subject: Is It Worth It To Pay More For Laser-assisted Liposuction When The Traditional Method Is Effective? [print this page] Why try a new method of doing things when the old method works just fine? This is what some cosmetic surgeons are wondering about newfangled laser-assisted liposuction. The traditional method has been made more safe and effective over time and is cheaper than new variations. In many ways, the fat removal is the same in both methods except that one uses a laser and the other doesn't.
But what is liposuction? Most people are aware that it involves fat removal, but most of us are a bit fuzzy on the details.
When a person uses conventional weight loss methods, fat tends to come off of the body in its way. It rarely comes off evenly, and there are usually pockets of fat that persist on isolated areas of the body.
These areas are different for everyone, but some common ones are the hips and thighs for women and the love handles and belly for men.
A person who is very healthy and lives a healthy lifestyle may find some of these pockets of fat to be stubborn.
Some people want to have these pockets of fat removed through liposuction.
Traditional liposuction is simple and non-invasive. The isolated area of the body (often called the problem area) is numbed with anesthetic.
Tiny incisions are made and a tube is inserted into the soft fatty layer under the skin. This tube is called a cannula, and it is used to do two things: it breaks the fat cells and then sucks them out.
This method also involves flushing fluids into the cavity at the same time that the fat is being sucked out. These fluids slow blood flow, keep the area numb, and encourage healing.
Several of these incisions are made and usually they are left open at the end of surgery so that liquids can drain from them. Occasionally, the surgeon will close them up with sutures, although this is rare.
Laser-assisted liposuction is mostly the same. An area is numbed, incisions are made, and a cannula is inserted into the cavity.
The main difference is the laser device connected to the cannula. A laser is used to break up the fat cells rather than the cannula itself.
It does this by heating the cells, which makes them swell and soften. They then break easily so that they can be sucked out.
Some researchers claim that the heat from the lasers encourages the skin to firm up over the area from which the fat has been removed. There is little proof this claim, however.
The method is so similar that some people wonder if it is worthwhile to pay more money to have laser assisted liposuction done rather than sticking with the traditional method.
In any case, it's a good idea to talk to a surgeon face-to-face to learn some of the more specific details of what liposuction entails.
