Tumescent Liposuction & VASER Lipo Technology
Tumescent liposuction is highly developed and readily available in Thailand. It's the most popular invasive plastic surgery procedure in the world. Bangkok also offers both VASER liposelection & VASER liposuction
Liposuction is not a treatment for obesity. It is popular because fat removed by liposuction never comes back. Tumescent liposuction uses incisions so small they require no stitches and is the safest form of liposuction. It tends to get the best cosmetic results, require the least recovery time and be the least painful form of liposuction procedure but the surgical skill and experience of the doctor is still the most important factor and many plastic surgeons claim VASER Lipo can be better for some patients.
Tumescent liposuction costs we quote are always package prices and include the surgical fee, the facility fee, anesthesia fee and hospital stay. We always recommend surgeons who perform the liposuction in a large, ISO-certified hospital. The professional opinion of some Thai doctors is that it's better for the patient to be under general anesthesia and the price includes it. Others prefer local anesthesia or IV sedation and charge more if you want to be under general anesthesia while the tumescent liposuction is being done.
Fat is more difficult to remove in men than women because the fat is more fibrous. Men are also generally larger than women. In the USA, men must often pay US$1,000 more than women for tumescent liposuction. In Bangkok, men are NOT charged more than women for liposuction even though it takes longer.
In Bangkok, liposuction costs US$1,200 per the first spot or area and includes the cost of general anesthesia and one night stay in hospital. That means liposuction costs about US$800 LESS than the tumescent liposuction under local anesthesia for women in the USA for just the first area and the savings increase for each additional point.
Even when multiple sites are done and a lot of fat removed, there is so little bleeding during and after tumescent liposuction that it will probably be less than the amount of blood taken for tests during your pre-op consultation with the doctor.
In Thailand, liposuction for men costs US$1,800 less than the USA for only the first area under local anesthesia so even with airfare and the cost of staying at a resort (US$45/day) added, liposuction in Bangkok costs less and you can also have a great holiday in one of the world's premier tourist destinations with legendary nightlife.
Thai plastic surgeons are well-aware of so-called “laser liposuction”, laser-assisted “smart liposuction” (SmartLipo) and VASER Hi-Def LipoSculpture and other VASER LipoSelection procedures invented by Dr. Alfredo Hoyos. But some doctors argue they are not convinced these newer procedures are better.
VASER ultrasonic liposuction and laser liposuction do NOT use smaller incisions. However, VASER Hi-Def is a specific type of liposuction procedure used more to sculpt the body rather than to just remove unwanted fat. It was developed for generally healthy, fit men and women who desire a more sculpted, athletic appearance.
VASER (Vibration Amplification of Sound Energy at Resonance) is a third-generation, internal ultrasound-assisted liposuction device that emulsifies fat cells while preserving important tissues like nerves, blood vessels and collagen. Vaser Lipo costs Thai Baht 30,000/point with no pairing [e.g.: outer thigh = two points] (about US$906), including any medicines. For four points or more, the procedure can take 3-4 hours and the price includes one night stay in hospital and all medicines. The technology has been around more than eight years.
Although some Thai plastic surgeons still insist VASER is not significantly better than tumescent liposuction and has no clear advantage over "abdominal etching” pioneered by Dr de Souza Pinto, Almost all American plastic surgeons who have used VASER technology report that “in the hands of skilled physicians” it gets superior results over traditional liposuction with:
- skin tightening;
- increased precision;
- faster patient recovery;
- smooth, predictable results;
- fewer repeat treatments needed;
- less pain medication needed; and
- minimal bruising.
A number of Thai plastic surgeons contend that swelling, bruising or pain varies according to the patient's anatomy and metabolism as well as the skill and experience of the surgeon, not whether tumescent liposuction, VASER liposuction, laser liposuction or “smart liposuction” is used.
“High definition liposuction” is not an American procedure, it's from South America. Basically, it's simply more detailed strategic removal of fat deposits on lean persons with some help from an ultrasound machine so sometimes also called “ultrasonic liposuction”.
A plastic surgeon highly experienced with tumescent liposuction can do similar male abdominal liposuction body sculpting. And a big advantage of tumescent liposuction is that is does not require a patient to be within 10-15 pounds of ideal weight, workout frequently, and have no more than 3% body fat as required by some American doctors offering VASER.
Some American plastic surgeons like to give patients the impression their form of tumescent liposuction is more gentle, lower risk and they have more control resulting in more accuracy because they use special “specifically designed micro cannulas” 2.5-3.1 mm in diameter. Thai plastic surgeons routinely use smaller cannulas starting at 2 mm diameter. Some even use what American surgeons might call “supermicro cannulas” just 1 mm in diameter for tumescent liposuction of certain body areas.
If their 2½ mm cannula gets better and smoother results because it's so small then you would expect Thai plastic surgeons with cannulas half that size to achieve significantly better results. However, cannula diameter is chosen based on what is best for the work to be done and not on the simplistic reasoning that smaller is always better.
Thai plastic surgeons who offer tumescent liposuction under general anesthesia in an ISO-certified international hospital with one night stay and nursing care for US$1,200 per site do not reduce the price for subsequent sites done during the same session. Every site costs the same but there are no hidden costs.
If you want to know the exact liposuction costs for your case, send as email attachments digital photos of the relevant part of your anatomy from front, back and both sides. No need to crop, re-size or do anything to the photos. Send them to us exactly as they come out of the camera and we will prepare them for the surgeon's optimum viewing. But make sure they are in focus and don't get the camera too close. Flash photos from about 100-150 cm (3.5-5 feet) away tend to come out best and make sure no glass or mirrors are included in the image. Then you'll know how many areas or "points" of liposuction the surgeon considers you to have and the total fee — no surprises.
Gynecomastia or pseudogynecomastia is male breast enlargement due to fat accumulation and is common among elderly men if they've gained weight. Liposuction for male breast reduction, is often quoted at a specific price. In the USA, gynecomastia for an average size male is about US$3,000 and more for big men. In Bangkok, it's only US$1,200 and includes one night stay in a large hospital and all related costs. Price quotations never include the cost of any unforeseen complications and usually exclude the cost of medicines such as pain killers and antibiotics which are prescribed as needed so cannot be predicted accurately. Medicines in Thailand are inexpensive but budget US$50-100± for them.
Gynecomastia in some large male breasts requires a mastectomy for removal of actual breast tissue, not liposuction. The cause of the male breast enlargement determines the most appropriate procedure. If a mastectomy is required, it is quoted at US$2,200, the same price for a female mastectomy, but may be reduced depending on amount of breast tissue to be removed. The package price includes 1-2 nights hospital stay as required, food, and nursing care.
Other surgeons who do a lot of plastic surgery for members of the Thai entertainment industry quote their fee in Thai Baht (฿). Their fee for liposuction or surgical solution for gynecomastia is Baht 30,000 per breast. Abnormal enlargement can occur in one breast. For both breasts it costs ฿60,000, approximately US$1,820± — still substantially less than in the USA.
Chin liposuction is also quoted at a specific price. Performed by a licensed and board certified plastic surgeon at a large hospital it costs US$500.
