Liposuction Tips

Posted by Kym on June 10th, 2010 at 10:48am

Q: What are the different forms of liposuction?

A: The removal of body fat through liposuction can be done with a syringe or a machine. Both require at least a local anesthetic. Both types can provide good results, and physicians choose the approach they prefer. Take a look at some liposuction before and after photos for a better idea of the results you can expect.

Q: What Is the difference between syringe and machine-assisted liposuction?

A: With the syringe liposuction procedure, you need nurses to constantly take the syringes from the surgeons and give them another syringe loaded with a cannula, which is a hollow cylinder; then the nurses have to empty the fat from the syringe and give the surgeons a fresh syringe. So the operating room could be a little messy as a result of all this activity.

It is also possible to lose the vacuum suction with a syringe if the opening gets too close to the opening of the skin. So surgeons sometimes have to spend extra time emptying the air out of the syringes and doing the steps over again.

With machine-assisted liposuction, you have a constant pressure, and usually that makes the procedure more efficient.

Q: Can you describe the older forms of liposuction?

A: In past years, liposuction was performed with what was called the “dry technique,” using minimal anesthetic, or with the “wet technique,” involving a dilute solution. But both of these procedures caused significant blood loss. As a result, in many cases there was a need for blood transfusions. And because of the need for general anesthesia, patients also had a higher rate of side effects and complications and often took longer to recover.

Q: How is tumescent liposuction different?

A: Tumescent liposuction is done without intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. It is performed with tumescent anesthesia, which makes the fat plump with rigidity and relatively easy to remove. Tumescent liposuction was designed by California dermatologic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Klein and is much safer than the older techniques.

Patients are given only local anesthesia, which means they are awake during the procedure and do not need blood transfusions. They bruise far less and are also able to turn over and assume different body positions with minimal assistance, making liposuction easier to perform.

Under Health and Fitness