While traditional liposuction techniques are great for getting rid of unwanted pockets of fat and making you look thinner, they can’t really give you the kind of muscle definition that will make you look more fit. For many people, hours spent at the gym is never going to deliver those six pack abs or beautifully defined triceps. However, VASER high def liposuction can.
It’s a technique that allows the plastic surgeon to sculpt the fat in the target area – the abs, thighs, back or arms – into the shape that you have always wanted. It takes fat removal to a whole new level, revolutionizing how plastic surgeons approach body contouring. Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Dustin Reid of Austin, TX discusses the difference between traditional liposuction techniques and VASER high def liposuction and why he thinks this technology is a total game changer.
What is VASER High Def Liposuction?
VASER high def liposuction is a new technology that uses ultrasonic energy to precisely target specific areas of fat. It allows the plastic surgeon, “to not only perform liposuction to debulk areas where patients have fat, but to actually sculpt out what we want to see underneath,” explains Dr. Reid. Just as a sculptor like Michelangelo was able to carve something beautiful out of a large piece of granite, VASER high def liposuction allows surgeons to create definition and muscle tone by carving the fat in your treatment area. In many ways, it is actually what many patients think liposuction is going to be, “[and] that’s what makes it so fun to do because basically I can make you look like the fit person that you feel like that you are,” says Reid.
Benefits of VASER High Def Liposuction
One of the main benefits of VASER high def liposuction is its ability to be both strong enough to eliminate large volumes of fat while also be gentle enough to treat delicate areas such as your neck and arms. A few of the other benefits include:
- great results in a single procedure
- a 360° approach
- removes large amounts of excess fat
- smooths out the skin, even in hard to treat areas like the arms
- defines and accentuates specific muscles
Differences Between VASER High Def Liposuction & Liposuction
In traditional liposuction techniques, the patient comes in complaining about a specific area of fat such as:
- outer thighs
- abdomen
- flanks
- hips
- buttocks
- back
The plastic surgeon then removes the excess fat with liposuction, the result being a thinner-looking patient. With VASER high def liposuction, the surgeon still removes the fat, but also sculpts out what you want the abdomen to look like or the back to look like or the thighs to look like. It delivers the kind of precise muscle definition that is often impossible to achieve with diet and exercise alone.
All About the Shadows & Hollows
When Dr. Reid discusses VASER high def liposuction with his patients, he shows them a model of the perfect physique to help explain that “the trick is the shadows that we create.” A “perfect” physique has hollows in specific areas that our eye subconsciously reads as fit and healthy. Sculptors understand these shadows and hollows, allowing them to create such realistic pieces of art. Your plastic surgeon is basically doing the same thing with this procedure except the medium is the fat that you already have as opposed to a piece of marble.
Recovery from VASER High Def Liposuction
Because the surgeon needs to move your body in 360° to treat all of the necessary areas, VASER high def liposuction is performed under general anesthesia because it takes longer to perform than traditional liposuction. Most patients will have a small drain after surgery to help with the removal of fluid and will be swollen for a couple of weeks. While the final high def results typically take about 6 months to resolve, you will notice a difference in your contour immediately.
“I am super excited about it,” says Dr. Reid. When he first saw a liposuction procedure performed, he was a little disappointed in exactly what it allowed him to do. Now, he’s doing what he always thought liposuction should do, which is “take somebody who doesn’t look as fit and makes them look fantastic.”