What Is the Most Effective Form of Liposuction

The most effective form of liposuction is laser-assisted liposuction.

Laser-assisted liposuction uses an advanced laser to help remove unwanted fat from your body. The laser is used to heat up the fat cells and help them release their contents, which can then be removed through suction. This type of lipo has been shown to be more effective than traditional methods in removing fat and improving skin tone, which means that if you choose this method for your surgery, you’ll need less treatment than someone who chooses a different method.

What Is the Most Effective Form of Liposuction

The most effective form of liposuction is laser liposuction.

Laser liposuction uses a laser to remove fat cells from the body. The laser light is used to vaporize fat cells, which are then collected by suction tubing and removed through a cannula (a small tube). A tiny incision is made in the skin, through which the cannula enters the body.

The advantages of laser liposuction over traditional liposuction include:

Less pain and swelling after the procedure
A smaller scar
Less bruising and redness
Faster healing time

This is great news for anyone who wants to improve their appearance without having to undergo multiple surgeries over time—or pay for repeated treatments!

Sometimes body fat is resistant to diet and exercise. This can leave you feeling frustrated and looking for new options. Liposuction is a great option for individuals wishing to improve their body shape by eliminating unwanted fat tissue.

Liposuction is not a solution for weight loss or sagging skin, but it can help you slim down problem areas. Liposuction can be used to target many different areas of your body and is often combined with other procedures like tummy tucks and breast augmentation for maximum results.

Tumescent Liposuction

The most popular form of liposuction as well as the most common cosmetic procedure in the U.S. is tumescent liposuction, which is more effective, safer and less painful than traditional liposuction, and has a quicker recovery time. It is performed as an outpatient procedure and does not require general anesthesia.

Tumescent liposuction can safely remove fat from almost all parts of the body, including the face, neck, chin, breast, stomach, hips, flanks, back, inner and outer thighs, buttocks, knees, calves and ankles. It is used to remove lipomas, or benign fatty tumors, and to treat excessive underarm sweating and enlarged male and female breasts.

Preparation

If you are considering tumescent liposuction, you will meet with a dermatologic or plastic surgeon to discuss your cosmetic goals and determine whether tumescent liposuction is the best approach to meet your needs. Your surgeon will examine your skin and the areas you would like contoured. A complete physical examination will be performed. Photographs will be taken before and after the procedure.

You will discuss your medical history, including previous surgeries, present and past health problems, medications, as well as nutritional and herbal supplements you are taking or have taken at some time.

If you decide to have tumescent liposuction, your doctor will give you specific instructions to follow before surgery. He or she will review medications you regularly take, including nutritional and herbal supplements, and tell you when to stop taking them before surgery.

Other instructions may include:

If you smoke, stop smoking at least two weeks before surgery, as smoking can hinder wound healing.
To avoid ingrown hairs, do not shave or remove hair near the areas to be contoured the day of surgery.
Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery. Take your doctor-approved medications with a small sip of water if you must.
Wear loose-fitting clothing that opens in the front or is easy to remove over your head.

Procedure

A solution containing a local anesthetic and drug called epinephrine will be injected into the targeted areas of excessive fatty deposits. The solution fills the fatty layer of the skin and causes it to swell and become firmer, allowing the surgeon to have better control when contouring the area. The solution also causes the blood vessels to temporarily shrink, greatly reducing blood loss during the procedure, and reduces bruising, swelling and pain after the procedure.

After the solution is injected, the surgeon makes a small incision in the skin and inserts a cannula — a small, skinny tube that is connected to a vacuum-like machine — into the fatty layer. Using back and forth movements, the fat is sucked through the tube into a sterile collection system. An elastic compression garment is then worn to help the skin contract and heal.

Recovery

The local anesthetic injected into the fatty tissue lasts for about 24 hours following surgery. This greatly minimizes postoperative pain. Once this wears off, most patients experience some discomfort that is usually managed with Tylenol.

Most patients are alert and able to function without nausea or grogginess. Walking is encouraged immediately after the procedure to enhance healing. You may resume exercise three to seven days after the procedure. If your job does not involve heavy physical labor, you can probably return to work within a few days.

Most of the swelling goes down in a few days. Although you will see improvement within one to two weeks, it takes at least three to four months, and in some cases as long as six months, to see the treatment’s full benefit.

Risks

Like all surgery, tumescent liposuction carries both benefits and risks. Complications are rare and typically minor. The most common include skin irregularity, lumpiness, dimpling, loose skin, numbness, infections and scarring. If these do occur, they can be easily corrected in most cases.

When a qualified and experienced dermatologic or plastic surgeon performs the procedure, the frequency of complications is significantly lower.

Types of Liposuction and Costs

6 Types of Liposuction

Some of the target areas Dr. Fan commonly addresses are:

Abdomen
Love Handles
Hips, Thighs, and Buttocks
Chin, Neck, and Jawline
Bra Rolls
Arms
Chest
Back
Knees
Calves and Ankles

There are six different types of liposuction available today, ranging from traditional liposuction to SmartLipo to high definition liposuction.

In this post, we’ll review the six different types of liposuction and help you learn which type is best for you

The 6 Different Types of Liposuction Treatments

1. Suction Assisted Liposuction (SAL)

SAL is regular liposuction without any fancy bells or whistles. In the right hands, it works excellently for most patients.

2. Tumescent Liposuction

Tumescent liposuction is very similar to SAL. The only difference is that larger amounts of anesthetic fluid are used, enough to make the targeted tissues swell or become “tumescent.” Tumescent lipo also works well in the hands of a skilled surgeon.

3. Laser-Assisted Liposuction or SmartLipo

Advances in technology have produced alternative liposuction procedures. Laser assisted liposuction uses heat energy from a laser to help perform the procedure.

In theory, the laser is supposed to melt fat, coagulate blood vessels, and tighten skin. According to its manufacturer Cynosure, SmartLipo is a less invasive procedure that is safer with quicker recovery, reduced bruising, and enhanced skin tightening compared to SAL.

In reality, SmartLipo is no better, no safer, nor less invasive than suction assisted liposuction, tumescent liposuction, or other modern forms of liposuction. In fact, multiple peer-reviewed, clinical studies performed by unbiased plastic surgeons have shown no difference in outcomes or side effects between laser assisted liposuction and suction assisted liposuction.

But, wait, isn’t SmartLipo a safer procedure? No, it’s not. SmartLipo marketing claims that SmartLipo is “safer” is because it’s performed under local anesthesia. Well, it turns out that all types of liposuction can also be performed under local anesthesia, not just SmartLipo.

You may be asking yourself: Well, if SmartLipo is at least equivalent to regular lipo, and it may offer some additional benefits, shouldn’t I just choose SmartLipo anyway? Well, the answer’s not so simple. First, it’s extremely important to choose an excellent plastic surgeon. Unfortunately, most of the doctors aggressively promoting SmartLipo are less skilled cosmetic surgeons. If you’re feeling pressure to choose the laser assisted option, you may want to get a second opinion and verify the credentials of your surgeon. Second, the use of a laser adds time and complexity, with a risk of thermal injury, or buns, and with no proven benefits to show for it, it may not be worth the additional time, risk, and expense.

All this being said, laser assisted liposuction may be a good option for you if you’re working with an experienced plastic surgeon.

4. Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction or Vaser

Ultrasound energy is another technology used to assist in breaking up fatty tissue. Ultrasonic liposuction is performed by making incisions and inserting a low-frequency ultrasound device attached to a cannula. The sound energy is used to emulsify the fat, after which the fat is removed with a traditional suction tube. This option is most commonly known under the brand name VASER.

Some of the manufacturer claims associated with VASER are reduced blood loss, swelling, and bruising; skin tightening; and ease of procedure for the surgeon. It is also thought to work better for removing fat in fibrous areas like the back and flanks. However, like the laser-assisted liposuction, there is no real evidence that this option produces better results than other techniques.

Ultrasound assisted liposuction requires a larger incision to accommodate the ultrasound device. This option may mean an increase in time and complexity and adds the additional risks of burning, nerve damage, and scarring.

5. Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL)

Power assisted liposuction may be a good option if you have high volumes of fat that need to be removed. This procedure is performed with the use of a special, vibrating cannula to help break up and remove fatty tissue.

The main benefit of using power assisted liposuction is quicker fat removal with less surgeon fatigue. Other than that, there is no real difference in results and recovery when performed by an expert surgeon, although it may offer some benefits in breaking up fat in particularly dense areas.

The use of additional equipment may add complexity to the procedure and increase the total cost.

6. High Definition Liposuction (HDL)

High definition liposuction (aka. “Six Pack Ab,” “Eight Pack Abs” or abdominal etching) is a specialized version of liposuction that focuses on enhancing the underlying muscular definition of the torso by performing very selective superficial liposuction and muscle enhancement with fat grafting. High definition liposuction requires additional procedure time, recovery time, expense, and expertise compared to non-HD liposuction. If you’re looking for a shredded look, high definition liposuction can be a great choice.

Don’t Buy into the Lipo Hype

The liposuction landscape is littered with all sorts of marketing hype and overpromises. If you don’t believe us, just google terms like SmartLipo, liposculpture, micro lipo, tickle lipo, Air Sculpt Lipo, and the list goes on and on.

What do all of these terms mean? Not much. Each variation of liposuction has subtle differences, but they’re all basically fancy ways of saying “lipo.” Keep in mind that all modern forms of liposuction have been shown to be equally safe and effective, and no technique has been shown to be consistently more effective than the others. If you do your homework, you’ll notice that the people who make the loudest claims tend to be lesser skilled cosmetic surgeons rather than expert plastic surgeons.

What is the most effective form of lipo?

Liposuction or lipo is one of the most popular body contouring procedures available in the cosmetic surgery sector. It is able to effectively remove stubborn areas of fat that have been resistant to diet and exercise and re-contour the body to give a more balanced and improved physique.
What you may not know is that there is more than one type of liposuction and the most effective form of lipo for you will ultimately depend on your expectations from surgery.

Vaser Lipo

Vaser liposuction is one of our most commonly performed liposuction options. It is our least invasive form of fat removal which is performed under local anaesthetic with sedation and no overnight hospital stay is required.
The technique involves using ultrasound energy to liquefy the fat cells before they are then removed through a gentle suction process. It is suitable to be performed on areas such as the buttocks crease, hips, thighs, abdomen, upper arms and chest.

Vaser lipo downtime?

Overall, we recommend that patients allow 2-3 weeks of general recovery from their vaser liposuction procedure. This recommendation is purely to allow for any discomfort, bruising or swelling to settle. Many patients are able to return to their daily activities such as work within 2-3 days, but exercise and other strenuous activities should be avoided for at least 3 weeks to allow the body to heal.

Vaser lipo when will I see results?

The results from vaser liposuction can be seen straight away however patients are required to wear compression garments and will experience swelling. The results are best seen from 5-6 weeks following the procedure.

Vaser Hi-Def

Vaser Hi-Def liposuction is a variation of the vaser lipo technique. This procedure is best suited for patients who are looking for a more athletic result. The procedure works by removing both superficial and deep fat layers that surround the muscle groups which then helps to enhance the visibility of underlying toning and musculature. The results are impressive and are commonly performed on the abdomen and chest.

Vaser hi-def downtime?

Following vaser hi-def, patients should aim to allow 3-5 days before returning to work and 2-3 weeks before continuing with any exercise or strenuous activities.

Vaser hi-def when will I see results?

The results from vaser hi-def are best seen 2-6 weeks following the procedure, these results will then continue to develop over 4-6 months.

Vaser Mid-Def

Vaser Mid-Def liposuction is a more subtle version of the vaser hi-def technique. It is the ideal option for patients who are still looking to increase the definition seen in their results but with a softer finish. For this procedure, the results are more down to the overall reduction in body fat rather than the precise fat removal surrounding the muscles.

Vaser mid-def downtime?

We recommend that patients take 3-5 days off work to recover from their vaser mid-def procedure. Exercise and strenuous activities should also be avoided for 2-3 weeks after the procedure.

Vaser mid-def when will I see results?

The results from vaser mid-def are best seen 2-6 weeks following the procedure, these results will then continue to develop over 4-6 months.

Micro Lipo

Micro Liposuction is liposuction that uses a much smaller cannula that is best suited for patients who are only looking to treat small areas of the body. The cannulas used are 0.9mm to 3mm wide and can remove up to 3.5 litres of fat from the abdomen, arms, thighs, knees, flanks and male chest.

Micro lipo downtime?

MicroLipo involves minimal downtime and many patients are able to return to their daily routine almost immediately. Patients often only require 1-2 days off work and a gentle exercise schedule can be resumed after 7 days with guidance from their surgeon.

Micro lipo when will I see results?

You will notice a change to the areas treated immediately after the procedure, but it can take up to 3-4 weeks to see the real results from micro lipo.

Surgical Liposuction

Surgical liposuction, liposculpture, suction-assisted lipectomy or traditional liposuction is the original form of liposuction. It is usually performed under general anaesthetic and uses a suction technique to remove fat from the body. It is often performed at the same time as another plastic surgery procedure such as a tummy tuck.

Surgical liposuction downtime?

The downtime for surgical liposuction will always vary from patient to patient. It is standard protocol that all exercise and strenuous activities are avoided for several weeks following surgery, but many patients are able to return to work after 1-2 weeks depending on their job role. Overall, we say to allow 10 days to recover from any discomfort, swelling or bruising.

Surgical liposuction when will I see results?

You are likely to see results immediately after surgery. The majority of patients are able to see great results after 6 weeks, but the final results of your procedure are best seen 6-12 months afterwards once all swelling has resolved.