Our Liposuction Technique
We have chosen the safest most effective means of fat removal. Our goal is to offer the safe, consistent results at a cost effective price. Because of this, we use the Tumescent technique for local anesthesia, so our patients remain awake throughout the procedure. Oral sedation medication can be given for those that are very anxious. For fat removal, our instrument of choice is the power assisted liposuction (PAL) made by MicroAire. We have achieved the most consistently smooth and even results results using using the PAL unit. We also use the Smart Lipo Laser to aid in skin tightening when this is of concern.
When considering the various techniques or technologies for liposuction it’s important to realize that it’s the practitioner and not the tools that give you the good results. With a good liposuction surgeon, you could get good results with any of the instruments or techniques. If there were one instrument or technique that was by far the best, then everyone would be doing it the same way. The goal is to remove the fat in a smooth and even fashion, but there are many ways to get to the same conclusion.
For Your Information
We think that you should be informed about your decision, which is why we have compiled information for all of your options when it comes to liposuction. At MyShape Lipo, we do our best to give you the results you want at a price that you can afford. We believe that our technique is the best, but it is important that you are informed about your options. Above are the techniques and tools that we use and below are all the possible options that you may consider. While we do not use these other techniques, we do provide you the information so you can make an informed decision.
Anesthesia Options
Local anesthesia: This refers to the use of medication only in the areas that are being treated as opposed to putting you to sleep. The localized area is numbed using a dilute solution consisting of saline (salt water), lidocaine (numbing agent), and epinephrine (constricts the blood vessels to decrease bleeding.) Local anesthesia is by far the safest way to perform this procedure. Less medication is used and the medication only affects the local area eliminating all of the risks of general anesthesia. Since this is much safer and does not carry the same risks, it can be done in an office setting and does not require an anesthesiologist to be present. This also makes local anesthesia significantly more cost effective as you are eliminating the cost of hospital fees and anesthesia fees which can amount to $1000’s in savings.
General Anesthesia: Traditionally, liposuction was done using general anesthesia where the patient is put to sleep using propofol (the same drug that killed Michael Jackson.) This medication stops you from breathing requiring a tube to be put down your throat to breath for you. This type of anesthesia requires an anesthesiologist and must be done in a hospital setting to manage potential complications. This type of anesthesia is good for those that wish to be asleep throughout the procedure. The downside includes: increase risk from medications, increase cost, and the patient is unable to tell the surgeon if there are any problems.
Local anesthesia with IV sedation: This is a combination of the local anesthesia with the use of IV medications to sedate the patient and put you in a twilight. While this is somewhat safer than general anesthesia, it still carries a higher risk for complications with the increased use of medications. It also requires closer monitoring to assure that you don’t get too much medication. This anesthesia is usually done in a hospital since there are increased risks due to medications. There are also increased cost for the medication and required monitoring.
Tumescent Technique – The tumescent technique is a method that provides local anesthesia to large volumes of subcutaneous fat and thus permits liposuction totally by local anesthesia. This is the accepted standard of liposuction in recent years because of it’s safety profile and the ability to remove large volumes of fat while the patient is awake.
Dry Technique – The dry technique derived its name from the fact that it did not use injections of local anesthesia into the fat before liposuction. This technique is not used much anymore because of problems with bleeding and inferior results.
Wet Technique – The wet technique required the injection of approximately 100 milliliters of local anesthesia containing epinephrine. This technique may be used in very small areas for fat removal, but is not very common.
Super Wet Technique – The super wet technique requires the injection of a volume of dilute local anesthesia that is less than half the volume used for the tumescent technique. This is used primarily in conjunction with general anesthesia in order to decrease potential bleeding.
Fat removal
There are many different tools on the market that can be used to remove fat. Each of these various tools works a little differently, but ultimately accomplish the same goal of fat reduction. All of these instruments have been shown to work and get good results. What makes one better than the other is usually the person using the instrument. It’s possible to get good or bad results with any of these instruments so it depends primarily on how comfortable the surgeon is with that tool.
Power Assist Liposuction (PAL): This is the use of power to create a vibration or oscillating effect to break up the fat. This reduces the amount of force required by the surgeon to break up the fat for removal. Some people have called this “tickle Lipo” since the vibrations can make people ticklish. A canula is attached to the power hand piece along with suction tubing for the easy removal of fat. This is done with the tumescent technique.
Ultrasonic (UAL): Ultrasonic assisted liposuction UAL, uses ultrasound waves to help break the fat up for removal. A canula is used that is attached to suction and the fat is removed after the ultrasonic waves break up the fat. This is used along with the tumescent technique.
Vaser Liposuction: Vaser liposuction, also called LipoSelection, is another alternate technology to traditional liposuction. Vaser ultrasonic liposuction is still a process by which fatty deposits are removed from beneath the skin to improve the aesthetics of a particular body part. Ultrasound is used to help break up the fat cells. This is used with the tumescent technique.
Water Jet Assisted Liposuction- Water jet assisted liposuction is another method of liposuction being used by cosmetic surgeons today. Water jet assisted liposuction actually uses a slightly pressurized stream of saline to dislodge fat and simultaneously remove the cells. Instead of destroying fat cells, this type of liposuction loosens the fat cells to facilitate more gentle removal.
Laser Assisted Liposuction
Laser Liposuction – Laser Liposuction requires the use of tumescent fluid and uses a microcannula inserted through a small incision to deliver laser energy and heat into subcutaneous fat.
SmartLipo – Smart Lipo is actually where laser liposuction began. Brought to the marketplace by Cynosure, the SmartLipo system offers all the benefits of a high quality laser lipolysis system and the benefit of experience in the market. The fat is heat up by the laser and the cell membrane is ruptured causing the fat to liquify. The laser also heats up the area just below the skin the stimulate skin tightening and the production of collagen.
CoolLipo – CoolLipo, like other laser lipo systems is a technology that uses laser wavelengths to dissolve fat and firm the skin. CoolLipo by CoolTouch, Inc. is designed specifically for smaller areas of treatment in the face, chin and neck areas.
ProLipo PLUS – Cosmetic surgeons using ProLipo PLUS or laser Sciton are using laser liposuction for specific and precise contouring of the body. ProLipo PLUS can be used under local anesthetic and the use of the laser typically reduces bleeding and bruising.
LipoLite – The LipoLite laser liposuction technique uses the 1064 nm wavelength to melt away and remove fat from beneath the skin. The tiny cannula and fiber optic laser make for minimal invasiveness during the procedure.
LipoTherme and LipoControl – LipoTherme by Osyris Medical is another well regarded laser lipolysis technology. The real difference that Osyris Medical has brought to the market is in their LipoControl technology, which is used in conjunction with their LipoTherme laser liposuction treatment.
