Are There Special Considerations for Liposuction on Asian Patients? I Scar Easily.

There is no way to predict exactly what the scars after liposuction will look like because patient genetics, aftercare, surgical technique etc all have an impact on the final scar result. It is therefore best to place those liposuction access sites in areas where the scars would be least visible such as within the belly button or where they would be hidden by undergarments. Scars can also be made more favorable in appearance by scar injections or laser as needed.

There is no scientific or even anecdotal evidence that asians have more fibrous fat than non-asians or that VASER offers any special results advantage over other types of liposuction for any specific race of patient or patient condition. In the wrong hands VASER can be disastrous as can regular old fashioned liposuction. There is no real difference between asian liposuction and non-asian liposuction other than a marketing difference. There are valid differences between asian and non-asian eyelid or nose surgery but that is vastly different from liposuction.

Without photos or a face to face examination it is impossible to say what liposuction would work best for you or even if any type of liposuction alone will give you the result you are looking for. I have seen many patients over the years who seem to think the area below the belly button should be flat or even concave. That is not the natural look of the area and many patients who have attempted to achieve that goal just ended up with indents and pitted skin that could not be corrected.

I hope you realize that this format of posting questions and receiving answers lacks the face to face direct communication required for you to make an informed decision regarding your surgery.

My response to your question/post does not represent formal medical advice or constitute a doctor patient relationship. You need to consult with i.e. personally see a board certified plastic surgeon in order to receive a formal evaluation and develop a doctor patient relationship.

Thank you for your question. It is hard to provided with a valid medical opinion without photos.  I would suggest to be treated by board certificated plastic surgeon with experience in this procedure, to get the best desired results.
Kind Regards,Dr. Emmanuel Mallol Cotes.-

Darker complexed skin tends to get hyperpigmented after 1st being irritated which is what the liposuction canulas do to the skin when going through the tiny needle holes. 1st week use antibiotic cream on the holes; 2nd week use a prescription steroid cream such as triamcinolone 0.1% daily; 3rd week start prescription bleaching cream nightly and continue until dots are faded nicely which is usually 3-6 months. Using micro-cannulas during liposuction tend to give dots only and not the big incisions from ultrasound or other laser lipos. Sincerely,

David Hansen,MD

Dear QuestionsinLA:

Thank you for your question. Addressing your tendency to scar, liposuction leaves small scars which tend to heal well. Before surgery, review with your surgeon where the scars will be placed. The bigger problem is pigmentation. The skin around the scars can get darker. Usually this is temporary, but it can be permanent.

I have found that using small, straw-like "ports", protects the skin edges from the rubbing of the liposuction cannula, and leads to scars that heal faster and that are less likely to pigment. I was very skeptical the first time I used them, but after seeing the results, I use them every case.

Addressing brand name liposuction. I hire a carpenter based his skills, not on the brand of hammer he uses. You are paying for the skill, experience and judgement of your plastic surgeon. For the vast majority of patients, the results of tumescent liposuction cannot be improved upon.

The biggest obstacle to a great result in liposuction is loose skin. Lasers, ultrasound, radio-frequency, heat, cold have been around a long time. While some studies show a small, measurable improvement  in skin shrinkage, they will not shrink-wrap loose skin. Additionally, measurable and noticeable are two different things. You need the good judgement of your plastic surgeon to guide you. If truly superior results were available with a specific machine, then every plastic surgeon would be using it.

Beware of the practitioner who makes promises too good to be true, or claims to be the only one in the world who has figured out how to achieve superior results. Plastic surgery societies are open, and we freely share results and experience. I learned about liposuction "ports" from a "competing" plastic surgeon in my local area. Great breakthroughs are accepted quickly and shared. Great marketing is tolerated, because our minds are open to improvement.

Every good plastic surgeon wants every patient to get great results. I want you to have a great result, so find a board certified plastic surgeon in your area, not a machine. And if they haven't tried using ports for liposuction, it would be worth mentioning. 

The results that you will get with liposuction will be determined by the sureons ability, not the type of procedure that you choose.  The skin incision should be monitored to be sure that you heel well, but the end results for the liposuction will be determined by the surgeon's expertise and you following your surgeons post operative care.  Good luck!

 

I do not think there is anything significantly different in performing liposuction for patients of Asian descent as compared to other ethnicities.

Thank you for your questions.  There are really two issues here.  The first is your tendency to scar. You must realize that all types of liposuction require an incision which will leave a scar.  These scars are however very small and are  placed in areas that are well hidden by clothing.  Asian patients sometimes have problems with increased pigmentation in the  scar  but this usually  improves with time and with the use of topical medications. 

The second issue is the manner in which the fat is removed.  Although there is much hype particularly on the web  with claims of one technique being better than another there is no evidence that any technique is better than the traditional technique.  In my practice here in  San Francisco  I have the opportunity to treat many asian patients and I can assure you that there are no special considerations to removing fat in asians.  There is no such thing as  "asian liposuction."  The most important thing to consider is not the technique but rather the person who is performing the liposuction. Look for an experienced board certified plastic surgeon to perform your surgery.  

Asian fat does not differ from that of any other race. There is no scientific evidence to support that claim.  A surgeon may make an hypothesis or a guess that Asian fat is "different,"  but that would be only opinion or worse yet, hype.  At the last meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgery New Technology Forum, Vaser liposuction was not shown to have superiority over other techniques.  Promoting Vaser is primarily a means of marketing, as is the claim that there is some different technique to use on Asian patients. Darker skin types, including Asians, Hispanics, Greeks, and Afro-Americans,  tend to hyperpigment around scars.  It is important to use fade cream around the scars after surgery to get the best result. Hope your result is all that you want it to be!