Daily ab workouts don’t always translate to rock hard abs for some men, so they can turn to abdominal “etching”. Abdominal “etching” refers to specialized liposuction technique to sculpt the abdomen. We etch glass or a name on a medal. Sculpting is done from the underside of the skin and not cutting through the skin. Seattle area plastic surgeon, Dr. Marosan, can use the surgical procedure to give a man the six pack abs that he’s always dreamed of. This is NOT an isolated procedure, it is part of the total male body sculpting. No partial body sculpting gives harmonious natural results. This is an all or none operation. Patients interested in localized fat removal only, should seek care elsewhere.
Precision Sculpting for
a Toned, Athletic Body
Dr. Marosan uses the VASER Hi Def Lipo (VHD) technique to sculpt the abdominal region, chest wall, pectoralis muscles, serratus anterior and obliques to create a toned, athletic physique. The arms are sculpted as well to match the rest of the body. The “love handles” are removed, the upper back is sculpted by removing fat around the scapula or wing bone, the trapezius muscle and the lower back musculature is defined to produce the “V” shape sought after by men who desire a chiseled, athletic body. Dr. Marosan can also inject removed fat into the muscles, deltoids and upper chest for enhanced pectoral muscle definition. This is a highly specialized and technically demanding surgery. Dr. Marosan trained with Dr. Alfredo Hoyos of Bogota, Colombia, the inventor of the VASER Hi Def Lipo for body sculpting in men and women. There’s no other surgeon in the Pacific Northwest who can deliver such real and artistic results without the stigmata of surgery.
The Key to Washboard Abs
Abdominal “etching” is a procedure that specifically targets the abdominal muscles to define its contours giving the appearance of “washboard abs”. The reason why it is difficult to achieve the effect with just normal exercise is due to a resistant layer of fat that covers the muscles and also is just under the skin. To achieve the definition, liposuction targets specific fat pads to chisel out the inscription lines and emphasize muscle tone.
Surgical Technique
Abdominal “etching” surgery uses the VASER deep and under the skin to remove the fat from the deep and superficial fat compartments in the abdominal region, creating negative and positive spaces to enhance the muscle definition. It is important for the surgeon to know the underlying muscle anatomy, so the surgical marks can be placed accurately, otherwise the results can look fake and artificial. This involves both deep and superficial liposuction to define the inscriptions of the rectus abdominis muscle, define the semilunar lines, the confluence of the lateral rectus and oblique muscles, create the depression between the lower lateral rectus and the medial pelvic bone, the so called Adonis line. The chest wall is defined including the lateral pectoralis major muscle, removal of fat on the lateral chest wall between the latissimus dorsi and lateral pectoralis major. In all cases, tumescent liposuction technique is used with the VASER and Power X (rotating) cannula to achieve a muscular torso. Tiny stealth incisions are made in the groin area, belly button, in the areola under the nipples and arm pits to remove any stigmata of liposuction surgery.
During/After Surgery
All abdominal “etching” surgeries are performed as an outpatient procedure in our AAAASF accredited surgical facility. The VASER Hi Def Liposuction requires intravenous sedation anesthesia and tumescent anesthesia, and the entire procedure can last 4-6 hours (isolated abdominal “etching” cannot be done, it looks fake like the “Turtle ninja look”. The entire torso and chest need to be done together).
Results are not instantly seen after the procedure, because the treated abdominal wall is usually swollen. This will subside in a few weeks. A compression garment is worn following surgery to help in the healing process, as well as to help keep the abdomen tight and firm. Early lymphatic massage is encouraged to promote healing. Most patients can go back to their routine within 2 to 3 weeks. Exercise must be restricted until advised by Dr. Marosan. The full result is not realized until 4-6 months.
Best Candidates
The best candidates for this procedure are men who have minimal fat deposit around the abdomen area and have some toned muscle. Active individuals who have a hard time defining their abs are ideal for this procedure. We will measure the fat layer, which should not exceed about 2-3 inches when pinched. If there’s a thicker layer, an initial debulking liposuction surgery may be recommended or intensive exercise until the required measurements are achieved.
Prospective candidates who had this procedure done before with less than optimal outcomes at another office, are more challenging due to the extensive internal scarring and the placement of the inscriptions created arbitrarily without respect of the person’s muscle anatomy. The VASER and Power X instruments are invaluable in these secondary cases. In my practice, over 60% of patients had previous suboptimal surgeries.
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Frequently Asked
Questions
How Does It Work?
All body sculpting procedures are performed using tumescent liposuction under intravenous sedation. Due to deep liposuction, just on top of the muscle cover and superficial liposuction, just under the skin, local anesthesia alone will not allow Dr. Marosan to achieve the optimal results he can deliver and what his patients expect.
Scarring Issues?
Dr. Marosan places “stealth” incisions and uses hard plastic skin ports to introduce the VASER probe and liposuction cannulas under the skin, thus protecting the skin from burns or friction burns. All incisions are closed with one suture, except the groin (one drain is placed on each side), belly button and top of buttock crack (drain is placed here too), which are left open for fluid drainage. All these small incisions are placed in the armpit folds, inside the belly button, intra-areolar, low in the pubic area and the top of the buttock crack, heal with scars that become inconspicuous to the naked eye.