Laser Liposuction

Laser liposuction has to become the preferred method of fat removal in recent years, due to the fantastic success rates that the surgical procedure is now achieving. The revolutionary concept in fat removal causes minimal discomfort as well as little bruising and there are hardly any side effects.

Laser liposuction, or laser lipoysis as it is also known, can be used to remove stubborn fatty build ups that are irremovable from diet and exercise. What’s more, laser fat removal is effective at doing away with double chins and love handles, as well as fat from the inner thighs, hips, upper arms, ankles, upper and lower abdomen. Laser assisted fat removal is a minimally invasive surgical procedure which allows surgeons to burn and melt away fat.

Nowadays with growing competition as well as constant improvements in technology and design in all forms of cosmetic surgery, there are a number of various laser options that are currently available. While explained below, it is always recommended that you speak to your GP or surgeon to establish which option would suit you best.

SmartLipo pioneered the laser liposuction method of fat removal. Its initial laser used a 1064 nm wavelength to dissolve the fat and coagulate (seal off) blood vessels. A newer generation of the technology, SmartLipo MPX combines the 1064 nm wavelength with a 1320 nm wavelength for greater effectiveness. While SmartLipo is the most common and popular form at the moment, other techniques such as SmoothLipo, LipoLite and CoolLipo offer varying forms of laser assisted fat removal that claim to be equally as efficient as SmartLipo.

The procedure for laser liposuction is much the same as regular liposuction except that it is not as invasive and a laser is used to emulsify the fat instead of physical force. The physical force that is used during a traditional liposuction leads to post-operative complications such as severe pain and substantial swelling and bruising.

In laser liposuction a fibre is inserted into the relevant area and used to direct laser energy. The subsequent heat that is produced literally melts away the fats cells. The liquefied fat is then removed through a cannula. The cannula used is laser liposuction is almost a quarter the size in width of the tool used in traditional liposuction. A smaller cannula means a smaller inicision, which also means less scarring.

Once the fat has been removed, the surgeon must be sure to adequately drain the treated area in order to avoid pooling of the blood under the skin. This can cause discolouration and can last for several weeks, if not months. The incisions are the closed with dissolvable sutures.

As the surgery is much less invasive than traditional liposuction, the recovery is also much shorter, meaning patients can get back to their normal activities within a couples of days. However, this is very much dependant on the treatment area and the amount of fat to be removed.