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Liposuction[Lipoplasty] The removal of fat deposits from specific areas of the
body is the most requested cosmetic surgery procedure
today. The liposuction procedure can help sculpt the
body by removing fat from specific areas. Many people
turn to liposuction to improve the look of their body
and to remove fat from areas immune to exercise. While
liposuction should never be a replacement for diet and
exercise, it can rid the body of stubborn fat.
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About the Procedure Over the past several years, liposuction
has seen many improvements. New techniques have been
introduced that have refined the liposuction procedure.
The best candidates for liposuction are
people close to normal weight with relatively firm,
elastic skin, but who are bothered by pockets of excessive
fat. Age is not a factor in liposuction, however, older
patients usually have lost some of the elasticity in
their skin and may not have the same results as a younger
patient.
With traditional liposuction, the surgeon
makes a very small incision in the area of the body
being prepared by liposuction. A narrow tube or cannula
is inserted and the fat layer of skin beneath the skin
is vacuumed away. The cannula tube is moved back and
forth breaking up the fat and suctioning it out of the
area.
A more precise form of liposuction is
Ultrasonic-Assisted Lipoplasty (UAL).
UAL is similar to traditional liposuction in that it
removes fatty tissue from the body through a small incision.
The difference lies in the tube or cannula that is used
for the procedure. UAL lipoplasty uses a special cannula
to produce ultrasonic energy. As the tube or cannula
passes through the fat, the energy produced by the cannula
breaks down and liquefies the fat. Longitudinal vibration
moves the cannula 22,000 times per second and less than
a thousandth of an inch allowing very accurate removal
of the fat cells.
The best candidate for UAL is similar
to the candidate for traditional liposuction. The patient
should only be modestly overweight, have good skin tone,
and have localized fatty deposits. It is extremely useful
in body areas with dense fat like the back, male breasts,
and saddlebags.
Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL)
refers to the advanced method using a power driven system
to perform the surgery. PAL liposuction uses cannulas,
which are similar to the ones used during traditional
liposuction. The difference is that the cannula is connected
to a pressure or electric powered handle that helps
to move the tip of the cannula back and forth. The tip
moves 3,000 to 5,000 movements per minute. This differs
from ultrasonic-assisted liposuction during which the
cannula used vibrates longitudinal 22,000 per second.
Like UAL, PAL allows more precise sculpting
and is particularly useful in areas that have firmer
fat, i.e. breasts, outer thighs, and the back. Recovery
from PAL is similar to UAL.
If the amount of fat being removed is
not too great, local anesthesia is used for the procedure.
Local anesthesia is used to numb the area and is sometimes
combined with a sedative to make the patient drowsy.
The patient is awake through the procedure and feels
no discomfort. However, in the majority of cases, twilight
anesthesia is used.
Bruising and swelling are to be expected
following liposuction. Most patients plan on 4 to 7
days before returning to work. A compression garment
is worn for several weeks under the patient's clothing
to help accelerate recovery.
The scars from liposuction are extremely
small and hidden from view. Infrequently, rippling of
the skin in the treated area may occur.
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