Comprehensive Body Liposuction Surgery

Fat and Body Contouring in Busan, Korea

Medically reviewed by Dr. Kim Ki-tae, MD — Board-Certified Specialist in Plastic Surgery, Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons; Director and founder, TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic, Haeundae-gu, Busan

Fat and body contouring in Busan aims to improve the shape and proportion of specific body areas by addressing localized fat and, when appropriate, skin laxity. Treatment may involve surgical or energy-based approaches, and at TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic in Haeundae-gu both routes are kept open rather than reduced to one. The decision that runs through this whole specialty is a simple one to state and a hard one to answer: is your concern the fat, the skin, or both.

What Is Fat and Body Contouring?

Fat and body contouring is a group of procedures that reshape a defined body area by removing or redistributing localized fat and, where the skin will not retract on its own, tightening or excising the skin that is left behind.

• It targets localized fullness and body proportion rather than total body weight.

• It is not a weight-loss treatment, and patients seeking major weight reduction are not the intended group.

• The approach may be surgical, energy-based, or a combination of the two.

• Treatment selection depends on fat distribution, skin laxity, treatment goals, and how much downtime the patient can accept.

• Results vary according to the technique, anatomy, skin quality, and individual healing.

Patients ask for it for a narrow set of reasons. The Foundation records those reasons as improving localized fullness, improving body proportions, and improving overall contour — without necessarily pursuing major weight loss. That last clause is the important one for a US patient planning travel, because it sets the boundary of what the specialty is for.

The clinic's own framing of the specialty is unusually explicit about a distinction that is often blurred in body-contouring marketing. Fat reduction alone does not tighten skin. That is why the clinic pairs liposuction with Renuvion and keeps Body Lifting as a separate surgical route — the choice between energy-based tightening and surgical excision is the specialty's central decision. Independent patient information from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons makes the same point about liposuction, describing it as a contouring procedure rather than a treatment for obesity (ASPS).

The clinic's stated approach is to assess skin condition and the underlying tissue structure together, because the two determine what any single treatment can realistically achieve. On a body-contouring page that sentence has a concrete meaning: the same volume of fat removed from two patients with different skin quality produces two different results.

TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic describes itself as a complex aesthetic surgery space, in which surgery is connected to non-surgical treatment and to advanced lasers, and stem cell and anti-ageing care are practised alongside them rather than kept apart. For body contouring, that arrangement has one practical consequence worth knowing before you enquire. An operating room and a device room are reached through the same consultation. A patient who arrives asking for an operation can be told a device is the better answer for their skin, and a patient who arrives asking for a device can be told the opposite.

Who Performs Fat and Body Contouring at TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic

**Dr. Kim Ki-tae
**Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

Every procedure in this specialty is performed by Dr. Kim Ki-tae, the clinic's founder and sole doctor. Liposuction and body contouring, fat grafting, and Renuvion tightening are all named among his documented core specializations, which places three of this specialty's five services inside his stated area of concentration.

Dr. Kim Ki-tae holds the Board-Certified Specialist designation in Plastic Surgery issued by the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. He graduated from Inje University College of Medicine and trained as a Clinical Fellow in the Department of Plastic Surgery at Pusan National University from March 2003 to February 2004. He founded TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic in 2005 and has practised there ever since.

He chairs the Academic Committee of the Laser Plastic Surgery Research Group at the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, sits on that society's Academic Committee, serves on the Legislation Committee of the Korean Association of Plastic Surgeons, and is General Affairs Director of the Busan Medical Association. He is a full member of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, an international member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and a full member of the International Confederation for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery.

His published position on how any of this should begin is short: "In aesthetic medicine, the process of diagnosis is very important." In a specialty where the same complaint — loose skin after weight loss — can point to a device, an operation, or both, that is not a platitude but a description of the workflow.

TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic is a single-doctor clinic, so the surgeon who assesses you is the surgeon who treats you. His full profile is on the doctor page.

Fat and Body Contouring Options and Types Available

The clinic lists five services inside this specialty. They are not interchangeable, and the table below is the shortest honest summary of what separates them.

Service	What it addresses	Route	Page
Fat Grafting & Anti-Aging	Facial volume loss, using the patient's own fat	Surgical	Fat Grafting & Anti-Aging
ELSA Ultrasound Fat Reduction	Localized fat, including small facial volumes	Ultrasound, non-incisional	ELSA Ultrasound Fat Reduction
Liposuction – Face & Body	Localized subcutaneous fat across face and body zones	Surgical	Liposuction – Face & Body
Body Lifting	Excess hanging skin and underlying fat	Surgical excision	Body Lifting
Renuvion Tightening	Skin laxity, including after fat reduction	Energy-based, micro-incision	Renuvion Tightening

Two facts about how that list is arranged are worth stating plainly. The clinic's material states Renuvion is used in conjunction with liposuction, pairing fat removal with tightening of the skin left behind. And the confirmed service list records that Body Lifting is kept separate from Renuvion, so the clinic maintains both a surgical and an energy-based route to loose skin rather than collapsing them into one offer.

Renuvion and ONDA are the advanced energy-based technologies the Foundation names for body contouring at this clinic, with treatment selected according to the patient's specific needs. Other laser and energy-based devices may also be used as part of a customized treatment plan.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Fat and Body Contouring?

You may be a candidate if

• You are an adult with localized fat or a contour concern in a defined area.

• You have realistic expectations about what a contouring procedure can change.

• You are medically appropriate for the treatment being considered.

• You have localized fat that has not responded to diet and exercise.

• You have volume loss that requires restoration rather than reduction.

• You have skin that has not retracted after weight loss or after fat reduction.

• You have poor body contour that has persisted despite weight loss.

• You have skin laxity that does not improve with exercise.

You may need to avoid or postpone treatment if

• You are pregnant or breastfeeding.

• You have an uncontrolled medical condition that could increase the risks of the procedure or anesthesia.

• You have an active infection or significant inflammation in the treatment area.

• You have a condition that may interfere with healing.

• You hold expectations about the result that the procedure cannot meet, in which case further counseling may be needed first.

Which body-contouring procedure is involved, your overall health, the treatment area and your goals all bear on suitability. The doctor decides after examining you.

What to Expect: Procedure, Recovery, and Results Timeline

Assessment considers the patient's tissue structure, skin condition, aesthetic goals, and recovery needs before a personalized plan is created. The treatment area is then assessed and the appropriate contouring approach is selected. Depending on the technique, treatment may use surgery, energy-based technology, or a combination of approaches.

Anesthesia and pain control across this specialty is typically performed under local anesthesia with sedation, or general anesthesia depending on the extent of surgery. The exact approach is confirmed with the patient at consultation based on individual comfort and medical history.

Preparation follows a standard pattern. Blood-thinning medication and supplements are stopped one to two weeks beforehand. Smoking and alcohol are avoided. Patients fast before anesthesia. Routine pre-operative blood tests are completed. Anyone managing a chronic condition, or taking regular medication, should say so at consultation so that the plan can be adapted.

Stage	What the clinic documents
Procedure	Typically one to three hours, depending on complexity
First few days	Swelling and bruising around the body are most visible
One to two weeks	Swelling and bruising settle gradually
One week to ten days	Most patients are back to light daily activity
Two to three weeks	A visible change is usually apparent as most swelling resolves
Around three months	The final result is typically seen once residual swelling has resolved
Stay in Korea	Roughly one to two weeks is generally advised for international patients

Aftercare involves keeping the area clean and protected as advised, avoiding strenuous exercise, heavy lifting, alcohol and smoking for two to four weeks, sleeping with the head elevated where relevant, and attending each scheduled follow-up check. Every patient receives written aftercare guidance setting out the day-by-day timeline.

Typical practice is one in-person follow-up before departing Korea, with further check-ins available remotely. The clinic confirms the exact schedule for each case at consultation. Individual healing pace varies with skin type, tissue characteristics and general health, and is reviewed at follow-up.

On longevity, the Foundation is measured. Visible contour changes may develop progressively as swelling resolves and treated tissues heal. Longevity varies by technique and lifestyle, and maintaining a stable weight can help preserve body-contouring results.

Combining Fat and Body Contouring with Other Treatments

The clinic's treatment philosophy includes combining surgical procedures with advanced laser and energy-based treatments when appropriate. Whether a combination is safe in your case depends on your anatomy and on the total surgical burden, and is decided with the doctor at consultation.

• Liposuction – Face & Body with Renuvion Tightening — the pairing the clinic documents explicitly, removing fat and addressing the skin over it.

• Liposuction – Face & Body with Fat Grafting & Anti-Aging — fat removed from one area, purified, and used to restore facial volume.

• ELSA Ultrasound Fat Reduction alongside the clinic's other energy-based devices for a non-surgical plan.

• Body Lifting with liposuction where both excess skin and localized fat are present.

Safety, Precision, and Clinic Standards

The clinic has operated at the same address in Haeundae, Busan since 2005. TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic is a Registered Medical Institution for Attracting Foreign Patients, certified by the Ministry of Health and Welfare under the Medical Overseas Expansion and Foreign Patients Attraction Act. Dr. Kim Ki-tae is the clinic's only doctor and personally performs every case.

The clinic's stated method of reducing risk in this specialty is 1:1 personalized treatment planning that considers skin condition, tissue structure, aesthetic goals and recovery needs. It also states that it combines plastic-surgery expertise with advanced energy-based technologies where appropriate. Treatment selection is made against the specific concern rather than by applying a single technology to every patient.

Dr. Kim Ki-tae's published advice to patients weighing a device treatment states the same caution in his own words: "Even if a treatment is safe and simple, patients differ in skin condition, fat layer thickness, age and how far ageing has progressed — so to get a satisfying result you should have a full consultation with an experienced plastic surgery specialist before being treated." Fat layer thickness is named in that sentence, which is the variable this specialty is built around.

General risks of body-contouring surgery are documented and should be read before travelling. They can include bleeding, infection, fluid accumulation, asymmetry, contour irregularity, changes in sensation, delayed healing, scarring, skin injury, and the possibility of needing additional correction. Liposuction and body-lifting surgery also carry procedure-specific surgical and anesthesia risks. These should be discussed individually with the surgeon. The NHS publishes comparable risk information for patients considering cosmetic procedures abroad (NHS).

TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic publishes neither case volumes nor complication rates for this procedure, and this page claims neither. The clinic reports approximately 240 surgical procedures and approximately 3,600 non-surgical treatments a year; these are clinic-wide totals across everything it offers, not figures for this procedure. The clinic has not published an approved-claims list for this procedure and this market, so this page states no efficacy or outcome claim beyond what the clinic itself documents.

The clinic has not published a price or a price range for this procedure, so none is stated here, and cost is confirmed at consultation.

The Bottom Line

• Fat and body contouring at this clinic treats fat and skin as two separate problems, and the plan says which one is being addressed.

• Five services sit inside the specialty, split between surgical and energy-based routes.

• Renuvion is documented as used in conjunction with liposuction; Body Lifting is deliberately kept as a separate surgical option.

• Dr. Kim Ki-tae is the sole doctor, and liposuction, body contouring, fat grafting and Renuvion are named core specializations.

• Recovery is measured in weeks for the surgical routes, with the final result typically assessed at around three months.

FAQ

Is body contouring the same as weight loss?

No. Body contouring reshapes defined areas by treating localized fat and, where relevant, loose skin. Patients seeking extreme overall weight loss are recorded as unsuitable candidates for these procedures. The Foundation states plainly that liposuction can reshape selected areas but is not a general weight-loss treatment.

Will my skin be loose after fat removal?

It depends on your skin quality, and it is the reason this specialty exists in the form it does. Fat reduction alone does not tighten skin. Where the clinic expects the skin not to retract adequately, it documents Renuvion used in conjunction with liposuction, and it keeps surgical Body Lifting available for more substantial excess skin.

How long will I need to be in Korea?

International patients are generally advised to plan roughly one to two weeks in Korea, to allow for initial healing and a follow-up check. Typical practice is one in-person follow-up before departure, with further check-ins available remotely. The clinic confirms the exact schedule at consultation, and the answer differs between a device treatment and an operation.

When can I fly home?

Flying is usually possible after a week to ten days. The condition is not the calendar but the check: early swelling and bruising must be on the way down, and the surgeon must have signed the patient off at a post-operative visit. Long-haul flight timing should be confirmed with the treating doctor for the individual case. Non-surgical treatments in this specialty allow a shorter stay.

Is it painful?

Discomfort depends on which procedure is selected. Nonsurgical ultrasonic treatment is generally designed to avoid the discomfort associated with surgery. Liposuction and body lifting involve procedural discomfort and postoperative soreness, managed with anesthesia during treatment and standard pain medication afterward.

What side effects are common?

Depending on the treatment, patients may experience temporary swelling, bruising, tenderness, soreness, numbness or altered sensation, tightness, and temporary contour irregularity. Surgical procedures can additionally involve incision-related symptoms and scars. The severity and duration vary between patients.

What cannot be promised?

No clinic can promise an exact body shape, an exact amount of fat removal, perfectly symmetrical contours, scar-free healing, or a specific aesthetic outcome. Future weight-related changes are also outside the procedure's control. Results vary because of individual anatomy, skin elasticity, healing response, and how closely postoperative instructions are followed.

Can a consultation happen before I travel?

Yes, online consultation is available, and English-speaking support is offered. For an international assessment, standardized photographs of the treatment area and a relevant medical and treatment history are typically needed, along with prior records for a revision case. The exact list, angles and file requirements are confirmed once the initial assessment begins.

Book a Consultation at TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic

Fat and body contouring is available in Busan at TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic, and the consultation is where the choice between a surgical and an energy-based route is actually made. English-speaking assistance is available for both online and in-person consultations, and consultations are arranged through the clinic's contact page. TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic is at 4th Floor, Gunam Building, 27 Gunam-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea, and opens Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 18:00 and Saturday from 09:00 to 13:00, closed Sundays and public holidays.

Disclaimer

This page is for general informational purposes and does not constitute individualized medical advice. Candidacy, technique, anaesthesia and outcome can only be determined in an in-person consultation with a qualified doctor. Individual results vary.

References

• American Society of Plastic Surgeons — Liposuction

• NHS — Cosmetic surgery abroad