Is Airsculpt worth it for me as I am considering it for the downtime? (Photos)

Question

I’m doing research and considering doing AirSculpt. One because the downtime is less than traditional lipo.

Hung William Song, MD · Answer

If by "traditional liposuction," you mean going under general anesthesia and using only suction to suck out large volumes of fat, I would say that you should definitely look at technology assisted liposuction. I personally do not perform Airsculpt® liposuction, but it looks like it is a laser assisted and power assisted liposuction (PAL). The use of technology allows us to achieve results that, in the right hands, can be superior to traditional liposuction with less trauma to the body. Laser assisted liposuction is nothing new, Smartlipo® was introduced over a decade ago. Airsculpt is one of many tools that are now available to surgeons to perform outpatient liposuction. You have to keep in mind that it is just a tool. The the skill and experience of the surgeon/artist is what is going to make the biggest difference in your outcome and your overall experience. The concept of "plucking one cell out at a time" sounds appealing from the standpoint of less down time, but it sounds like it would take forever to perform the procedure on anyone who has a significant amount of fat that needs to be removed. I use most of the different technologies that are available but the my favorite tools are Vaser® and Renuvion®. I love the Vaser® for sculpting and debulking and Renuvion® gives much better skin tightening than the lasers.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

"air sculpt" is traditional liposuction but based on your photos you need more than that, internal heating, possibly skin removal. you may even need a two staged procedure or hormonal treatment to increase weight loss with the liposuction.You need a formal evaluation by an expert in body shaping and contouring to determine what is best.  Traditional liposuction awake and smart liposuction are old methods and do very poorly for tightening skin or significant skin tightening or contouring.  Small problem areas can be improved slightly by these methods.  The best in body contouring not only removes fat with energy devices like VASER ultrasound but also internally heat the skin with radio-frequency devices such as J PLASMA/RENUVION, InMode BodyTite, ThermiRF to heat the under surface of the skin and tighten it at the same time as fat removal. These combinations are called 4D HIDEF VASER contouring and can only be done by a well . trained body contouring specialist. At the same time fat should be harvested, PRP and stem cells added and injected into muscles or indentations/cellulite to get body shaping and contouring.  This is known as a Brazilian butt lift when you inject the fat to the buttock for contouring and lifting, but fat can also be used in areas such as the chest/breast, arms/shoulders, calves and face.  Cellulite should also be treated with cellfina, sculptra, subcision and/or fillers such as bellafill, renuva synthetic fat, or sculptra.  If skin is very loose before surgery then it will need to be removed such as lower abdominal skin (tummy tuck/abdominoplasty), breast skin (breast lift), arm skin (brachioplasty).  Overall you need a full assessment, but simple liposuction alone will not tighten skin and needs a combination of various methods -- fat removal, skin tightening, defining, fat grafting, skin removal -- to get the best in body contouring and body sculpting.  Dr. Emer.

Harry T. Haramis, MD, FACS · Answer

All fat removal, liposuction while minimally invasive, does have similar down time. Add for fat transfer. Whether PAL, Smart Lipo, Airsculpt, etc.Do not be misled by no anesthesia, no down time, etc. Non invasive treatments such as cool sculpting reduce fat, but do not achieve results similar to liposuction.360 liposuction with transfer to your buttocks as asked is a great, transforming procedure- however there are no short cuts. An exam and consultation with a plastic surgeon who is expert in liposuction is recommended to discuss your best options and expectations.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Humorous927308,
based on your photo, it looks like you would benefit from a liposuction. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Mary Beth Mudd, MD · Answer

This is a great question and I commend you for doing your homework. Traditional liposuctionists will likely disagree, but my patients who have LaserLipo or BodyTite at my office and had traditional liposuction done previously all tell me that it was easier to recover from the non-traditional liposuction method. Traditional liposuction frequently uses larger diameter cannulas to rip the fat loose before suctioning it out. LaserLipo and other non-traditional methods will melt fat or damage the fat cells more gently before removing the fat cells so there is less trauma. This results in less soreness for the patient, which helps the patient to recover more quickly. While non-invasive treatments like CoolSculpting do not give the same level of results as liposuction, all types of minimally invasive (using tiny incisions to get under the skin) can give you the same level of results as traditional liposuction. To be honest, the level of your results depends more on the skill of the physician performing the procedure, rather than the method used. However, the recovery period can definitely depend on the type of procedure that was done since more gentle methods create less tissue trauma which results in faster recovery. I appreciate you sharing your photos since I was able to see that you actually have 2 problems to address - the fat deposition as well as loose skin. You may want to consider looking into a procedure such as BodyTitie since this can melt your fat as well as tighten your skin. I would suggest getting consultation with a physician who is experienced in several methods of permanent fat reduction so you can be properly assessed for the procedure that will help you get the results that you are seeking.  Best wishes, Mary Beth Mudd

Leonard Grossman, MD · Answer

Airsculpt fat reduction is no different from laser liposuction. The results will be the same as long as the procedure is being performed by a competent plastic surgeon. It is not the technique which is used to reduce the fat, It is the person behind the device that is important. The ease of recovery and the quality of the result is also dependent on the plastic surgeon and not the machine which is being used. Our patients routinely go to work the next day and do not need to wear any compression garments or need painkillers. I hope this helps and good luck from New York City plastic surgery

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

The recovery after liposuction is not so much dependent on what device is used but rather how aggressive the procedure is performed. Some areas will have a longer recovery than others.

Recovery is also a very gradual process and so what one person calls recovered is different for someone else. Even with Airsculpt it takes 3 to 6 months for the results to be final so someone claim the recovery takes 3 to 6 months.

Most patients can get back to lower impact daily activities in 3 to 5 days after liposuction though they will still be sore and will certainly not see the results at that time.

By three weeks most patients should be able to engage in unlimited physical activities though the results are not close to being final yet.

This is a relevant of who does the procedure or what device is used.

Based on your pictures you will need aggressive high-volume Liposuction if you want to have a substantial result.

For that reason you should expect recovery to take a little longer than those who have a more gentle procedure or have less fat removed.

Weight loss is probably the correct recommendation rather than Liposuction.

If you choose body contouring then Airsculpt only offered by Elite Body sculpture is a great option.  The surgeons working for Elite are true specialist typically with far more experience than average providers.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD

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