body quicker. The swelling will also go down more quickly. Walking, in particular, is the basis of every exercise, and also improves stamina and builds strength for muscular exercise. I recommend this to patients because you don't have to do it for a long time or in a special place like other exercises.

Will doing multiple surgeries have a better result?

In the early 1990s when liposuction was first developed, it was popular to have liposuction on large amounts of fat at one go. In retrospect, there were a lot of complications after such surgeries. If large amounts of fat are removed at one go, the damage to tissue is large, and the physiological changes to stress can increase. This strains the body with unwanted complications.

Along with the development of liposuction technology as well as the experience accumulated, we can now safely perform liposuction on large amounts of fat and in various areas.

Generally, if the volume that is removed is more than 5,000cc in a single operation, it is defined as high-capacity liposuction. A safe capacity is typically 2,500cc of fat removed for young and healthy individuals who are around 60 kg. The Society of Plastic Surgeons recommends caution when removing more than 5,000cc of fat in a single operation. Therefore, the surgery has to be done according to the individual's body type.

I had my first liposuction surgery and my skin became rough and uneven. What should I do?

The most common complication after liposuction surgery is that the skin surface becomes rough and bumpy. This happens when fat in the subcutaneous layer is removed unevenly, leaving a portion of the fat layer which does not even out on its own.

This can be corrected by making the subcutaneous layer even with laser liposuction. Laser liposuction can be used to fill in the sunken areas as well as to smooth out the surrounding protruding areas. In cases where the sunken areas are very deep, regular liposuction may be used. Post-operative care is also very important. Beginning from 2 weeks after the procedure, it is advised to evenly spread the subcutaneous layer by using treatments such as Endermologie or high frequency waves.

Out of all your liposuction patients, which one was the most memorable?

It was a woman in her late 20s. When she first came to the hospital, she had no confidence and gave the impression of being depressed. She wanted to get not just liposuction, but also facial plastic surgery. Since I felt like she needed general liposuction on several areas, I recommended liposuction surgery first.

After that, she did full body liposuction, and began slowly exercising to aid in recovery. She was very active in post-operative care. I was supporting her since I heard that she was working out hard a month after the surgery. Perhaps due to her resilient efforts in post-op care, the results of the surgery were fantastic. Her body line has changed dramatically. The changes were so dramatic that her face looked like she had gotten a face lift, even though she hadn't. She came to me a few times to express her gratitude and gave me gifts. When we first met after the surgery, the facial expression and aura that she carried had changed so much that I felt proud as her doctor.

What would you like to say to your patients who are thinking about liposuction?

Various methods of liposuction and equipment used are being developed these days, and they are difficult to distinguish. What they all have in common is that they all depend on the sophisticated and delicate skills of the surgeon. How much expertise a doctor has in this area is more important than what equipment he's using. If you're considering an operation, you need to first decide if you need one. If you decide that it is really necessary, then you should decide on the best clinic for yourself after receiving consultations.

More info?

Interested in getting a quote or customized consultation? Please request a consultation here or contact our concierge at concierge@eunogo.com or Whatsapp +82-10-6576-1267.