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What Is Laser Liposuction

Much has been made of laser liposuction since its introduction to the plastic surgery market. While it will not replace traditional liposuction methods for large scale treatments, laser lipo nicely complements other liposuction procedures and offers patients the option of liposuction surgery to small areas that would otherwise go untreated. The demand for facial liposuction procedures, for example, has exploded since the development of laser techniques for the purpose of liposuction. While the basic concept and process of removing fat cells from the body by suctioning remains unchanged, the method and techniques employed have changed drastically for better. Using a laser allows the surgeon to produce more detail-oriented results and offers faster recovery time for the patient.

Laser Liposuction

Traditional liposuction uses a suction tube known as a cannula to remove fat from a particular area of the body. While most traditional methods today use a fluid injection to soften the fat cells so they can be broken up more easily, it still eventually involves physical force to truly break up the fat cells to be suctioned from the body. This often causes a lot of problems as a result of the damage and trauma inflicted upon the connective tissue, blood vessels, and other tissue in the treated area.

Laser liposuction is a much gentler technique where a fiber is used to direct the laser energy. The heat generated from the laser literally melts fat cells allowing the fiber to easily cut through the area with the precision of a tiny fiber. The liquefied fat is then removed through a suction tube, or cannula, that is almost a quarter the size in width of the tool used in traditional liposuction. The smaller equipment means a smaller incision is required with inherently offers many advantages.

Laser Lipo Advantages

The reason laser lipo is so effective lies in the accuracy and precision in targeting fat cells. This allows surgeons to perform a major procedure on a patient and follow up with laser liposuction for the sculpting and detailing of the treated area. The increased precision of laser liposuction means less risk of damaging neighboring tissue especially connective tissue and blood vessels which are notoriously prone to damage during surgery.

Laser Liposuction Risks

Many of the serious risks associated with liposuction are in association with the amount of traumatic force used to break up fat cells. Injury to internal organs is a possibility that can cause all sorts of problems for the patient. Other surgical risks are typical of any plastic surgery procedure include the risk of excessive blood loss, swelling, scarring, bruising, and infection. Removing too much fat from one area can cause skin irregularities while leaked fluids that have not been properly drained from the treated area can cause hematomas or seromas which are visible color spots under the skin.

Laser liposuction does a good job of dealing with these risks in a number of ways. The smaller incision area means no stitches are required and lowers the risk of infection or scarring. Swelling is often the result of fluid buildup and since the laser technique causes little bleeding, the chances or excessive swelling is reduced. There is a rare possibility of burning the skin by the laser if the heat in left in one area for too long. But since laser liposuction removes fat on a small scale, there is very little chance of accidentally removing too much fat causing skin irregularities.

Laser Lipo Recovery

Most complications that arise after the surgery are the result of inadequate ‘clean-up’ procedures after the surgery. The treated area must be drained properly to avoid the pooling of blood under the skin which can cause discoloration that can last for months. In typical cases, a liposuction patient will require one or two weeks of rest for the body to fully recover from the surgery. Laser liposuction patients usually undergo smaller procedures in addition to the better precision of targeting fat cells and leaving neighboring tissue relatively unharmed. This bodes well for shorter recovery time. Most laser liposuction patients are free to return to work and normal daily activities after just one day of rest.

Laser Liposuction Prices

The cost of any cosmetic surgery procedure include the many fees that make up the final bill. The price of liposuction will always include a surgeon fee, anesthesia fee, and facility or hospital fee in addition to any overhead which might be itemized under one of the three previously named fees or listed as additional fees themselves. There are differences between laser lipo prices and traditional liposuction prices in just about every aspect of the surgery. The surgeon fee will be different because it requires more time to remove the same amount of fat since laser fat removal is a relatively slow method of fat reduction. Since most procedures are smaller in scale, most laser liposuction patients will require only local anesthesia which means a cost saving in dosage. Since the equipment is relatively new to most clinics, the cost will have to be recovered by billing patients for using the equipment.

Overall, most laser liposuction patients are very happy with their results. The reduction in fat and newly sculpted figures are permanent baring the patient maintains a safe and healthy lifestyle. This just means that there is an incredible value in paying some thousands upfront to look and feel great for many many years to come.

Benefits of Laser Liposuction

There is a reason why laser liposuction has increased the popularity of liposuction procedures. Some of the benefits of laser liposuction are directly related to improvements from traditional liposuction methods while others are credited to the laser technique itself. The most common risks of liposuction are greatly reduced with the introduction of laser lipo. Using the laser technique also brings about the potential for positive side effects. The scale of the surgery is typically smaller than procedures using traditional methods. This affects the cost since smaller procedures generally cost less overall. But the exact amounts depend on many factors and laser assisted liposuction requires specialized equipment that are added costs to the clinic which will inevitably be passed to the patient. There are many comparisons to be made but the most important things are those that directly affect the patient and the outcome. This includes the risks, costs, and recovery differences between laser lipo and traditional liposuction surgeries.

Laser Lipo Risks and Side Effects

The risk of any plastic surgery procedure includes bleeding, bruising, scarring and infection. Traditional liposuction patients are particularly prone to some of these risks since the use of force to break fat cells causes quite a bit of trauma to the surrounding tissue. Damaged blood vessels cause excessive bleeding to a point where blood transfusions are the norm. Laser liposuction minimizes most of these risks because the technique of using a laser to melt the fat is much more precise than the force used to break fat cells. There is much less blood loss and in cases where small amounts are leaked from damaged capillaries, trace amounts of blood will evaporate from the heat generated by the laser. This leaves the treated area more dry which greatly improves the recovery experience for the patient.

A positive side effect of laser liposuction is the tightening of the skin. This is caused by the laser because the heat generated by the laser causes the collagen in the skin to contract. For facial liposuction patients, this is a great replacement to a facelift. This is most effective for those who have the elasticity in their skin and is not confined to just the face. The result of the laser is part of a strategy to reducing cellulite by laser lipo surgery. it is also used in breast lift procedures sometimes referred to as breast reduction liposuction whereby the removal of fat tissue causes a reduction in breast size.

Laser Lipo Recovery

A great benefit laser lipo patients enjoy is the reduced recovery time required. Since the trauma to surrounding tissue is reduced and the scale of the surgery overall is smaller, there is less to recover from. The small incision areas reduce the risk of infection and the reduced bleeding means less chances of problems arising after the surgery. The most common cause of problems during recovery is the inadequate drainage of the treated area. Leaked fluids such as blood can pool and cause temporary but unsightly color spots or even swelling that can take months before they go away.

Laser Liposuction Cost

The cost of laser liposuction is affected by the same factors as most plastic surgery procedures. Aside from the surgeon costs which should be about the same regardless of whether traditional or laser lipo is being performed, the anesthesia and facility cost will be vastly different from traditional lipo methods. Since most patients will not require general anesthesia and do not have to be fully sedated, there is a cost saving in the lower dosage. The facility cost includes use of equipment which adds to the cost since most laser techniques are fairly new and the cost of the equipment will be passed down to the patient.

With higher cost due to the new equipment and relatively longer surgery time, because laser lipo is a slow procedure removing small amounts of fat at a time, laser lipo is still very much worth the price. This is because of the added benefits and the precision that slows down the surgery actually improves the results. It is easy for a laser liposuction patient to be very happy with their newly sculpted body because success rate is extremely high.

Laser Assisted Liposuction

The challenge of liposuction, regardless of whether it is laser assisted liposuction or otherwise, is to remove the right amount of fat in the right area of the body. There also is the challenge of minimizing the effects on surrounding tissue of the treated area. Laser assisted lipo offers the benefit of higher accuracy and more precision in targeting fat cells while minimizing damage to connective tissue and blood vessels. In laser liposuction, smaller tools are used to break down the fat cells and suction the loose fatty substance. This greatly reduces the risks generally associated with traditional liposuction as a result of the surgery as well as during the recovery period.

The Procedure

The first step to any plastic surgery procedure is consultation with a certified plastic surgeon. For someone new to the cosmetic enhancement field, it is a good idea to consult with more than one surgeon to get multiple opinions and have something to compare. Once the surgeon has had a chance to assess the eligibility of the patient and that laser assisted liposuction is the best procedure for the patient’s goals a surgery date and paper work will follow. The patient will receive an antibiotic either before or immediately after to ward of potential infection to the incision. Photographs are often taken for future reference and the area of the body to be treated is marked.

The surgery begins with local anesthesia to numb the area being treated and a small fiber carrying the laser is inserted to melt the fat cells in the area. The patient will experience a slight scraping or rasping sensation as the cannula moves across the area removing fatty tissue. Since laser liposuction patients require only local anesthesia, the patient is awake during the procedure and therefore can communicate any unusual pain or discomfort to the surgeon performing the surgery. This lower anesthesia dosage lowers the many risks associated with the administration of this drug. More often than not the patient will have an IV fluid line to maintain fluid balance.

Recovery

One of the advantages laser liposuction offers its patients is in the shorter recovery period than traditional liposuction methods. Where it may take two weeks before the patient is ready to resume normal activities after traditional liposuction, laser liposuction patients are able to return to work in a matter of days. Pain medication might be prescribed for any minor complication that could cause discomfort during recovery. Swelling is normal in mild cases while serious cases of swelling and other side effects can be avoided with proper drainage of the treated area after surgery.

Fat removed with liposuction is permanently so it is important that both the surgeon and patient proceed carefully. Removing too much fat in one area will cause adverse aesthetic effects and can be avoided by dividing major procedures into smaller sessions so results of each session can be assessed before more fat is removed. Laser assisted liposuction offers many benefits but it is up to the patient to maintain or improve to a healthier lifestyle to maintain the positive results.