Water Assisted Liposuction: Everything You Need to Know

When it comes to cosmetic surgery, liposuction in Turkey remains the single most demanded procedure among both men and women. However, liposuction is not just one type! There is water assisted liposuction, laser assisted liposuction, and others.

More people have started to consider water lipo because it’s a gentler fat removal technique and less risky than the traditional liposuction technique. The safety and efficacy of water lipo were evaluated and confirmed by multiple studies.

On top of all this, this technique of liposuction can improve the physique and bring stunning results. Next, we will discuss all the aspects of water lipo liposuction, including benefits and costs.

What Is Water Assisted Liposuction?

Water assisted liposuction, also known as water jet lipo, BodyJet lipo, hydro liposuction, and AquaShape, is a liposuction technique that utilizes a pressurized stream of saline solution to remove fat pockets from different areas in the body.

Water assisted liposuction surgeons often consider water lipo as an advanced form of “tumescent liposuction”. In fact, water lipo actually uses essentially a tumescent fluid to remove fat, but with a continual flow of water to remove the fat through aspiration.

Water lipo is a gentle procedure that doesn’t affect underlying organs and structures, such as muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. It’s also precise and doesn’t cause pain.

Related Article: Lipedema Liposuction

Benefits of Water Assisted Liposuction

Water assisted liposuction retains all the benefits of traditional liposuction and more. The water based micro liposuction can remove impressive amounts of fat quickly and efficiently, especially when targeting fat around women’s breasts. In short, water lipo provides the following advantages:

Gentle Fat Removal

Being a gentle fat removal technique has contributed to the good reputation of water lipo and makes it a favorable option for many people. Experts describe water lipo as a noninvasive procedure that spares underlying tissues and causes fewer risks.

High Precision

When performing water lipo, your surgeon will enjoy a higher level of precision and be able to target specific, smaller parts of your body. The precise work of hydration makes it easier for the surgeon to conduct the procedure without causing much pain.

Short Downtime

Since relying on water to remove fat is a gentler method, the recovery or downtime after the procedure is expected to be very short. Furthermore, the chances of developing unwanted side effects, such as swelling or bruising, become less.

Harvest Fat

Some doctors use water lipo to harvest and transfer fat cells to other parts of the body to restore fullness. The logic behind this stems from the fact that, unlike other liposuction techniques, water lipo doesn’t destroy fat cells. This might be helpful for procedures such as Brazilian butt lifts (BBL).

Treat Lipedema

Lipedema results from fat buildup in the legs and buttocks. BodyJet liposuction or water lipo has been used to treat this condition because it can remove excess fat without causing further damage in these areas.

No General Anesthesia

You don’t need to get general anesthesia before having BodyJet lipo or water lipo. As a result, the cost of the procedure will be less, as well as the possibility of developing anesthesia-related issues.

Related Article: Vaser Liposuction Before and After

Candidates for Water Assisted Liposuction

Water lipo is a great option for both women and men who want to target specific fat deposits in their bodies. The procedure doesn’t suit those with loose and saggy skin, however. To be a good candidate for Water assisted liposuction, you must meet the following criteria:

• Healthy and without major medical conditions
• Within 25 pounds (11 kg) of your optimal weight
• Have stubborn fat that doesn’t respond to diet and exercise
• Have realistic expectations

How Is Water Lipo Done?

Although water lipo doesn’t require general anesthesia, you still need to receive a local anesthetic to spare yourself unwanted pain during the procedure. You can undergo the procedure in an outpatient facility.

The duration of the procedure depends on the size of the targeted area and may range from 1-3 hours. Water lipo is still, however, faster than traditional liposuction. The steps of water lipo involve the following:

Fluid Injection

Your doctor will start by injecting pressurized saline into the targeted area. The fluid could contain local anesthetic and saline.

Cannula Insertion

After injecting the saline, your doctor will insert a cannula to suction the fat away from your body.

Water Assisted Liposuction vs Tumescent Liposuction

Many people confuse water lipo with tumescent lipo since both use fluid to remove fat deposits and contour the body. Nonetheless, there is an intrinsic difference between the two types.

Water lipo exclusively relies on using a stream of saline with high pressure to loosen the fat cells and remove them by a cannula. Meanwhile, tumescent liposuction focuses more on using a solution that contains certain compounds (lidocaine and epinephrine) to shrink the cells.

Tumescent liposuction causes less bruising because it doesn’t cause much bleeding, but the cannula needs recurrent adjustments during the procedure, which increases the possibility of damage and extends recovery.

Water Jet Liposuction vs VASER

Water jet liposuction and VASER are two of the most popular liposuction techniques, thanks to their impressive effectiveness in body contouring.

Basically, both methods aim to remove unwanted fat deposits, but they employ different technologies to achieve this goal.

Water jet liposuction (or Body Jet) relies on a pressurized water stream to gently detach fat cells from surrounding tissues. This technique is often associated with less bruising and swelling compared to traditional liposuction.

In contrast, VASER liposuction relies on a type of ultrasound technology to liquefy fat cells before removal. This method is known for its ability to sculpt the body more precisely and potentially improve skin tightening.

While both procedures offer various advantages, they also have their own share of cons.

Water Jet Liposuction

• Relies on a pressurized water stream to detach fat cells
• Often associated with less bruising and swelling
• Gentle on surrounding tissues

VASER Liposuction

• Relies on ultrasound technology to liquefy fat cells
• Known for precise sculpting and potential skin tightening
• May offer more defined contours (at least in some cases)

Water Assisted Liposuction for Lipedema

Lipedema leads to irregular contours and size differences as the fat builds up in certain body parts but not in others. Around 11% of women develop this condition.

Developing lipedema makes you feel heavy all the time and may cause some pain. Luckily, water lipo can treat lipedema without damaging the lymphatics. A study described it as an "efficient method" to treat lipedema.

In fact, water lipo is a part of a treatment called “complete decongestive therapy”, which is designed essentially to treat lipedema. The treatment also includes:

• Lymphatic drainage and massage to open the blocked areas.
• Increase tissue pressure by compression and stretch bandages
• Physical exercise to improve circulation and mobility
• Prevent infections through the skin and nail care

Results of Water Assisted Liposuction

Not all patients start to see the results of water assisted liposuction immediately following the procedure. You may need to wait and be patient until the swelling disappears during the first 4-5 weeks.

In any case, many people start actually to see the results after the procedure, but they usually need to wait between 6-12 months to witness the full impact of the procedure. If you had chosen this procedure to trim the fat in your abdomen and the results seem not satisfying for you after this period, you can think about other options, such as a tummy tuck.

Risks of Water Assisted Liposuction

Water lipo is a very safe procedure. Complications are uncommon and most people express high satisfaction with the results. However, you still need to be aware of general risks and side effects that could occur, such as:

• Swelling or bruising
• Temporary numbness
• Hematoma or seroma
• Asymmetry
• Anesthesia-related complications

Cost of Water Assisted Liposuction

The cost of water lipo is a bit higher than the cost of traditional liposuction. This is attributed often to the additional equipment and technologies necessary for the procedure. Above all that, the cost varies significantly between countries, and that includes liposuction cost in Turkey.

In Turkey, for instance, the cost of water lipo doesn’t exceed 3000 US dollars. In the United States, on the other hand, the cost can reach up to 10000 US dollars. The next table shows the cost range of water lipo in different countries:

Water Assisted Liposuction Reviews

Reviews of water assisted liposuction are usually positive, especially in Turkey. Water lipo before and after pictures and videos stand as proof that this procedure can indeed bring good results. Click here to review some of water lipo liposuction before and after images.

The Bottom Line

Water assisted liposuction is gaining increasing attention from people as it promises fat reduction with less trauma. The procedure is gentile, quick, and highly safe, but it’s a bit more expensive than other types of liposuction.

At International Clinics, doctors perform liposuction using different techniques including BodyJet lipo or AquaShape. At our clinics, you will meet the best surgeon for water assisted liposuction. You can reach us directly using the Contact Us buttons below.