That's a valid concern. I'm a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon that performs both traditional liposuction and Smartlipo. Let me start by saying that Smartlipo is a very safe procedure. I participated in some of the early studies evaluating the safety of smartlipo and our conclusion was that smartlipo is at least as safe as regular liposuction, if not safer. In addition, since Smartlipo is a minimally invasive procedure, performed in the office under local anesthesia, it does not have the added risks of general anesthesia often required in more invasive procedures. Although lumps and bumps can result after regular liposuction, the risk of developing them with Smartlipo is lower because of the way the procedure is performed. With traditional liposuction larger cannulas are used that "cheese grate" and suck away the fat, which can create these waves, lumps, or bumps. Smartlipo, though, works completely differently. A small fiber, the size of angel hair pasta, delivers a laser that blasts the fat in the entire area in front of it. The laser preferentially seeks to destroy fat cells creating a more uniform result. However, regardless of the treatment option, if one attempts to remove too much fat with traditional liposuction or with smartlipo, scar tissue may develop. People heal differently, but as a rule, if you remove too much fat and leave behind only a thin layer of skin, there is a higher risk of scar tissue formation that you may feel or see.