Liposuction is one of the most frequently requested cosmetic plastic surgery procedures, in my San Francisco Bay Area, Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery office. Almost every day I see someone interested in Liposuction, and curious about what it can do.
Below are before and after pictures of a woman who wanted her pre-baby body back. She is young, in good shape, near her ideal body weight, and had localized, disproportionate fat on her abdomen and flanks (sides). Despite her recent pregnancy, her muscles were in good shape and her skin was tight. In other words, she was the ideal candidate for liposuction.
 Abdomen before tumescent liposuction - side view |
 Abdomen after tumescent liposuction - side view |
 Abdomen before tumescent liposuction - front view |
 Abdomen after tumescent liposuction - front view |
When the muscles are stretched, and the skin is loose, a tummy tuck is a better choice. This patient, however, had strong, flat muscles and excellent elasticity of her skin. The disproportionate fat was removed via two small (5 mm) incisions placed low on the abdomen. A tumescent technique was used to facilitate fat removal and reduce post operative bruising and soreness. No laser, ultrasound, water jet, or power hand piece could improve this result. Safe, predictable and uncomplicated tumescent liposuction is still the king of liposuction. Every “new” technique uses it.
New Liposuction Technology
There are a lot of procedures claiming to be the best liposuction technique available. Just this morning I have seen advertisements for:
- SmartLipo (Laser Liposuction) LAL
- InnoGyn’s LaserPro Lipo (Laser Liposuction) LAL
- Vaser and the new Vaser 2.0 (Ultrasonic Liposuction) UAL
- Body-Jet (Water-Jet Liposuction) WAL
- STARS liposuction (Power Assisted Liposuction) PAL
How to Choose
If you are trying to figure out which liposuction is the best liposuction, it can be very confusing. While all the above make the claim that they are the newest and best way to do liposuction, the claims are largely unproven. It is hard to improve upon tumescent liposuction.
If you are a patient considering liposuction, you don’t have to choose the right tool, you have to choose the right doctor. An experienced Board Certified Plastic Surgeon can help guide you in achieving your cosmetic surgery goals. Finding the right doctor and letting them choose the right tool is more likely to get you the results you are looking for.
Check Your Doctor
To check if your doctor is a Board Certified Plastic Surgery click here -> The American Board of Plastic Surgery
To check if you doctor is Board Certified in anything click here -> The American Board of Medical Specialties
To check if your doctor has a license to practice medicine in California click here -> The Medical Board of California