The concept of surgical fat removal has been around since the 1920s and it continues to improve itself in terms of convenience and safety in the last decades.
It is through these constant studies and innovations that we have the following techniques that are being very safe and useful in the present time.
Tumescent Liposuction
Tumescent liposuction or fluid injection is one of the most common types of liposuction. This type of treatment takes longer than other liposuction procedures.
It is done by injecting a large amount of medicated solution into the areas prior to the removal of fat.
The solution may be three times the amount of fat to be removed.
The fluids being used are lidocaine, a mixture of local anesthetic that helps numb the area during and after surgery; epinephrine, a drug that contracts the blood vessels, helping reduce loss of blood, bruising, and swelling; and an intravenous saline solution that helps remove the fat more easily and is suctioned out along with the fat.
Super-wet
This technique is similar to tumescent liposuction. The only difference is that it uses less fluid during the surgery. Usually, the amount of fluid injected is only equal to the amount of fat to be removed.
This liposuction method also takes less time than tumescent. It requires either sedation or any medicine that makes the patient drowsy; or general anesthesia or medicine that allows you to be asleep so you will not feel any pain.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound assisted liposuction is often used as a follow up or secondary procedure after tumescent liposuction. They are often used together for greater precision.
This procedure actually takes longer than super-wet technique.
Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction can be done externally – above the surface of the skin using a special emitter; or internally – below the surface of the skin using a small, heated cannula.
Both procedures use ultrasonic vibrations to turn fat cells into liquid before the liquefied fat cells get vacuumed out. This helps remove fat from dense, fiber-filled (fibrous) areas of the body such as the upper back or enlarged male breast tissue.
Traditional Liposuction
This traditional simple method is used to remove small areas of fat like a bulge or lipoma. It is usually done under local anaesthesia.
This is most useful for treating the neck and the chin. Even if it may be the least effective among other procedures in terms of where it can and cannot be used, it also has the fewest potential complications.
Traditional liposuction is being used regularly in medical situations where there is a need to harvest fat for processing and re-injection as fat grafting.
BodyJet or Water Assisted Liposuction
Water Assisted Liposuction is an enhancement of the traditional technique which starts out with tumescent technique.
It employs the added ability to inject local anaesthetic fluid, at the same time as carrying out the liposuction.
Body Jet pulses from the end of the cannula like a low-pressure washer helping to mechanically dislodge fat.
This can remove large volumes of fat
quickly and efficiently.
It is effective even in difficult areas like the breast, where the fat is more firmly fixed.
Power-Assisted Liposuction
Power-Assisted Liposuction is a mechanically enhanced technique that removes the fat using a motorised cannula that moves back and forth, sideways or rotates.
This is very effective and a favorite amongst surgeons because there is less physical effort involved.
Laser-assisted liposuction
This method uses laser energy to liquefy fat cells before they can be vacuumed out or allowed to drain out through small tubes called cannula.
Surgeons prefer using laser assisted liposuction for confined areas the chin, jowls, and face because the tube (cannula) being used during is smaller than the ones used in traditional liposuction.
Another advantage of laser assisted liposuction is that energy from the laser stimulates the production of collagen, a fiber-like protein that helps maintain skin structure.
An increased collagen production will help prevent sagging of the skin after liposuction.
One of the most successful examples of laser assisted liposuction is Sonno Bello and Smart Lipo, which has a lot of advantages.