Oh, how you hate it when your eyes automatically move to that protruding ‘bump’ whenever you look at yourself in the mirror! It is not even as if you are pregnant! It is just that a few layers of fat have decided that the best places to settle down are your stomach and abdominal regions. Additionally, no amount of rigorous dieting or vigorous exercising has helped. Therefore, what should you do next? We advise Abdominal Etching, a cosmetic procedure granting you a washboard stomach.
What exactly is Abdominal Etching?
You will be happy to know it is a non-invasive procedure with an artistic name, ‘Liposculpture’! The aim is to sculpt your stomach to appear marvelously muscular, firm, and tight! Furthermore, it applies to either sex. (1) (2)
- Please note that Abdominal Etching is not the same as abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) or traditional Liposuction.
- Abdominoplasty serves to tighten the stomach by getting rid of excess fat, as well as excess skin. In other words, it tends to straighten the wrinkles visible on the tummy!
- Traditional Liposuction could not take care of how your stomach/abdomen looks like! All it does is dig out the diverse pockets of fat settled in the wrong places!
Abdominal Etching focuses on providing a chiseled look to your lower torso, similar to what a sculptor does with stone. The surgeon will remove the excess fat from specific areas and leave the rest as it is in other areas. As a result, the underlying muscles and abs appear well-defined. It is no wonder that people have seen fit to award this surgery names like High-Definition Liposuction, Six-Pack Liposculpture, and Lipoetching.
Will this Procedure Suit You?
Although having a sculpted abdomen sounds exciting, you may not be the ideal candidate for such a procedure. You must fulfill certain conditions before the cosmetic surgeon agrees to work on your body.
- Do you have a fit physique or a well-toned body without skin damage? If the answer is yes, you will do it!
- Even though you are here to remove excess fat from your abdominal area, the fat pockets must be relatively small. Each pocket should contain just about one to two inches of pinchable fat.
- Your total body fat must not exceed 18%.
Consult Dr. Cat Beverly Hills, a board-certified plastic surgeon, to determine if you can fulfill your aesthetic goal. The board is the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
It would be good if this professional is vastly experienced in performing all manner of plastic surgeries related to the stomach and abdomen. If you are still worried, request photographs of people who have already undergone abdominal etching. Their ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures should grant you greater confidence.
Image credit: Dr. Cat Begovic
Read Also – 10 Sure-Fire Fat-Burning Detox Waters For Weight Loss
What Happens During the Procedure?
Generally, the surgeon completes the process within an hour or so. In rare cases, it may go on from one-and-a-half to four hours, depending on the patient’s condition or other complications.
Once the surgeon decides that you may go in for abdominal etching, they provide pre-operative instructions that you need to follow.
- You must reach the outpatient surgery department at the appointed time on the day of the surgery.
- It is up to the doctor to decide if you need general anesthesia or twilight anesthesia. The latter helps you stay awake but not completely aware. The area demarked for surgery becomes numb so that you will feel nothing during the operation.
- You will also need a dose of antibiotics to keep you infection-free.
- Next, the surgeon may request you to contract your abdominal muscles. This is to help them outline the areas that will undergo incisions or indentations.
- These areas are in/near the belly button or the natural creases of the abdomen/pelvis.
- When everything is marked to satisfaction, the surgeon will make incisions in the marked-out areas, each one measuring 1-2 mm in size.
- The surgeon then takes a metal, tube-like instrument in their hands. This very small and flexible Cannula possesses blunt tips.
- The cannula quickly travels into the skin through the incisions while the doctor inserts it. The doctor attaches the suction device at the other end of this cannula.
- As they twist and turn the Cannula along with all the marked areas, the excess fat deposits detach themselves from the abdominal muscles.
- It is easy to suck them out through the suction tube.
- The same Cannula creates grooves in the remaining fat, highlighting the natural musculature.
However, the surgeon does not touch the natural muscle tissues during the contouring. The procedure moves from the lower abdomen towards the sides and the middle region.
Please note that the gaps left behind after the surgery must be filled with retracting skin before you can see any results. This may take three months, or it may take as long as six months. Therefore, be patient about witnessing permanent results from this once-in-a-lifetime procedure.
What is the Cost of Abdominal Etching?
The surgeon will demand fees for operating on you, while the anesthetist will expect fees for helping you stay pain-free. The facility will want fees for providing space and equipment. Generally, abdominal etching follows traditional Liposuction. Therefore, you may have to shell out between $3,000 and $10,000 for conventional Liposuction and abdominal etching. The variation in pricing relates to the kind of Liposuction you opt for, such as laser liposuction, tumescent Liposuction, etc.
Post-Operative Stage
You are bound to feel some pain as the anesthesia begins to wear off. There will be some amount of bruising and swelling, too. However, your recovery will be painless, as the surgeon will prescribe certain medications to care for everything.
- This individual will also instruct you regarding post-operative care.
- One of them is to don a medical compression garment.
- You will have to wear it for three to six weeks, depending upon the condition of your tummy.
- The garment will keep the swelling under control.
- Note that you may not shower until 48 hours after your surgery.
- Do not lift anything beyond 10 pounds, at least for a month.
- As for everyday activities, you may resume them within 1-3 weeks.
- Swimming and light exercises are possible after 5-6 days.
- Ensure that you adhere to a nutritious diet during the recovery period.
Just make sure that you follow all instructions carefully to avoid complications.
Side Effects or Risks of Abdominal Etching
Abdominal etching is a low-risk procedure. For several weeks, you may experience pain and discomfort, bruising, swelling, etc.. However, they will go away.
At the same time, if you have a sensitive constitution, discuss it with the surgeon in detail before the procedure. For instance, general anesthesia may not work for you. Sometimes, there may be bleeding, infection, or enhanced scarring. Whatever the case, discuss risks and side effects during the initial consultation itself.
Read Also – Truth Revealed: The Relation Between Saturated Fat And Weight Loss
Thus, you may go in for abdominal etching as the final resort after having tried all kinds of cosmetic procedures and weight loss operations. Alternatively, this may be the only procedure to award you a ‘sculpted’ figure, which becomes the envy of all!
Summary
Abdominal Etching, or Liposculpture, is a non-invasive cosmetic procedure designed to sculpt a well-defined, muscular appearance in the abdominal region. Unlike abdominoplasty and traditional Liposuction, it focuses on removing small pockets of excess fat to reveal underlying muscles. The procedure suits those with a fit physique and minimal body fat. During the hour-long surgery, a surgeon uses a small tube-like instrument to remove excess fat, creating grooves to highlight natural musculature. The cost ranges from $3,000 to $10,000. Post-operatively, patients may experience pain, bruising, and swelling, with a recovery period of several weeks. Side effects are minimal, but risks include bleeding, infection, and scarring.
