{"id":11608,"date":"2021-01-07T11:07:06","date_gmt":"2021-01-07T19:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/?p=11608"},"modified":"2024-02-16T10:36:18","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T18:36:18","slug":"popular-tools-techniques-for-liposuction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/popular-tools-techniques-for-liposuction","title":{"rendered":"High-Tech to High-Def\u2014How Popular Tools and Techniques Are Reshaping Liposuction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seeing an aesthetic procedure all over social media can breed a strange sort of FOMO. (Hey, we’re not immune.) Yet it may be difficult to distinguish for-the-’Gram fads from truly “Worth It” tweaks. Which is why we’re launching a new series on RealSelf: <\/em>Everybody’s Doing It.<\/em><\/a> Each month, we’ll explore all sides of an of-the-moment cosmetic procedure, to bring you the uncensored truth about its efficacy and safety so you can decide if it’s right for you. Here, in our second installment, we’re examining the role of technology in liposuction.<\/em><\/p>

One of the earliest liposuction<\/a> surgeries on record dates back to 1926, when French surgeon Charles Dujarier<\/a> aimed to sculpt the calves of a young ballerina by carving out fat with a sharp curette. (À quel prix, la beauté?<\/em>) The crude operation resulted in gangrene and eventual amputation, casting a progress-stunting pall over the procedure for decades to come.<\/p>

Today, lipo is the most sought-after (not to mention grid-worthy) plastic surgery procedure in the world<\/a>, with more than 1.5 million takers in 2017 alone, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery<\/a>. In the U.S., interest in the operation spiked nearly 32% between 2014 and 2018<\/a>. Doctors attribute lipo’s ratcheting popularity, in part, to society’s next-level body goals—“our focus on ever-more-elite and high-achieving levels of fitness as opposed to just being ‘in shape,’” explains Dr. Jacob Unger<\/a>, a plastic surgeon in Nashville. <\/p>

Further propelling lipo up the charts is its reputation as a reliably safe and transformational fix for stubborn flab—a track record hard-earned over the past four decades. “Way back when, liposuction was done as a dry technique and blood loss was significant,” explains New York City plastic surgeon Dr. Umbareen Mahmood<\/a>. By the early ’80s, surgeons were routinely using wetting solution<\/a>—that is, filling the fatty area with a prescribed quantity of fluid, “either normal saline or [electrolyte-infused] lactated Ringer’s, plus a proportion of lidocaine for anesthetic effect and epinephrine to cause vasoconstriction and prevent bleeding,” she adds—before breaking apart and vacuuming out fat with vigorous thrusts of a stainless steel cannula.<\/p>

Interested in liposuction?<\/small><\/div>Find Doctors Near You<\/a><\/div>

Over the years, doctors have deepened their knowledge of fat anatomy and nuances; improved the patient-selection process for lipo; adopted smaller, more refined cannulas, for loosening and extracting fat; capped the allowable amount taken during outpatient procedures; and developed protocols to slash complications. To what effect? Lipo’s published mortality rate in the ’90s<\/a> was roughly 1 in 5,000 (mainly due to blood clots). In 2019, it’s about 1 in 20,000, says Dallas plastic surgeon Dr. Rod Rohrich<\/a>, with those rare “deaths typically occurring when lipo is performed in combination with a tummy tuck<\/a> versus liposuction alone, which is very safe.” Liposuctioning multiple areas during a single surgery has also been shown to hike complication rates<\/a>.<\/p>

While lipo videos on social media make the operation seem mindlessly mechanical—jab, jab, jab, aaaand<\/em> abs!—a thoughtful technique and unflinching attention to detail are critical to safety. To clear out fat as efficiently as possible, plastic surgeons rely on various forms of fat-dislodging tech—from power-driven cannulas to collagen-sparking thermal devices like laser fibers and ultrasound-emitting probes. While most of these tools have been around since the ’90s, a relative newcomer to the lipo arena is radiofrequency, which is now being tapped for its purported skin-tightening prowess. <\/p>

As the role of technology arguably shifts from surgical assistant (making the task easier) to surgical enhancement (making results better), devices are becoming pivotal players in lipo’s evolution from fat-sucking procedure to body-sculpting phenomenon. <\/p>

We’re seeing it unfold all over social media—the hyper-etched abdominals and precisely defined deltoids emerging from the high-definition liposculpture<\/a> movement. Noticeably absent among the likes and comments on these posts are the reservations shared offline by plastic surgeons who personally dislike the Hulk-ish aesthetic or are troubled by the potential consequences that could arise from slapping superhero muscles on a bunch of mere mortals.<\/p>

Equally concerning to many surgeons is the modern-day spin surrounding lipo—particularly, the myriad of trademarked liposuction treatments (hello, Fun Lipo) aiming to convince us that Insert-Gimmicky-Name-Here<\/em> version is somehow superior to or less invasive than traditional, time-tested methods. “These companies get very creative with their marketing, to the point of being duplicitous and misleading,” says Philadelphia plastic surgeon Dr. Christian Subbio<\/a>. “It becomes quite confusing for patients to navigate this new age of lipo.”<\/p>

Ah, but that’s where we come in. With the help of top plastic surgeons, we’ve compiled a no-BS guide to liposuction—from prioritizing doctors over devices to ensuring a smooth surgery and recovery.<\/p>

First things first: Are you a good candidate for lipo?<\/strong><\/h2>

During lipo consults, expect potential surgeons to be sizing you<\/em> up every bit as much as you are them—and ultimately picking you only<\/em> if you meet certain criteria. “The more selective we are when choosing appropriate patients for surgery, the less risky lipo becomes,” notes Dr. Subbio. <\/p>

The ideal candidate is, first and foremost, a healthy adult with realistic expectations who understands the limitations of liposuction. Unlike a tummy tuck, say, lipo cannot tighten abdominal muscles or remove excess skin. Dr. Subbio adds, “If someone comes in, wanting lipo, but what they really need after having a set of twins and another child is a tummy tuck, I’d rather lose their business than give them the wrong surgery.” <\/p>

Another lipo limitation is the volume of fat that can be safely targeted. “There’s not necessarily a legal limit, but most board-certified plastic surgeons follow the five-liter rule—which, at 11 pounds, is still pretty significant,” explains Dr. Mahmood. (Patients looking to lose larger quantities require an overnight hospital stay to have their fluid and electrolyte levels monitored.) <\/p>

Liposuction is not a weight-loss method, after all—nor is it “a quick fix for poor lifestyle choices,” says Dr. Subbio. People should generally be within 30% of their ideal weight, notes Dr. Mahmood, and aiming to treat pockets of pinchable fat that are resistant to diet and exercise. Hot spots for lipo include the abs, love handles, back, bra rolls, upper arms, inner and outer thighs, knees, ankles, and under the chin<\/a>.<\/p>

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Before and After Neck #SAFELipo #doublechin Neck liposuction is a relatively quick procedure where unwanted fat is removed from under the chin. This is usually accomplished with one or two small, well-hidden incisions. Down time is minimal with typically a week or two of swelling and bruising.<\/a><\/p>

A post shared by Dr. Michael Lee, M.D, F.A.C.S.<\/a> (@michaelleeplasticsurgeon) on