VASER liposuction is an FDA-cleared fat-removal procedure. This type of liposuction uses ultrasonic “vibration amplification of sound energy at resonance” (VASER) to break up and remove unwanted fat through a thin, hollow tube called a cannula.Â
VASER lipo is gentler on the surrounding tissue than traditional tumescent liposuction or suction-assisted lipo (SAL). Plastic surgeons who prefer VASER ultrasound technology to standard lipo say it provides better results, with fewer side effects and less downtime.
“I love the VASER for its ease and versatility,” says Dr. J. Timothy Katzen, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. “I use the VASER on almost all of my liposuction cases and find it especially useful for tough revision liposuction cases,” he notes. Dr. Katzen praises this body contouring procedure for “its reliable and consistent results,” saying that its “faster recovery, minimal swelling and bruising, and overall results cannot be matched.”
Dr. David Sieber, a board-certified plastic surgeon in San Francisco, compares the vibrational action of VASER lipo on fat globules to shaking grapes off a vine. With traditional lipo, “you’re more like ripping the fat cells off the connective tissue,” he says.
“The problem I’ve encountered with the traditional technique is that you can end up overly traumatizing the skin and causing bruising and skin discoloration, which can take up to six months to go away,” says Dr. Sieber. “VASER spares that trauma because you’re not right under the skin with a cannula, beating it up.”
It also tends to be a quicker procedure, with less physical strain for surgeons. The ultrasound energy loosens and melts even stubborn fat, so more can be removed in a shorter period of time.
This technique is commonly used in liposculpture (also called high-definition, or high-def lipo) to sculpt specific body areas, like the rectus abdominis or “six-pack abs.”
Related: High-Tech to High-Def: How Popular Tools and Techniques Are Reshaping Lipo
