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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.

Laser Liposuction Risks

For a long time liposuction has been one of the most popular of plastic surgery procedures. With the introduction of laser assisted liposuction the procedure opened up an option to a whole new market of people who have considered smaller treatment that did not warrant the full risks and surgical procedure that comes with traditional liposuction. Laser liposuction offers many benefits and further reduces the risks of a procedure already generally regarded as a relatively safe cosmetic enhancement procedure.

The Concept of Liposuction Surgery

The difference between laser liposuction and traditional liposuction is in the technique. The concept of liposuction remains intact with laser liposuction. Fat cells are broken from underneath the skin and loose fat is sucked up through a tube known as a cannula.

Traditional vs. Laser Liposuction Technique

Laser liposuction uses an optic fiber through which a laser is beamed. The heat generated by the laser literally melts the fat and a small cannula is inserted into the area to remove the liquefied fat. This is a much gentler form of fat removal.

Traditional liposuction causes more stress to the surrounding tissue because physical force is used to break up fat cells. The tube used to suck out the loose fat is larger than the one used in the laser technique.

The size differential of the equipment involved speaks a lot to the scale of the surgery. Laser liposuction is useful for small scale procedures that could not be performed in the past because the traditional method is relatively brutal compared to the finesse and accuracy of using a laser charged optic fiber.

Common Liposuction Risks

Being a more gentle and precise procedure, laser liposuction reduces or even eliminates some of the most common problems that have historically plagued liposuction procedures.

Bleeding Risks

One of the biggest problems that surgeons have reported is the excessive bleeding during the surgery. In many instances a blood transfusion is required to supplement the patient’s blood loss. Meanwhile, using a laser greatly reduces this problem because the procedure causes less damage to surrounding tissue and the small amount of blood that might leak from damaged capillaries are often dried by the heat of the laser.

Improper drainage of leaked fluids is the biggest contributor to complications that hamper the recovery period. It can cause hematomas or seromas where blood pools under the skin to cause a visible discoloration or color spots. Patients of laser assisted liposuction can expect to recover much faster as a result of the reduced blood loss.

Surgical Risks of Liposuction

Although rare, serious surgical risks such as internal organ damage are a very real possibility. This is not an issue with the laser technique. Risk of infection to the incision area is also much reduced because the equipment is much smaller and therefore requiring a small incision. That also shortens the required recovery period and reduces the possibility of unintentional scarring.

Anesthesia Risks

Anesthesia related risks are always an issue with any surgery. There is a danger in improper dosage as well as using the wrong solution. A certified anesthesiologist is required for large doses which can be expensive. Laser liposuction patients usually only require local anesthesia meaning only the treated area is numbed. This means the patient is awake during the procedure so any excessive discomfort can be communicated to the surgeon while the surgery is in progress.

Side Effects of Liposuction

Some of the most common problems with liposuction, though not particularly dangerous but aesthetically unpleasing is skin irregularities. This happens when too much fat under the skin is removed leaving grooves and dimples in the skin. The way to avoid this is by dividing a large treatment into smaller multiple treatments. That way smaller amount of fat is removed at a time. The risk of skin irregularities is not an issue with laser liposuction because the method in itself is a small scale procedure.

Managing Plastic Surgery Risks

All surgery comes with inherent risks and liposuction is no exception. Liposuction, with laser or traditional method, is a procedure to remove pockets of fat in areas that are hard to eliminate through exercise and dieting alone. It is not a weight loss strategy and should not be treated as such. Any patient considering the procedure must understand the limitations and risks of cosmetic surgery. Unrealistic expectations can lead to dangerous addictions to plastic surgery and it is up to the surgeon to ensure that the patient has an achievable goal in mind before beginning the surgery.

Laser Liposuction Procedure

There are many advantages to laser liposuction that ameliorates the common problems associated with traditional liposuction. The procedure itself in general is similar to liposuction with minor adjustments that plays to the difference in technique and improvements that laser lipo offers. Liposuction has long been a procedure that causes a lot of stress to the nearby tissue of the area being treated. A common issue is the loss of blood caused by damaged vessels and in many cases requires a blood transfusion to compensate for the amount of bleeding. The different tools and techniques in laser lipo alleviate a lot of the issues that arise surgically and during recovery.

Consulting a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

The first step toward any plastic surgery procedure is consultation with a certified plastic surgeon. During the initial consultation session, the prospective patient will learn a great deal of details about the particular procedure, in this case liposuction, and allows the doctor a chance to evaluate the prospective patient. They might suggest alternative procedures that could better produce the desired results. It is also a chance for the patient to learn about the qualifications of the surgeon. Any board certified plastic surgeon will be proud of their accomplishments and have no problem showing off their certifications as well as proof of their experience.

Preparing for Liposuction Surgery

Before entering the surgery room the patient will be instructed on ways to better prepare for the surgery. This includes certain drugs to avoid such as caffeine and anything containing epinephrine-like solutions such as cold medication which could cause adverse effects with the anesthesia. The patient should also be mentally prepared for the permanent changes that liposuction will have on the body as well as any risks involved.

One the day of the surgery, the patient will receive a local anesthesia to numb the area of the body that will be treated. Usually, the drug will be administered by a certified anesthesiologist to minimize or prevent potential side effects that the solution in the drug might cause. It also helps to ensure the proper dosage is administered to the patient.

Laser Liposuction Surgery

To begin the surgery, the liposuction surgeon will make a small incision and insert a cannula which will break up the fat. The tool used in laser liposuction is approximately a quarter of the size of a traditional cannula so the incision necessary is smaller. The laser generates heat to target fat cells causing the fat to literally melt away. A small suction tube is then used to remove the liquefied fat from the body. Small trace amounts of fat that cannot be reached by the suction tube will be picked up by the body’s lymphatic system and is discharged through natural means, that is, in the urine.

Once the surgery is done, the patient is usually released the same day with care instruction for the resting and recovery period.

Recovery

The biggest advantage of laser liposuction is the relatively quick recovery time. Most patients will be instructed to stay home and rest the day after the surgery. They are free to return to work and normal daily life the following day. However, strenuous physical activity should be avoided for at least a couple weeks for the body to completely heal. In terms of exercise, typical patients are able to perform brisk walking exercises in a couple weeks but should avoid heavy lifting and work outs for at least a month.