Abdominal etching

Editors-In-Chief: Martin I. Newman, M.D., FACS, Cleveland Clinic Florida, [mailto:Newmanm@ccf.org];Michel C. Samson, M.D., FRCSC, FACS [mailto:samsonm1@ccf.org]

Overview
Abdominal etching is a trademarked and registered plastic surgery procedure invented by plastic surgeon Dr. Henry A. Mentz, III, MD in the early 1990s. Since this invention, there have been dozens of papers published on this specialized type of liposuction. It is an advanced cosmetic procedure that uses a special canula designed to contour and shape the abdominal fat pad to provide the patient a flat stomach or even six-pack abs. Called ab etching or abdominal etching, this procedure selectively removes a small amount of fat around the patient's natural muscular contours and shapes the abdomen to create a more athletic contour.

Prior to the "abdominal etching" plastic surgery procedure, the surgeon should make detailed markings of the ab muscles while the patient stands and flexes. The surgeon will then follow these markings to remove fat and highlight the patient's individual muscular structure. Using abdominal etching, a qualified surgeon can selectively remove a couple of ounces of fat and get the optimal look. Various journal articles indicate that this type of cosmetic surgery procedure is becoming more and more accepted in the areas of modeling, body building, and acting.

New methods have recently been published that can do the same for the chest area. A procedure called "pectoral etching" was published in 2007 by Dr. Mentz. This method outlines the pectoralis major muscle by etching the perimeter. This method can be used to transform a more feminine breast contour into a more masculine slab like pectoral contour.



