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Abdominal Etching – Get a More Defined Stomach

Here you'll find information on

The best candidate
The procedure
After surgery
Complications and risks
Consult a qualified plastic surgeon
Costs

Abdominal etching takes you a step beyond conventional liposuction fat removal. This procedure is intended to give you a flatter, tighter stomach area, with stronger muscle definition.

Abdominal etching also differs from abdominoplasty. In an abdominoplasty, the abdomen muscles can be tightened or removed, whereas abdominal etching only removes excess fat and skin.

The Best Candidate for Abdominal Etching

The best candidate for this plastic surgery has naturally athletic-looking underlying muscles that can be accentuated with abdominal etching. People who are liposuction candidates, with very localized, exercise-resistant fat deposits, can obtain additional improvements through abdominal etching. Likewise, patients who undergo an abdominoplasty to reduce loosened and excessive muscles may achieve a more athletic-looking appearance with abdominal etching. The strength of the results depends on personal anatomy. The ideal candidate also follows a proper diet and exercise program, which are necessary to maintain the benefits.

The abdominal etching technique can be performed at the same time as liposuction. The procedure may be performed at the same time as other procedures as well, depending on the combination treatment plan you have developed in consultation with your surgeon.

The Abdominal Etching Procedure

Abdominal etching is performed in the doctor's office or in an outpatient surgery center. Time in surgery is about one hour. The procedure is often performed under local "twilight" anesthesia, while you are sleepy, sedated, and awake; or general anesthesia, while you are asleep. You can discuss anesthesia options with your doctor and the anesthesia provider.

Several small incisions (1-2 millimeters in length) are made in the belly button or in natural creases of the abdomen so that the incisions are not highly visible. The surgeon uses a cannula (a hollow tube-like instrument) to remove excess fat and skin. It is a delicate procedure that includes sculpting grooves in the fat layers to emphasize a muscular appearance. A different cannula may be used to perform liposuction and to perform the muscle-definition sculpting.

Most patients return home within hours after surgery. Results can vary among patients due to personal anatomy factors such as the unchangeable appearance of the underlying muscles.

After Abdominal Etching Surgery

The doctor will supply a complete postoperative instruction list to reduce the risk of complications. The doctor will fit the patient with a medical compression garment to wear at all times other than bathing for three to six weeks, or as directed by the doctor. Patients often can shower within 48 hours after surgery. Pain, swelling, and bruising may occur, all of which can be managed with medications and proper care.

Restrictions include no exercise or lifting of ten pounds or more. There cannot be any pressure placed on the abdominal area.

Normal activities typically can be resumed in one to three weeks. The full results of abdominal etching appear within six months of the procedure. But patients often see results such as better-fitting clothes and a firmer abdominal appearance much sooner.

Complications and Risks of Abdominal Etching

Complications are possible with any medical procedure. The most common but infrequent complications include infection, bleeding, and excessive scarring. The doctor can intervene in these situations; however, they can prolong the recovery period. Be sure to discuss the possible risks and treatments with your doctor.

Consult a Qualified Plastic Surgeon

A qualified surgeon will help ensure the treatment is appropriate for your condition, increase the odds of success, and reduce the risk of complications.

This is a fairly new technique so it is important to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon, from the American Board of Plastic Surgery, with extensive, specific abdominal-etching experience, as well as expertise in all areas of abdominal plastic surgery.

The type of board certification is also important. There are more than 150 self-designated boards, but only a handful that are designated by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), such as the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Here are some tips to consider when consulting a plastic surgeon:

Review the doctor's credentials, education, training, type of certification held, and number of times that the treatment has been performed in the practice.
View before-and-after photos of patients with similar conditions who received abdominal etching, liposuction of the abdomen, and abdominoplasty.
Bring a photo of yourself from the past when your abdomen was in its best form to help set realistic expectations.
Inquire about the technique of the procedure and possible complications from surgery.
Ask for a list of pre- and postoperative instructions.
Results vary among providers and patients.

Costs

Abdominal etching includes three fees: local or general anesthesia fees, facility fees, and surgeon's fees. Since the abdominal etching procedure is often performed during traditional liposuction, you pay only one anesthesia fee and facility fee. Since your treatment will be customized to fit your needs, only a range can be given. Average total fees range from $3,000 to $10,000. This estimate does include the cost of the liposuction.

If the cost of abdominal etching is difficult for you, ask the facility about payment plans. For financing options and tips, continue reading about Patient Financing.