Improper liposuction damages nerves in young women

In order to show off their good figures in front of the spotlight, many slim women still worry about local body fat and often start a "body sculpting" campaign a few months before major gatherings or parties, such as exercise, massage or medical cosmetic methods. However, doctors remind that when performing local fat sculpting through plastic surgery, one should undergo a full evaluation by a professional doctor and choose the appropriate method to avoid harming the body instead of seeking beauty.

Dr. Li Zhaoxiang reminded that body sculpting is no longer just about fat extraction. People should first be diagnosed and evaluated by a professional doctor and choose the appropriate treatment method to reduce the occurrence of side effects. (Photography by Huang Zhiwen)

A young woman in her 30s, 170 cm tall, 50 kg in weight, and slim, felt that she had too much fat accumulated in her hips and thighs, and her body curves were not perfect. She underwent laser lipolysis on her thighs a year ago, but she did not expect that it would cause nerve damage and uneven skin.

Plastic surgeon Li Zhaoxiang said that with the advancement of medical technology and the evolution of aesthetic concepts, body sculpting is no longer simply about extracting fat, but about modifying local areas with excess fat. Under normal circumstances, whether you have an obese or standard body type, you may have local fat accumulation and expose small flaws in your curves due to improper diet, poor metabolism or lack of exercise.

The parts of the body where women are most likely to accumulate fat are the lower abdomen, lower edge of the buttocks, thighs and butterfly arms. Excess fat may cause barrel waist, saddle buttocks, elephant legs and butterfly arms.

Previous liposuction methods included water jet liposuction, which uses a tearing method to destroy the fat and then uses a liposuction tube to suck it out. It is suitable for use in areas with large-scale, deep fat accumulation such as the abdomen and thighs. However, when water jet liposuction is sucking out the damaged deep fat, it is easy to damage the connective tissue and accidentally injure the blood vessels and nerves due to improper pulling method or force of the liposuction tube. In addition, the side effects of water jet liposuction include the inability to tighten the skin, resulting in sagging skin, a longer recovery period, and because the range of action is limited to deep fat, it is unable to achieve a fine carving effect on shallow areas; as for laser lipolysis, it is only suitable for a small area.

Dr. Li Zhaoxiang said that Taiwan has introduced the new 4D Vaser fat sculpting technology, which uses improved ultrasound technology to emulsify fat and then uses a patented drainage tube to draw out the fat. The fat has a high survival rate and can be used for fat supplementation. And because it is less destructive, it can not only support superficial fat sculpting, such as abs, waist, six-pack abs and biceps, but also preserve the integrity of surrounding nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue, reducing postoperative swelling, bruising, pain and other side effects and recovery time.

However, Dr. Li Zhaoxiang reminded that even the safest liposuction or liposculpture surgery may have different risks due to the patient's personal physical condition, the equipment, and human operation. It is recommended that people should first undergo a professional evaluation by a professional physician before receiving treatment, formulate a treatment plan, and perform the surgery in a safe environment.

In addition, the public should understand that "liposculpture does not mean weight loss". It is possible to gain weight again after surgery. It is recommended that patients should still control their diet and exercise moderately after surgery to reduce body fat and maintain a beautiful and perfect body shape.