Smart Lipo incisions and recovery time - is recovery period shorter?

Question

I am fairly fit female with stubborn fat in a few areas. Coolsculpting didn't help so I am looking at smart or vaser lipo. I have read conflicting information regarding incision sizes - some sites state that the incisions for both procedures are of the same size, where else some state that smart lipo incisions are smaller. Is the recovery period of smart lipo shorter? I don't want to do fat transfer, so looking at lipo only that also tightens skin a bit as I am in my mid 30s.

Adam Kinal, MD · Answer

Hello NomadicVibes,Smart lipo and lipo can be an excellent choice for fit people with stubborn areas that are not responding to exercise and diet. When a patient is healthy, doesn't smoke, eats a nutritious diet, and is well hydrated, recovery is pretty quick. Depending on where you want the fat removed, the surgeon will decide where to place the incisions to hide them as much as possible. Note that only subcutaneous fat can be removed (the jiggly stuff) and not the intra-abdominal fat. However, if there is very little fat to remove, incisions on either smart lipo or liposuction will be small. A small cannula can be used for the liposuction of areas with only a little fat. The size of the cannula is determined by the volume needed to be removed. These incisions heal very quickly and are usually hard to detect. If patients take care not to expose the incisions to sunlight and follow a healthy post-surgery protocol, everything should heal very well and may be almost undetectable. If only a small amount of fat needs to be removed, recovery from both procedures should be fairly quick. Both procedures give some tightening to the skin, and with an experienced surgeon, both should yield good results. We do recommend for optimal results that patients have lymphatic massages post-surgery and wear their compression garment regularly and for the first couple of weeks around the clock (except while showering). Ask your doctor how soon you can start the massages. You may want to have a couple of compression garments on hand as they need to be hand-washed and air-dried. Following your surgeon's post-procedure protocols will yield better final results. It's always a good idea to have a few consultations before making your final decision. Best of Luck.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear NomadicVibes,
I understand your concern. It is best that you consult your plastic surgeon regarding post operative care and management (i.e including massage techniques and timing) specific to your case. Your surgeon knows your condition well and has preferences on when and what to use for faster healing and recovery. Post operative care and management depends on the type of surgery performed and the technique used during surgery among other factors.It is best, however, that you follow your plastic surgeon's advice on post operative care management for a smooth and faster healing and recovery.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Marco A. Pelosi III, MD, FACOG, FACS · Answer

Lipo incisions are typically under 2-3mm in length. This applies to vaser as well as smart lipo. The recovery is the same. What matters is not the machine, but the skill of the surgeon in removing your fat.

Louis D. Cole, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Smartlipo incisions are 3-5 mm in length and usually close in 2-3 days. They continue to heal over time and if a scar gel is prescribed by your surgeon the incisions usually fade over time and appear as faint lines. Some patients do form keloids but they are not the norm. The Smartlipo procedure is a great option for reducing stubborn fat areas. Good luck on your journey.

Gregory Chambon, MD · Answer

Obviously, the size of incisions for procedures are determined by the size of instruments that are used. With smart lipo, the largest instrument I use (which is to aspirate the fat) is 5mm in size (as a reference, there are 25mm in a inch). So incisions and scarring are not an issue.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

The incision needed for most liposuction is fairly small. Depending on how much work is being done and the quality of the skin the incision can become enlarged during the procedure by simply sliding the cannula back-and-forth thousands of times especially if it has torque pressing against the side of the incision.

Even if the incision is 2 mm which is what I typically make the final opening at the end of the procedure can be substantially larger.

The incision has to be large enough to accommodate the instruments used.

The only procedure that actually requires a substantially larger opening is VASER.  With this procedure a secondary pre-treatment using an ultrasound probe is done before traditional Liposuction.

The ultrasound probe can cause burn injuries or tissue destruction at the skin incision site and for that reason a fairly substantial size skin protector is placed through the incision.  this usually requires making an opening that’s about half an inch.

When it comes to Scars for Liposuction the two most important variables are how the patient will heal based on their genetics and secondly putting in decisions strategically so that they are in hidden places.

Lower abdominal incisions should be placed low in the pubic region and inside of the belly button should be used.

If you haven’t done so already I recommend patients have multiple in person consultations before considering Liposuction.

People often do not have the skill to make a good assessment regarding what’s fat and what’s not fat or in other words the own candidacy for the procedure.

For the front of the abdomen there are four variables to contribute to shape and contour that need to be differentiated. these are skin laxity, subcutaneous fat, muscle separation from previous pregnancies and exes visceral or intra-abdominal fat.

Each of those variables has its own appropriate treatment and Liposuction only reduces subcutaneous fat.

For example, if these are pregnancy related then they are most likely not related to fat distribution.

Delivering consistent high-quality Liposuction results is more difficult than most people believe.

The results from this procedure is permanent and irreversible.

To minimize the chance of undesirable consequences and outcomes patients should select their provider carefully.

Do that by having multiple in person consultations. During the consultation ask each provider to show their entire collection of before and after pictures for the procedur and anatomic area you’re interested in.  an experienced provider should have no difficulty showing you 50 or more sets of before and after pictures.  highly experienced providers will have hundreds or possibly thousands.

Ask the provider to show results that are average above average and less than average.

I also recommend patients read all the reviews on various physician review websites avoiding providers with any significant number of justified negative reviews.

The absence of justified negative reviews is more important and more telling than an abundance of positive reviews.

It doesn’t matter what type of liposuction is done. The equipment has very little impact on the difference in outcome. In the end there are only two variables that matter and those are the candidacy of the patient and the skill/experience of the surgeon.

Owning the right brand of equipment is not what differentiates great plastic surgeons.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD

David E. Berman, MD (retired) · Answer

i have a great deal of experience with Smartlipo since i have done around 1,400 smartlipo cases in my office with just local anesthetic and oral sedation. you can return to full workouts in 5 days. It does take time to get your maximum improvement. I tell my patients that you will continue to improve for 6 months. They is less discomfort after Smartlipo since the skin will feel somewhat numb for several days after Smartlipo. 
it is very important that regardless of which technique you select, that you ONLY see a board certified plastic surgeon and not someone pretending to be one. A cosmetic surgeon is not a board specialty and is quite meaningless. 
Smartlipo if done by an experienced plastic surgeon, should have a small and very minor complication rate. however it is still surgery and it is important you get the proper qualified plastic surgeon to do your procedure.

incidentally, many many patients find Coolsculpting very ineffective and a total waste of money.

david berman, md, frcsc

ps the incisions are only about 2-3 mm

Randy Dean, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Hi and welcome to our forum!
Liposuction involves removal of fat through small pipes (cannulas) placed under the skin under extreme vacuum after pretreatment with an infusion of solution containing a blood vessel constrictor (to prevent bleeding) and an anesthetic (if performed awake). Augmented liposuction utilizes laser energy or ultrasonic energy to semiliquify the fat, making it easier to remove and adds a subtle skin tightening effect.
In general, the experience of the surgeon is more important than the type of instrument utilized. Every plastic surgeon has their favorite tool.
The size of the cannula determines the size of the incision...Usually less than 5-8 mm in length 
I recommend you visit a plastic surgeon with considerable liposuction experience and allow him / her to use the instrument with which he / she feels most comfortable.
Best wishes...

Smart Lipo incisions and recovery time - is recovery period shorter?

Answers (8)

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