October 7th, 2007

New Trends in Liposuction

Liposuction continues to evolve.  On the one hand, the basic technique of liposuction, using the tumescent technique of fluid injection, now is used in essentially all patients undergoing this procedure.   But there have been recent innovation in technique.  As the procedure has been developed and refined, several variations have been introduced.Fluid Injection, a technique in which a medicated solution is injected into fatty areas before the fat is removed, is now used by basically all plastic surgeons. The fluid — a mixture of salt solution, a local anesthetic and epinephrine (a drug that works to prevent bleeding) — helps the fat be removed more easily, reduces blood loss and provides pain control during and after surgery. Fluid injection also helps to reduce bruising.

Large volumes of fluid — sometimes as much as three times the quantity of fat to be removed — are injected in the tumescent technique.  When liposuction is performed without anesthesia, using just a local anesthetic, generally takes significantly longer than traditional liposuction (sometimes as long as 4 to 5 hours). However, because the injected fluid contains an adequate quantity of anesthetic, additional anesthesia may not be necessary. The name of this technique refers to the swollen and firm or “tumesced” state of the fatty tissues when they are filled with solution.

The super-wet technique is similar to the tumescent technique, except that lesser amounts

of fluid are used as part of this . Usually the quantity of fluid injected is equal to the quantity of fat to be removed. This technique often requires IV sedation or general anesthesia and typically takes one to two hours of surgery time.  This of course depends on the number of areas treated and how much fat is removed.

Ultrasound-Assisted Lipoplasty (UAL). This technique requires the use of a special cannula that produces ultrasonic energy. As it passes thcoarse the areas of fat, the energy explodes the walls of the fat cells, liquefying the fat. The fat is then removed with the traditional Beverly Hills liposuction technique.
We also recently did liposuction using a laser, which is thought to help tighten the skin following the procedure.  The manufacturer was good enough to bring the laser machine to our center so we could attempt it out.  We’ll see if this adds genuine worth to patients, but it does look promising.

We also now do a lipo technique that helps people jump start a more prolonged lifestyle and dieting program.  Patients have been delighted with this approach which provides dramatic body changes.  As a cosmetic surgery Los Angeles specialist, I’ve been gratified that this approach worked to well for them.  Also remember, that in some cases, a Los Angeles tummy tuck will achieve the best results for you.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 7th, 2007 at 9:09 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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