How is Lipo done?

Liposuction today, more than ever is being called by many different names. Smart Lipo, Slim Lipo, VASER lipo, laser lipo, water jet lipo, aqua lipo, ultrasound assisted lipo, power assisted lipo. The list goes on. Although there are some differences in the above, there are commonalities to all of them which is described below.

Common to all liposuction surgery is fat removal from the superficial fat layer, that layer between the skin and muscle. In order to do liposuction, very small incisions are first made through the skin in strategic locations. Through these incisions a suction/sculpting instrument called a cannula is used to remove the fat. Although the fat is fairly soft, it is held together by a meshwork of fibrous connective tissue. Using back and forth movements the fat is then suctioned/ sculpted a little at a time by breaking it free from its attachments. The challenge in liposuction is to remove fat as completely as possible while preserving the natural smoothness of the skin, and to blend the area being treated seemlessly into the surrounding areas. Unless a lipo surgeon is very skilled, there can be irregularities such as dimples, lumps, or unevenness.

The differences in liposuction can be divided into two main areas, the anesthesia being used, and ancillary devices being used. Anesthesia is discussed in other sections. The ancillary devices have mostly evolved to help remove fat easier, faster, or more effectively. They include ultrasonic wands to melt fat, laser wands to melt fat, water jets to dislodge fat, and even some external devices to melt fat. The benefits of these devices was initially intended to make the job easier for the surgeon by softening the fat and making it easier to remove. However, over the past few years, the claims by the manufacturers of the VASER and laser devices has been directed towards consumers and has been misleading and confusing. Claims made by companies such as VASER, Smart Lipo, and water jet lipo are that they are gentler and result in less downtime. Although procedures today are gentler, the reality is that doctors using these devices almost exclusively use local anesthetic and smaller suction cannulas which is the reason for the gentler procedure. There are some benefits to using these devices, such as a mild degree of skin tightening, but overall the decision to use them or not is a doctors preference. A safe estimate is that more than half of the doctors performing liposuction do not use a laser or VASER device. Dr. Su has both the Smart Lipo laser and VASER ultrasound in his practice, and has also experienced using the water jet lipo. In his experience, these devices give some benefits, but Dr. Su does not use them in all his cases. The best advice for someone deciding to do liposuction is to place less importance on the device being advertised and more on a doctors sculpting skills.