The beginnings of liposuction procedures in the 1960s were crude compared to today's standards. Not only were the tools to remove the fat less advanced, but there was also a higher chance of infection, excessive bleeding, and other complications. Furthermore, the results from these early liposuction procedures were uneven and dissatisfactory.

Fortunately, more than 50 years of research and technical innovations has drastically improved the process of eliminating stubborn pockets of fat that have not responded to a regular exercise routine and a healthy, balanced diet. Today's liposuction has a greatly reduced rate of complications and can produce better results compared to its infancy. Dr. Paul Pin discusses four technological innovations in liposuction that have helped it become more effective and safe.

Tumescent Injections

In this procedure, Dr. Pin will inject a mixture of a topical anesthetic and norepinephrine into the areas of the body that are targeted for fat removal. This will cause the fat to swell and move closer to the surface of the body, thereby making it easier for removal. Additionally, this procedure does not require the use of a regional or twilight anesthesia, which may be required with more traditional liposuction procedures.

Laser Liposuction

This liposuction technique takes advantage of laser technology to make it easier to remove fat from the body. The cannula (a long, thin, hollow metal rod) used in this technique comes with a laser that is specifically designed to melt the fat in the targeted areas. Once the fat has been melted, it can be removed through either simple draining from incisions in the body or by means of gently vacuuming it out. It is considered gentler than traditional liposuction because the cannula equipped with a laser is thinner than standard cannulas. Furthermore, there may be less scarring from this procedure.

Ultrasound Waves

This technique is somewhat similar to laser liposuction in that it also uses a specialized cannula to break up fat deposits before they are removed from the body. However, in this case, the cannula comes equipped with a small device that emits high-frequency ultrasonic waves, which breaks up the fat for easier removal. The ultrasonic waves rupture and melt the fat cells. There has been some research that suggests this method may be particularly effective in areas with fibrous fat, which is particularly difficult to remove through traditional liposuction means. This type of fat can often be found on the back or on the flanks (sides) of the trunk of the body. The obvious advantage to this technique is that it is possible to remove fat from particularly tricky areas.

Power-assisted Liposuction

Power-assisted liposuction (or PAL for short) takes advantage of a vibrating cannula to break up fat deposits into smaller pieces, making them easier to remove. PAL can be useful for particularly large or dense pockets of fat that would be more difficult for a traditional cannula to effectively remove. The main advantage to PAL technology is that it can remove more fat than can usually be done by traditional liposuction methods.

These four technological advances in liposuction have all worked to not only make the procedure safer, but also more effective in terms of removing fat. Dr. Pin is happy to work with you to see if any of these techniques will suit for your specific needs.