Waterjet Liposuction in Singapore
Waterjet Liposuction (WAL) has been available in Singapore since 2007. Currently, only a handful of doctors offer this technique. However, as the procedure is gaining popularity elsewhere in the world, it’ll be increasingly recognised as a technique to be considered when considering liposuction.
VASER is currently the most popular form of liposuction in Singapore. The reason is simple: it has advantages over traditional liposuction in terms of speed of recovery and ease of operation for the surgeon. Most importantly, this device has been aggressively marketed to doctors of all Specialties. The ready availability of the procedure has increased consumer awareness of its benefits, and also brought the price down.
The suppliers of Body Jet (R), the device for Waterjet Liposuction, has taken a different marketing strategy. Preferring to err on the side of caution, they have limited the sale of the machine to Plastic Surgeons only. They have considered other doctors, but strictly on a case by case basis.
We were fortunate to have been permitted to purchase this device even though our doctor is not a Plastic Surgeon by training. They felt that as our Dr Christine Cheng is a Specialist in Anaesthesia, she had the required ability to deal with any potential complications arising from the technique. More importantly, she was able to determine the safe dose of local anaesthesia to avoid local anaesthetic toxicity, a potential risk with all liposuction techniques.
Simply Aesthetic thus became the first clinic in Singapore to purchase the Body Jet (R) device, and have been offering this procedure since late 2007.
Dr Cheng was also given the opportunity to train with one of the Waterjet Liposuction trainers in Korea in the technique. The Koreans had modified the Waterjet Liposuction technique to improve the results and reduce surgical stress. Their perception of beauty is also more in line with the Asian ideal. Skinny but shapely is the most common request, and many ladies would undergo sequential surgery to attain their dream physiques. The Koreans call their technique Waterjet-Plus liposuction.
Dr Cheng of Simply Aesthetic is the first foreign doctor to train in this technique and is the only doctor in Singapore to offer it. She has changed the appearance of legs from thunder thighs to slender enough for skinny jeans. Her abdominal liposuction technique starts from just below the breast all the way down to where the bulge begins in the lower abdomen, aiming for a similar fat thickness throughout (balanced liposuction). The sides follow the line of the abdominal musculature, ensuring future weight gain is less likely to reduce in unsightly lumps and bumps.
The final results of Waterjet Liposuction are seen within 6-10 weeks. Some patients have little swelling after the operation, so can see nearly the final results the day after the operation. Swelling and bruising is often gone within 2 weeks.