The Skinny on Fat Removal – Which Liposuction Technique is Better?
The popularity of Liposuction, since it was introduced in the U.S. in 1981, continues today due to its unparalleled success at removing fat. No other non-surgical fat removal method has yet proven as successful. Over the past 10 years, numerous new methods of liposuction have been introduced, all touting that they are more effective with less recovery than ‘traditional’ liposuction. All of these new liposuction techniques are based on how the fat is actually removed once an instrument (cannula or probe) is inside you, albeit by ultrasonic, power-assisted, or some form of light energy (laser). The question is……..are these newer liposuction techniques better?
The answer, in my opinion, is maybe…the jury is still out on their value. I have used most all of these newer liposuction techniques, and while they have certain advantages in some cases, I can not conclusively say that any of them produce a better result or necessarily a quicker recovery for the patient. There have been no comparative studies that have been published in our peer-reviewed plastic surgery journals that directly compares, in patients, one liposuction method versus the other. From ultrasonic to laser-assisted probe methods, incisions are still required for access, fluid must be in first to control bleeding, the handling or sweeping of the instrument and the plastic surgeon’s skill at removing fat ‘blindly’ is still needed, and evacuation of free fat by suction is required at the end. In short, the methods of loosening fat and removing it still involve trauma to the tissues and a plastic surgeon’s skill to get a good result. I am hopeful that, one day, a less traumatic and more efficient method of surgical fat removal will become clinically useful. Until then, however, I would focus more on the selection of the plastic surgeon, based on experience and comfort with them, than the liposuction technique that he/she focuses on or markets for their practice. The ‘magic’ still remains with the plastic surgeon, not the intruments or devices that they use.
Dr Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana