FAQ about AquaShape^®
and WAL

AquaShape^® stands for comprehensive body contouring using the water-jet method. The body’s own fat is removed from areas where it is not desired (e.g. the abdomen) and inserted into areas of the body where more volume is desired (e.g. the breasts). AquaShape^® uses the body’s own fat in two steps: In the first step, the fat is suctioned from areas where it is not desired (e.g. thighs, stomach, hips). In the second step, immediately following step 1, the fat is injected where a larger volume is desired. AquaShape^® impresses with its synergetic effect and is particularly suitable for those who are dissatisfied with their fat distribution pattern of “little breast, but lots of hips/belly/thighs”. AquaShape^® makes it possible to balance the different body areas gently and naturally.

Unlike conventional liposuction procedures, water-jet assisted liposuction uses a fine fan-shaped jet of water to remove the fat cells from the surrounding tissue as gently as possible. In direct comparison to the so-called “tumescent technique”, around 70 % less tumescent solution (anesthetic solution consisting of saline and adrenaline) is pre-infiltrated. This has the advantage that the patient is not “blown up” with a large amount of fluid and therefore the body contouring is not distorted. The water-jet gently removes the fat cells from the tissue so that the suctioned fat cells remain largely intact and viable. The fat extracted using the water-jet method is ideal for transferring to other parts of the body.

If the suctioned fat is to be used for an autologous fat transfer, the fat tissue to be re-injected must be as viable and intact as possible. This is because only healthy fat cells grow onto the exiting tissue, destroyed ones are broken down by the body. In order to remove the body’s own fragile fat cells from the fatty tissue as gently as possible, the innovative water-jet assisted liposuction procedure uses the gentle power of water. Using a fine fan-shaped jet of water, the pressure of which can be adapted to the different connective tissue structures, it is possible to remove fat cells in a targeted manner. The surrounding connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves are spared in the process.

The amount required depends on which parts of the body are to be filled with the patient’s own fat and to what extent. Depending on the original size, between 150 ml and 300 ml per side is required for a natural breast augmentation. In the face, 20 ml to 50 ml of fat is often enough to increase volume in the cheekbones or eye sockets. If you want to rejuvenate the backs of your hands, between 30 ml and 50 ml per hand are usually required.

The fat injected from small, thin cannulas and distributed as widely as possible is surrounded and supplied by blood vessels so that it can survive and grow onto the existing tissue. Approximately 76% (± 11%) of the fat cells survive, so that the result of the first few weeks diminishes slightly when the cells that did not survive are broken down again by the body. The final result is visible after approximately 3 months.

The retention rate of the transferred fat tissue is up to 87%.

In principle, once fat has accumulated, it cannot simply disappear again. The results therefore last a lifetime. However, the transferred fat is subject to the body’s natural fluctuations, to which the other fat cells are also subject. In the event of significant weight loss or the natural ageing process, you will also lose transferred fat – whether in the face or breast.

Fat can be suctioned from almost any part of the body – preferably wherever there is enough fat. The most commonly treated areas are the abdomen, hips, thighs, knees, arms, and double chin. As water-jet assisted liposuction is a very gentle procedure with a short downtime, patients often opt for treatment of several “problem areas” in one procedure.

First of all, fat is a substance produced naturally in the body, so there is no need to worry about the body reacting against it. Furthermore, the body’s own fat is the most natural filler that can be used for aesthetic purposes. No allergic reactions have been reported to date – provided that the basic principles of fat transfer have been observed. After all, the body’s own fat, once it has grown into the recipient region, lasts a lifetime.

AquaShape^® is suitable for you if you are considering liposuction and/or autologous fat transfer.

This depends on various factors, including the amount of fat tissue removed and the patient’s individual physical condition (constitution). Water-jet assisted liposuction enables particularly gentle liposuction. Many treated patients report that they feel completely fine again after just a few days. However, you should refrain from heavy manual work for a while. For specific information, please ask your attending physician.

When a physician performs liposuction or fat transfer, complications are very rare. After liposuction, bruising, slight pain similar to sore muscles and, very rarely, infections can occur. In very rare cases, small oil cysts or calcium deposits can occur during fat transfer, for example in the breast. However, if basic principles are observed, these can be largely avoided. For more detailed information, please contact your attending physician or a physician in your area.

There are no further changes after about 3 months. A definitive assessment of the result is therefore possible.

As a rule of thumb, you can expect the operation to take around 60-90 minutes, depending on the amount of fat removed, the treatment itself, and the nature of the fatty tissue. For more detailed information, please contact a physician in your area.

For more detailed information on the risks of the procedure, please contact a physician in your area.

The procedure has now been used for over 100 years and no significant negative effects on the development of carcinoma are known to date. At present, one in ten women can expect to develop breast cancer in the course of her life. It develops in the glandular body, outside the subcutaneous fatty tissue. It is therefore recommended to inject fat exclusively into the subcutaneous fatty tissue and the pecularis muscle, NOT into the mammary gland.

If you wish and the physician treating you offers you this, you can avoid an operation with general/ full anesthesia for treatment with AquaShape^®. Depending on the patient’s physical condition, local anesthesia with additional sedation may be sufficient.

You are probably wondering how much you can expect to pay for water-jet assisted liposuction or lipofilling. There is no general answer to this because the costs always depend on your individual wishes and the treatment in question. For a personal consultation and an estimate of the expected treatment costs, please contact a specialized physician.

You can tackle unwanted and stubborn fat deposits with gentle water-jet assisted liposuction. Thanks to the fine fan-shaped water-jet, the pressure of which can be adapted to the different connective tissue structures, it is possible to selectively remove fat cells. Blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue are spared in the process.

Treatment with water-jet assisted liposuction and the direct transfer of viable fat cells into the breast is ideal for you if you are looking for a natural and moderate breast augmentation and do not want implants. You should bear in mind that a volume gain of approximately ½ cup size can be achieved per procedure. The method is particularly suitable for women who are dissatisfied with their congenital pattern of “little breast and lots of bottom/thighs”. The excess in other areas can be redistributed into the breasts for example.

If you already have implants and have developed painful capsular fibrosis or your implants have slipped or have become damaged, treatment with AquaShape^® is a sensible way of compensating for lost volume. Or if you simply no longer want implants.