Lafayette Liposuction doctors

Liposuction works to contour areas that are more bulgy than we would like.  It is best used in a patient such as yourself who is in good physical shape and at a healthy body weight, but who has small fat pockets in unwanted places.  The fact that you are aware of the names smartlipo, vaser, tumescent, PAL, UAL demonstrates how effective these companies are in their direct to consumer marketing campaigns.  And because your awareness is based on their marketing, it is no wonder you are confused.  Basically, liposuction is the removal of fat from the area between the skin and the deeper muscle layers.  Cannulas are used to suck this fat out through very small incisions.  The ultimate result you achieve depends on how well your skin tightens after the procedure, on how much fat was removed and on the finesse of your surgeon. 

Liposuction is hard work for the surgeon, and multiple different energy modalities have been developed to help break up the fat, and the fibrous connections between the skin and muscle, and so make the surgeon's work less strenous.  These include, ultrasound energy (UAL, VASER) and more recently, laser (Smartlipo) energy.  Power assisted lipectomy or PAL uses a handpiece that vibrates to help the surgeon dissect.  Blood loss during the procedure is usually decreased by the use of what is called "tumescent solution."  This is basically salt water with some anesthetic and epinephrine.  This solution is used with all liposuction modalities.  It is the use of this solution that decreases bleeding and therefore decreases bruising, probably not the liposuction modality.

The biggest problem in trying to get good, smooth liposuction results is that the patient's skin often does not tighten enough and loose or dimply skin compromises the result.  Toward that end, laser companies have worked to make a laser that tightens skin.  Ultrasound energy has proven not to be of significant benefit and now laser is probably not that much different, contrary to the claims of the equipment manufacturers and their marketing teams.

So, in my opinion, modality is not really the key ingredient in good outcome.  A good result is obtained when the skin is of good quality, the patient is in good shape, the procedure is being done for "sculpting" rather than for weight loss, and the surgeon is skilled.  Make sure you see a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  Try not to be confused by the misleading advertising campaigns out there.

Healing after surgery takes a while.  At several weeks postop, you should expect that your tissues still feel firm, particularly in the areas that were liposuctioned.  As healing goes on, these areas will soften up, but may still have swelling that increases and decreases over the course of a day, usually being worse at night when you have been up all day, and better after sleeping all night.  This type of firmness and variable swelling can take up to a year to resolve.

Liposuction is a very superficial procedure involving removal of fat beneath the skin and above the muscle of the abdominal wall.  Hernia is a hole in the muscle layer of the belly wall and rectus diastasis is a separation of the two strip muscles running up and down the middle of the abdominal wall.  A procedure that removes fat under the skin should not make a hole in the deeper muscle layer.  There are horror stories of this happening, but it is very unusual, fortunately.  Make sure you choose a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.