Is Vaser Liposuction appropriate for patients with Lipedema (lipoedema)?

Hello and thank you for your question.  It can. indeed, be very confusing, with all the competing technologies all claiming to be the best.  Vaser is a great option for liposuction to treat lipedema, but then so is standard liposuction using a power-assisted device or Body-Jet water-assisted liposuction or Tickle Lipo or any other liposuction system out there.  The key to treating lipedema is simply to get the fat out of the treated area.  I have had the opportunity to use most liposuction systems out there and I can get great results with any of them.  You asked about the differences between systems.  All liposuction these days uses "tumescent" fluid for numbing the tissue and to control blood loss.  Tumescent fluid is a mixture of lidocaine (numbing agent) and epinephrine (a vasoconstrictor) in either saline or other IV fluid.  This solution is pumped or injected into the fatty tissue to be treated to both numb the tissue and to limit bleeding.  Vaser liposuction uses an ultrasonically vibrating rod to first loosen the fat and generate heat, which allows for greater skin tightening than one would get using standard liposuction alone.  Once the fatty layer has been broken up by the Vaser device, the fat is suctioned out using a suction cannula.  Standard liposuction skips the ultrasonic step and goes straight to the suctioning, either using old fashioned elbow grease or using a power-assisted liposuction (PAL) unit, such as a Micro-Aire.  Water-assisted liposuction is the same as Body-Jet, which sprays a forceful spray of dilute tumescent solution to loosen the fat while also suctioning at the same time.  Tickle Lipo uses a rotating tip, the company refers to as "nutational" energy, to loosen the fat as it is being suctioned.  Lastly, there is laser-assisted liposuction, in which laser energy is used to both loosen the fat and to heat the skin for added skin-tightening.  Examples of these include Smartipo, CoolLipo, LipoLight, and others.  Any of these would work for treating lipedema.I would recommend scheduling more than one consultation with a reputable cosmetic surgeon and be sure to ask about his/her experience treating lipedema patients.  Go with the one you feel comfortable with and confident in, regardless of the specific type of liposuction system being offered.  I have seen poor results and great results with all of these and the skill of the surgeon is more important than the brand of device used.  Best of luck!

hello alizy I would advice you go for an in-patient consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to advice you on the best procedure to undertake. #options #procedure

The short answer is YES!!
The difference between VASER and WAL is that in VASER the energy source is ultrasound which fragments the fat and in WAL the energy source is high powered water jet which fragments the fat.
In both instances one uses tumescence (the tissue is filled with local anaesthetic ).  In addition one can use general anesthesia or IV sedation.
I've used VASER succesfully for many years for Lipoedema and lymphoedema patients.

Your questions are good. There are many ways to classify suction assisted lipectomies or Liposuction. If using the method of fluid additions there are 4 categories (see are no longer recommended): #1 Dry Method - using no tumescent fluids, not in use today. #2 Wet Methd or Tumescenct Fluid injections of a mixture of salon or ringers lactate with epic and xylem, in a formulation. Most commonly used by non surgeons and some PSs. #3 Super Wet Method - mostly by PSs to add additional fluids to areas. This is where Water Assisted Liposuction comes in to play. The WAL is the instillation of are amounts of fluids as suction is preformed. Thus WAL can also be placed in liposuction category of type or techniques (this is the next classification). The Technique categories are: #1 Traditional/Classical using all different caliber cannula. This would include superficial liposculpture and aired liposuction. Very physical effort needed. #2 Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL)using a motor to vibrate or rotate the cannula. #3 UltraSonic Liposuction & or VASER - using ultrasonic sound waves on different wattages to 'met' the fat by heat generated by high intensity sound waves heating the areas. #4 LASER assisted Liposuction - SmartLipo or SlimLipo using YAG laser light beam to melt fat. #5. Radio Frequency Liposuction. Thus there are many options to liposuction. BUT the major d=iffeences are the expertise of the surgeon....Good Luck...
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