| The improved safety and effectiveness of liposuction | | | | more subtle and controlled. |
| are largely due to newer and better equipment and | | | | Power-assisted liposuction (PAL) |
| procedures. It is true of any medical procedure that the | | | | An electrical-powered cannula was developed to |
| better the technology is, the safer and more efficient | | | | refine cannula movement. A PAL procedure does not |
| that procedure becomes for the patient and doctor. Of | | | | inject much fluid, so this was a limited improvement. |
| course the cosmetic surgeon’s skill is another | | | | Ultrasound-assisted liposuction |
| factor in safety and effectiveness, and you would | | | | A specialized cannula was developed which transmits |
| always want to choose a fully qualified and | | | | ultrasound vibrations. This makes any manual |
| experienced plastic surgeon who is certified by the | | | | movement unnecessary and reduces blood loss |
| American Board of Plastic Surgery. | | | | somewhat. It works well on fibrous areas like the male |
| The types of liposuction currently being performed are: | | | | breast or the upper back. This cannula can be used in |
| • Ultrasonic-assisted | | | | tumescent liposuction. |
| • Power-assisted | | | | External ultrasound-assisted liposuction (XUAL) |
| • Tumescent | | | | In this method, the ultrasound is applied not through the |
| • Super-wet | | | | cannula, but from a handpiece held against a special |
| • SmartLipo | | | | gel on the patient’s skin. It can help with one risk of |
| • Microcannula liposuction | | | | UAL, namely the formation of seromas (pockets of |
| • External ultrasound-assisted liposuction (XUAL) | | | | fluid build-up which show as bumps on the patient’s |
| Originally, liposuction was done without any fluid | | | | skin). It’s the cosmetic surgeon’s judgment as to |
| injected. This was traumatic for the patient, difficult for | | | | how much vibration to apply so its effectiveness is to |
| the doctor, and required substantial recovery time. As | | | | some extent operator-dependent. |
| the years have gone by, fluid injection has gained | | | | Microcannula liposuction |
| more importance, with the amounts of fluid increasing | | | | By using a more narrow cannula, incisions are smaller |
| in Wet Liposuction, then Super-Wet Liposuction, and | | | | and fat can be removed from smaller areas than |
| then Tumescent Liposuction. | | | | were first treated, such as the jawline. |
| The fluid used is a saline solution (to match the salt | | | | Using a laser |
| content of natural body fluids), with two things added: | | | | SmartLipo™ is the name of a procedure which uses |
| • Lidocaine – as a local anesthetic | | | | a laser to liquefy the fat. Lasers have been introduced |
| • Epinephrine – to close off any blood vessels | | | | to more and more medical and dental procedures |
| that might be damaged by the cannula | | | | because they are fast, precise, and safe. In SmartLipo, |
| Why is fluid injected? | | | | the laser directly dissolves the fat and can seal off |
| Mixed with fluid, the fat suctions out more quickly and | | | | any leaking blood vessels as it works, which reduces |
| smoothly. There has always been the question of: | | | | risk of infection. It is used with tumescent liposuction. |
| How much fluid? In tumescent liposuction, a larger | | | | Other lasers such as the CoolLipo and ProLipo lasers |
| amount is injected, as much as three or four times the | | | | use different wave lengths to work on fat |
| amount of fat to be removed. All this fluid expands the | | | | emulsification by heating the water inside the fat cells, |
| area, creating more space for the cannula | | | | which breaks the cell membrane. |
| movements. | | | | The best cosmetic surgeons keep up with new |
| Cannula movement | | | | technology through their professional memberships and |
| The cannula is used to break up the fat cells. Breaking | | | | various advanced-level seminars. But newest |
| their surfaces emulsifies (liquefies) the fat, again making | | | | doesn’t always mean best, so if you’re |
| it easier to remove. In the early days, the cosmetic | | | | considering liposuction for yourself, ask your potential |
| surgeon broke up fat cells by vigorously moving the | | | | cosmetic surgeon what he thinks of each liposuction |
| cannula back and forth by hand. To reduce the risk of | | | | variation, and choose one who has tested them and |
| broken blood vessels or perforated body organs, | | | | come to his own experience-based conclusions. |
| methods were sought to make cannula movement | | | | |