OBJECTIVETo discuss the therapeutic effects and safety of external ultrasound-assisted liposuction and to find out the rules of circumference variation in different body areas after liposuction.

METHODSExternal ultrasound liposuction was performed on 500 patients (595 sites). We recorded the volume of anesthetic drugs and the aspirated pure fat as well as the body contour variations of every area at one to three months postoperatively. The decreased dimension at different body sites after liposuction were compared and analyzed.

RESULTSThe volumes of the anesthetic liquid and the aspirated pure fat were the most in the waist-abdomen and the thigh. After liposuction, the circumstances in different body areas were all decreased to certain degrees. Along with the severity of obesity, changes in the waist-abdomen became more obvious and the decreases of the umbilical circumference, the minimum and the maximum waist circumferences were prone to be less. But when the, minimum waist circumference was over 111 cm, obvious changes occurred in the umbilical. Meanwhile, the upper-middle part of the thigh and the upper arm showed larger variations than the lower part. The ultrasound-assisted liposuction had less blood loss and pain. It resulted in smooth skin without severe complications.

CONCLUSIONSExternal ultrasound-assisted liposuction is a safe, effective and easily acceptable operation for body contour remodeling. The body circumference variation may have its intrinsic rule, which, to some extent, is meaningful for conducting clinical inquiry and forecasting the operation results.