Liposuction Alternatives - What Are the Options?

Question

I was thinking about getting lipo done on my stomach and back, but I made the mistake of watching a liposuction procedure on one of those educational TV shows, and now I'm scared.  All that hacking around and suctioning under the skin looked really risky and painful. 

	Are there any alternatives to liposuction that will help me get rid of fat in those tricky areas?

Farhad Rafizadeh, MD · Answer

The best alternative to liposuction is weight loss.
Liposuction may appear barbaric, but it can be done with smaller canulae and in a gentle way. It is more effective, safer and with a better track record than any other procedure that is designed to remove fat.

Joshua D. Zuckerman, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question.  Liposuction, in the capable hands of an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon, is an extremely safe and highly effective means of body sculpting.  Post-op recovery is predictable, and pain quite manageable, with most of my patients returning to work within a few days of surgery.  Other than weight loss by diet and exercise, there is no more effective means of fat removal - not Coolsculpting, not the various ultrasound- or laser-mediated modalities.

Gary Lawton, MD, FACS · Answer

There are no real alternatives to liposuction.   It is a safe procedure which can make significant improvements in your shape.

Richard J. Bruneteau, MD · Answer

The most obvious alternative to
liposuction is diet and exercise. Unfortunately, many localized areas of fat
are refractory to this method of treatment. For this reason, patients often
seek other methods of treatment.

A large variety of non-surgical
alternatives are currently available for treating localized collections of fat.
Examples include zerona, coolsculpting, mesotherapy, and endermologie. All of these procedures are associated with varying degrees
of success, but none are as effective as liposuction.

Liposuction represents the gold
standard that all other body contouring procedures are judged against. This
procedure is associated with dramatic results and high patient satisfaction
rates. In the vast majority of patients, liposuction is still the best option
for treating localized collections of fat.

If you’re concerned about
localized fat collections, consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon
who has experience with this problem is appropriate. This surgeon should be
able to discuss non-surgical and surgical options and address your fear of
surgery. Utilizing this approach, an individualized treatment plan can be
developed specifically for you.

Sean Younai, MD, FACS · Answer

weight loss by exercise and dieting is a great alternative to liposuction of abdomen. despite this there are people that have areas of fat that is resistant to weight loss measures. In this circumstances there is no alternative but the regular liposuction.

Chad K. Wheeler, MD · Answer

Traditional liposuction, ultrasonic liposuction (e.g., Vaser) and laser liposuction (e.g., CoolLipo, CoolTouch, Smartlipo, SlimLipo, LifeSculpt) are all forms of liposuction, using different approaches to injure fat and reduce or remove it. Some companies have brand names associated with their proprietary liposuction machines. The most frequently seen brand names in advertising today may be CoolLipo, Smartlipo and SlimLipo, all of which are recently released laser liposuction devices.
	Liposuction is not a weight loss procedure. It is successful for targeted fat removal to address specific problem areas. Ideal candidates have a disproportionate amount of fat in a few select areas. Examples may be love handles that won't go away despite exercise, or the saddlebags that run in your family. Patients usually have normal or slightly elevated body weight. Significantly overweight patients are generally not good candidates for liposuction alone, but may benefit from a more comprehensive approach to their body contouring needs.

	Skin quality has a dramatic influence on the effect of liposuction on your appearance. When fat is removed from beneath the skin, the skin must respond by contracting to reveal your new contour. Skin that is excessive, thin, or damaged by stretch marks may be unable to contract, leaving a deflated appearance rather than the tight, shapely appearance that is desired. Skin that is unable to contract may require removal with a body contouring procedure in order to yield the result that is desired.

	Although liposuction does not cause overall weight loss and may not be the right option for every person, patients who are good candidates for this procedure report very high levels of satisfaction with their outcomes in both the short and the long term.

	Below is a detailed description of specific types of liposuction:

	
	Traditional Liposuction: The energy delivered to remove fat cells is created by the surgeon moving the extraction cannula within the layer of fat in the site to be treated. Tiny incisions are required to insert the cannulas. Prior to suctioning, the areas to be treated are filled with fluid, which reduces bruising and diminishes pain. Because the effects of traditional liposuction result only from direct activity of the surgeon, it may be less likely to result in undesired over-extraction of fat or injury to the overlying skin. Traditional liposuction is the most commonly used type of liposuction among Plastic Surgeons, has the longest history of performance, and is the most broadly studied technique.

	Ultrasonic Liposuction: High-frequency sound waves are utilized to injure fat cells. One brand name associated with ultrasonic liposuction is Vaser. Ultrasonic techniques can improve the effectiveness of liposuction when treating dense tissue such as that found in the overdeveloped breast tissue in a man (gynecomastia). Although ultrasonic liposuction has been available for decades and is also well studied, it is not commonly used today because the power added by ultrasonic techniques also increases the risk of injury to overlying skin. This may result in burns to the skin, dimpling, scarring or persistent discomfort after treatment. It is typically used in select situations that call for a more powerful energy source.

	Laser Liposuction: A small laser-containing cannula is placed through incisions in the skin and utilized to injure fat cells and the deep layers of the overlying skin. A traditional liposuction cannula can then be used to extract injured fat cells. Because the effects of thermal injury to fat and overlying skin are not seen immediately, the outcome yielded by this technique may change over time. Although the laser-induced injury to the deep layer of the skin may result in tightening of the skin, as asserted in many company advertisements, it may be difficult to achieve a smooth, consistent degree of tightening. If every aspect of the tissue is not treated with the same amount of power from the laser, dimpling, or even burns, may result. Because of these risks and the absence of good studies demonstrating consistent results, the Plastic Surgery community has generally avoided the early adoption of CoolLipo, CoolTouch, Smartlipo, SlimLipo, LifeSculpt, or other laser liposuction machines in their practice.

Jaime Perez, MD · Answer

Unfortunately the only other option other then liposuction would be a good old fashion weight loss program. Liposuction is designed to improve those stubborn area's of fat due to genetics. I would recommend you meet with a board certified plastic surgeon who is experienced in liposuction for best results. Good luck.

Boris M. Ackerman, MD · Answer

There are a few alternatives to liposuction, but the desired change in contour will be only mild.  Properly performed Mesotherapy in a selected patient can produce noticeable result.  Some of the newer non-invasive ultrasound machines can create mild change in contour as well, but once again the results are sub-optimal comparing to liposuction.

	It is unfortunate that your first experience to liposuction was watching it on TV, as this gave you a wrong impression.  Properly performed liposuction is relatively simple procedure with minimal blood loss and quick recovery.  For optimum results you should educate yourself on this procedure, pick a surgeon that is skilled and experienced, and you will love the results.

David Hansen, MD · Answer

You are so right in your assessment regarding how brutal and barbaric looking those videos of the traditional liposuction are. Fortunately, those patients are under general anesthesia and can't feel or see what is happening to their body with those big canulas. Unfortunately, this is the way most plastic surgeons still do liposuction and that is why many patients like yourself look for alternatives. Liposculpting under the tumescent technique with micro canulas is soooooo much safer, easier for the patient, quicker recovery and with by far superior results but the downside is that it is more expensive but well worth it. Please consider seeing a doc who does this. It is not scary at all to watch and it probably will make you want to do it.

	Alternatives would include mesotherapy such as lipodissolve, etc. or ZERONA which is an external laser. Mesotherapy is worthless and risky and unsafe. It is injecting detergents and other chemicals into the body to dissolve fat. We all tried it many years ago and stopped doing it years ago fortunately. Zerona is a laser that penetrates the fat cells to cause leakage and the resultant fat oils etc. is excreted from the body. It is brand new to the US and works only on small thin areas but is painless, no surgery and no recovery and no injections. Results are modest and can be seen 2 weeks after the end of the 2 week treatment period which is $3000. It is so new that there will be skeptics who don't believe in it as I once was until I started to use the machine in my office. It is a great adjunct to my liposculpting armentarium.

Gregory A. Buford, MD, FACS · Answer

As with many of the less-invasive technologies, SmartLipo is an extremely effective treatment... but when used appropriately. It is not a replacement for traditional liposuction as some physicians would suggest.

	For larger contouring procedures involving removal of 3-6 liters of fat, there is no way that this technology can effectively contour as well as VASER LipoSelection in the same amount of time. In fact, many physicians will actually combine the two procedures and use SmartLipo to tighten skin while using VASER to remove the bulk of fat.