Types of Liposuction

by Richard R. Hawrylo, M.D.

Liposuction is among the most popular cosmetic procedures today, and our clients in northern New Jersey make lots of inquiries about it. Many of them are confused by all the different kinds of liposuction surgery available, so here’s a summary of some of the best known liposuction techniques.

Tumescent liposuction, a standard form of suction-assisted liposuction, uses high volumes of fluid containing an anesthetic infused directly into the fatty tissue being removed. This procedure can be performed in an office setting under local anesthesia usually with sedation, rather than general anesthesia, which has helped make it a popular procedure.

Super-wet liposuction is similar to tumescent liposuction, and uses about the same volume of infused liquid as the volume of fat expected to be removed. It is most often used for procedures where a high-volume of fat is being suctioned from the body.

Ultrasound liposuction, another form of suction-assisted liposuction, uses a specialized cannula that transmits ultrasonic vibrations that burst the walls of fat cells, liquefying the fat – a process called lipolysis – and making it easier to suction out.

Laser liposuction uses thermal and photomechanical energy for lipolysis – that is, to help liquefy the fat.

Power assisted liposuction uses a cannula with a mechanized movement, relieving the surgeon of the need to manually maneuver the cannula.

These various liposuction techniques can be used to remove fat from many different parts of the body – liposuction for thighs, the abdomen, buttocks, neck, backs of the arms and even liposuction on the chin. Women most often have lipo – as the procedure is often called – on the abdomen and thighs, while men have lipo on the abdomen and flanks – their love handles. Sometimes removed fat is used as filler in other areas of the body, to reduce wrinkles or fill out areas like the cheeks that have been depleted of natural fat stores over time.

As with any cosmetic procedure, you need to understand what liposuction can and cannot do, and have realistic expectations about results. Your physician can discuss all liposuction procedures available to you. Ask to see before and after liposuction photos of patients. Liposuction is a fascinating subject, so you can expect to see more about it in our blog.

Tags: Liposuction, liposuction for thighs, liposuction on the chin, Tumescent liposuction, Ultrasound liposuction

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 at 2:14 am and is filed under Medical News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.