Liposuction vs LipoDissolve – Comments on the Importance of Patient Selection
The treatment of undesired fat today can be done by either traditional liposuction or the newer fat injection technique known as lipoDissolve. The frequent question then for many patients is….which is best for me? The answer to that question lies in the understanding that liposuction and lipodissolve are different……in how they work, in how well they work, and the time course in which they work. As a result, selecting liposuction vs lipodissolve for each patient is critical if good results are to be achieved.
As a general rule, lipodissolve is good for small fat deposits (usually the size of your hand or a coke can) such as in the neck, back of the arms, side of the waists (flank), small saddlebags, or the inside of the knee. Fat collections this small are generally not worth making a trip to the operating room to treat nor the higher costs to do so, unless you are having other procedures done as well. In this case, a series of three or four lipodissolve sessions, and the swelling that occurs after, is usually worth it. For larger fat collections, or when more than one or two areas of the body are involved, liposuction surgery is far better. Yes the costs are higher and there is an immediate recovery phase after surgery, but so much more fat can be removed that the effort is well worth it.
In short, Lipodissolve is not a substitute or replacement for Liposuction. In select small fat deposits, it may give results close to liposuction. It provides an alternative treatment to liposuction in medium-sized fat deposits that are limited to one area if one is willing to accept less of a result than that achieved by liposuction. The critical issue in these cases is the issue of value….are you getting a good return on your investment. That is best decided by a thorough discussion with your plastic surgeon to weigh out the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
Liposdissolve has one other use that is usually better than liposuction….in the treatment of post-liposuction irregularities. “Spot’ reductions can be done by precise placement of lipodissolve injections. This can avoid the costs of another trip to the operating room for a minor touch-up.
Dr Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana