Power Assisted Lipo Vs Ultrasound Assisted Lipo- What's the Difference?

Power assisted liposuction (PAL) consists of using a liposuction cannula that oscillates or vibrates to help break up fatty tissue as it is being removed from the body. It allows for a slightly more gentle technique than traditional liposuction to be used and is especially helpful in areas of dense adipose tissue. I have used the PAL for about a year now and have been very happy with the results. Ultrasound assisted liposuction (UAL) also uses vibrating technology, but the vibrations are fast enough to create ultrasound energy that emulsifies fat. The fat is broken up with a separate wand as the first part of the procedure and then traditional liposuction is then completed with cannulas to remove the liquified fat. There is some evidence that when used properly, the energy can induce some additional skin tightening. There is also evidence that when used poorly, that thermal burn injuries can be produced.

In the end, it really does not matter what technology is being used nearly as much as the expertise of the plastic surgeon that is performing the procedure.

Power assisted liposuction or PAL uses vibration of the cannula to help the surgeon extract fat faster.  There may be less trauma with this approach as well.  The vibration breaks up the fat so it is easier to remove by suction.  This is quite safe as the vibration cannot really hurt the skin.  In terms of results, there is probably not much difference between PAL and traditional techniques.  For recovery, as the surgery is shorter and there may be less trauma to the body, it may be less painful and recovery shorter.UAL, or ultrasonic liposuction, uses a very high frequency vibration to achieve a similar effect.  However, the degree of vibration is much higher and heat is produced, which can cause burning of the skin.  The fat is liquified by the ultrasound prior to removal.  Some surgeons say this is an advantage to remove the fat more precisely and less trauma, but I feel the risks outweigh the benefit.  Although some suggest that UAL can cause skin tightening, most surgeons uses laser assisted liposuction such as SlimLipo to achieve this instead.  I feel that laser energy is more selectively targeted towards the skin and can be precisely delivered, which I feel is safer that UAL.  Aloha,Shim Ching, MD

I have used all types of liposuction for many years and my conclusions are:1. Liposuction does not tighten skin. The skin gets pushed out by what is beneath it, so if you remove the fat from beneath the skin, it will shrink down to contour over the treated area, BUT it will not tighten more than it was previously.2. All forms of liposuction involve the expenditure of ENERGY to remove the fatty tissue. With traditional liposuction, this occurs by friction and avulsion as well as the mechanical energy created by the surgeon. With PAL, the energy is delivered as a rapidly reciprocating cannula that eventually penetrates the fat clusters and is suctioned out. With Ultrasound and laser, the energy is primarily in the form of heat, which may be good or bad depending on the amount. 3. Contrary to what many believe, all liposuction techniques have 3 main components:  a. Infiltration of fluid to wet, numb and vaso-constrict (shrink the blood vessels) the tissues.  b. preparation of the fatty tissue layer for removal.  c. Aspiration of the fatty tissue by suction.4. Smaller cannulas are able to penetrate the fat tissue more effectively and efficiently leaving a smoother blanket of fatty tissue behind and in theory a smoother result.5. You can remove a lot more fatty tissue under general anesthesia vs local awake anesthesia6. GOOD liposuction is very difficult and analogous to attempting to carve a beautiful marble statue while there is a sheet covering it so you can not visualize completely what the shape that you are creating looks like. 7. There is a huge difference between liposuction and liposculpture. Most doctors perform liposuction.Good luck!

Power assisted Liposuction uses a probe that vibrates back and forth and partially dissolves the fat before removing it.

Ultrasonic Liposuction acutally sends sound waves and makes the fat liquid. This allows for more efficient removal of the fat.

It also allows the dermis to contract and gives best results for liposuction of the back or male breast reduction.

Hope this was helpful.

The most frequently performed methods of liposuction are standard liposuction and ultrasonic liposuction.  Power-assisted liposuction is the same as standard liposuction, except that the tip of the instrument used to remove the fat is actually motorized to aid in removing the fat.  Many other "forms" of liposuction can be found on the internet, but make sure you do your research into what is really happening if you decide to go with a form of liposuction that isn't standard or ultrasonic liposuction.  Standard liposuction involves the instillation of a numbing fluid underneath the skin into the area of fat to be removed.  This can be done under general, sedation, or even local anesthesia (for smaller areas.) Then, the standard liposuction cannulas (instruments) are used to remove the fat.  Ultrasonic liposuction is basically done the same why, except the tip of the liposuction cannula emits ultrasonic waves.  This emulsifies the fat and allows easier removal of the fat.  Recovery varies depending upon how much fat is removed, but is generally around 1 week.  Compression garments are used to mold the treated areas and to prevent any seromas (fluid collections) from forming.  Exercise can usually be resumed in a week as well.  Results can be seen in about 3-4 weeks after the swelling resolves.  Tightening of the areas treated is actually performed, but a "tighter" look may appear after the fat is removed and the swelling is gone.

ultrasonic liposuction involves the delivery of ultrasonic energy to soften and even liquify the fat prior to liposuction. Power-assisted liposuction uses a device that moves a very small distance back and forth as the cannula moves through the tissue. No supplemental heating energy is delivered with power-assisted liposuction. These devices make it somewhat more easy for the surgeon in cases of more fibrotic tissue, or collagen build-up, but has never conclusively shown that it makes the result better than conventional tumescent liposuction with small cannula.

Liposuction removes fat, and anytime this is done the skin overlying that area shrinks to some degree. The question is whether any special technique increases the tightening of the skin more than would happen without it. Power-assisted lipo (PAL) uses a vibrating cannula - the instrument inserted into the fat to suction it out - in order to shake loose the fat cells more effectively. I have seen no data indicating that it causes more skin tightening. VASER is ultrasound, which uses high frequency sound waves to also help with more efficient fat removal. There is some vidence that it might stimulate greater skin tightening through heat, but the more that is applied close to the skin the greater the risk of burns and scarring. The same applies for laser lipo. If there is enough skin laxity to consider a tummy tuck, none of these other technologies will come even close to a comparable result.

when we do abdominal etching procedure , i feel power assisted is safer than ultrasound or laser assisted machines .These ultrasound or laser assisted devices might produce burns in superficial liposuctions. As other doctors explained, expertise of the surgeon is very important than the machine used . 

Ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL), namely the VASER uses sound waves to disrupt the fat from its surrounding tissues, namely connective tissues and blood vessels, making UAL less traumatic to these tissues.  Power-assisted liposuction (PAL) is a powered form of Suction-assisted liposuction (SAL) which uses a tube with holes at the end of it (on the sides of the end of the tube) to pull the fat into the the tube using suction pressure to rip the fat out.  This technology tends to be less specific for the fat, thus when removing fat you will be removing some of the connective tissue and small blood vessels along with the fat.

Both power assisted and ultrasonic liposuction are designed to make the work of the surgeon easier. Although I helped to develop the most popular powered liposuction instrument, I no longer use this technique. I also abandoned ultrasonic liposuction a long time ago. After 27 years of performing liposuction, I feel I am getting the best results ever using manual liposuction. Using very small instruments, I can definitely sculpt more precisely. And if I have to work harder, it is worth it to give my patients better results.