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I don't care for SmartLipo or laser lipolysis. I don't think it has any advantages over carefully performed liposculpture with the PALS (power assisted liposculpture) technique. It is advertised as "new liposuction" with unsubstantiated claims that it is superior to conventional liposuction. I have not seen one single solid study done in this country showing it is superior to conventional liposuction and has a lower complication rate. And it has dangers that are profound, unique to the laser and not found in conventional liposuction or PALS. Any small liposuction can be performed under local anesthesia with satisfactory patient comfort, so no advantage there. With laser lipo techniques, Laser energy is applied below the skin to melt fat. Everybody and their sister from every possible specialty is taking a course and then doing the laser lipo because it is "New" "Revolutionary" and patients who don't know better flock like moths to the light to seek wonder treatments. However laser can also melt nerve sheaths, made of sphingomyelin, a fatty compound. What are the long term effects on nerves? We now know know about the chronic pain disasters from ultrasound liposuction when the energy is applied for too long in one spot. Laser can burn the subdermal plexus, literally the blood supply to the skin. This can burn the skin, change its texture/color or make a hole. Are you better off having "laser liposuction" from somebody who took the course last weekend, or go to a board certified plastic surgeon with 20 years experience with various liposuction techniques? You decide that one. I have personally seen a patient on whom laser lipolysis was performed in the submental area with a full thickness burn to her face along the jawline. She will have a scar for life on her face. This would never have happened from submental liposuction under local anesthesia without the laser. I have seen another patient with terrible irregularities in the upper abdomen from laser lipolysis. So where is the greater safety profile? I know this will be an unpopular post, but I feel it my duty to give the other side to this marketing juggernaut.
This is the most frequently asked question by my patients in my practice.Smart Lipo is less invasive, patients are highly satisfied, and you can return to normal activity quicker.There is less bleeding, swelling and bruising with Smart Lipo. Also, with Smart Lipo, you also have tightened skin from collagen production where lasers are used. This is visible after three to six weeks. Another difference between Smart Lipo and traditional liposuction is that the procedure can be done under local anesthesia instead of general anesthesia, which means Liposuction introduced the world to body contouring. Now Smart Liposuction takes an amazing concept and makes it even better. Whether your doctor uses it to complement traditional liposuction for large areas or to treat targeted trouble spots, Smart Liposuction was the first and is the trusted choice in laser-assisted lipolysis.TRADITIONAL LIPOSUCTION:Under general anesthesia Loose Skin remains where fat is suctioned outSignificant PainIncreased chance of complications ( Based on Touch ups)Resume work after 7-10 daysSMARTLIPOLocal anesthesia Tightened skin from collagen production where lasers are used (visible after three to six weeks months)Less PainLess chance of complications (based on touch ups)Resume work after two days
With Smartlipo, a laser helps melt and loosen fat before removal. Traditional liposuction procedures require the surgeon to manually dislodge the fat, which can cause trauma to the surrounding tissues. The laser energy Smartlipo applies has also been shown to tighten nearby skin, creating an overall improvement in skin tone. For those reasons, Smartlipo is my preferred approach.
To understand laser lipo (smart lipo), you need to understand traditional lipo. Traditional lipo is a two-step process. The first step is the injection of "wetting solution" into the fat. The purpose of the wetting solution is to constrict blood vessels (to minimize blood loss), and to deliver anesthesia into the fat. If large amounts of anesthesia are injected into the fat, the procedure is called tumescent liposuction and it can be done with the patient wide awake. If low amounts of anesthesia are injected into the fat, the procedure is called superwet liposuction and it is done with the patient asleep. The anesthesia lingers after the surgery to provide pain relief. The second step of traditional liposuction is the removal of fat with suction tubes called cannulas. Laser lipo is an extra step added in between the two steps of traditional liposuction in which a specially designed laser fiber is passed through the fat layers and fired to destroy the fat cells using heat energy. It is claimed that this step can soften the fat layers to make suction of the fat easier, seal blood vessels to reduce blood loss, and shrink collagen near the skin surface to enhance skin shrinkage. Most surgeons who use these lasers doubt the first two claims, but find useful skin shrinkage in properly selected patients.
SmartLipo is laser assisted Liposuction. Its probably better to research who is doing your procedure. Smart doctors have learned how to use technology to get the desired result. We combine both technology now. Liposuction using Smartlipo permanently destroys & removes the treated fat cells. Adults do not create new fat cells. One of my patients recently had SmartLipo but had poor results and was burned! She said "I didn't know that my cosmetic surgeon was not a Plastic Surgeon" We had to fix her abdomen and other areas damaged by the laser. Cost should not be the only criteria for selecting your Plastic Surgeon. Experience and training matters a lot. Non Plastic surgeons (cosmetic surgeons) tend to charge less than Plastic Surgeon. Below are other criteria to use when selecting a Plastic surgeon.Questions to ask (Answering NO is a big red flag)1) Are you a plastic surgeon? (Do you know difference between cosmetic surgeon & plastic surgeon)2) Are you board certified in Plastic Surgery?3) Will the procedure be performed at a fully accredited procedure room or ambulatory surgery center4) Do you have hospital privilege to perform liposuction or SmartLipo? 5) Do you offer complication insurance (it does happen, it better to be safe)The most important decision is to do your homework well. Any doctor can offer SmartLipo. Its your duty to know who is doing your procedure. Its better to choose a Smart Doctor. Good luck.
Smartlipo is a form of laser-assisted liposuction. The device melts the fat in the area, making it easier to remove with a cannula. The laser energy has also been found to boost collagen production, promoting skin retraction following surgery.
