Smart Lipo Is a Trade name by Cynosure Corp for their device under the Laser Assisted Liposuction (LAL) procedure. This device was FDA approved in Dec 2006 in the United States. Since then, Cynosure has rolled out many upgrades to the origianl machine and there are several other devices out on the market by other trade names such as : "SlimLipo" "CoolLipo" "ProLipo", etc
These devices all use very small canulas to deliver the energy which does add time and technology to the Liposuction procedure. The advantages are their as well. First, I disagree with the analogy that using a big marker vs a pencil to cover a sheet of paper analogy because in artwork that is true, in Body-Sculpting the smoothness of the result is a function of the size of the tool you use. If clumps of fat cells are removed, clumps of cells are left behind as well. We are just not using a very small tube to remove the fat, but adding very powerful laser energy to disrupt those fat cells and liqueify them.
As we add more wavelengths of laser light that is more efficient at fat disruption, the tool is just not a sucker, but becomes (pardon the expression), smart. However, not only does it help with fat disruption, and coagulating small blood vessels (less bruising), but it also adds the skin tightening component to the procedure as well. Standard liposuction does not effect the skin tightening.
Many comments where about no proof of this effect: To that comment, we published the following:
1) The Physics and safety behind the procedure in......Journal of Cosmetic and laser Therapy 2009 Volume 11 Pages 62-69. Evaluation of tissue thermal effects from 1064/1320-nm laser-assisted lipolysis and its clinical implications
2) The technique of measuring changes in skin elasticity and skin shrinkage: in press in next issue of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal.
3) Comparison of LAL to liposuction alone has been submitted to the Journals.
Technology using 2 wavelengths is called Multiplex or MPX. Most recent updates are called the Triplex (TPX) which uses a much more efficient wavelength to disrupt fat making the procedure faster and better. Other important concommitant technology monitors the temperature above the skin (Thermaview) and under the skin (Thermaguide). Temperature measure and its accuracy are important for if these temperatures are NOT reached, effective skin tightening may not be seen. Over shoot of temperature in the skin can cause blistering and scarring, hence the temperature technology.
