Q: What are the pros and cons of SAFELipo?

Pros There’s no heat involved in the process—and, therefore, less risk of thermal damage to the tissue and skin (which also decreases downtime). The gentle yet effective separation step allows more fat to be emulsified and removed than with traditional liposuction. The extra step of fat equalization minimizes such skin irregularities as ripples, lumps, and puckers. It can be paired with other augmentation procedures, including tummy tucks, facelifts, and breast lifts. It can be used to revise poor results from previous liposuction procedures. You can transfer the fat harvested from SAFELipo to other areas of the body, such as the breasts, according to RealSelf experts . (However, it may add more time—and, therefore, cost—to the procedure.) Cons Because it’s a surgical procedure, it may require general anesthesia. Tenderness and achiness can last for weeks after the procedure.

Q: What are the alternatives to SAFELipo?

Popular alternatives to SAFELipo include SmartLipo , which uses laser technology to melt the fat, and VASER liposuction , in which ultrasonic vibrations break up the fat. The major advantage of SAFELipo over these is that it has a lower risk of incidental damage to the surrounding tissue. “VASER and SmartLipo use ultrasound energy or lasers to help destroy the fat, which makes it easier for the surgeon. Unfortunately, they can also heat up nerves, blood vessels, and skin and induce more scarring,” says Dr. Jeffrey Claiborne , a plastic surgeon in Mandeville, Louisiana, in a RealSelf Q&A . However, doctors who prefer SmartLipo say the heat generated by the laser helps collagen to contract, which provides better skin tightening.

Question 1

What is SAFELipo?

Accepted Answer

The SAFELipo liposuction technique is a form of liposuction that involves three steps spelled out in the name: separation, aspiration, and fat equalization. Developed to address the most common liposuction side effects that lead to revision procedures, this method offers the same body contouring and fat reduction of liposuction—but with a faster healing time and less risk of lumpy or uneven results.

The first two steps of SAFELipo, separation and aspiration, are the same as in traditional liposuction procedures. Separation involves “debulking” the fat with a special “exploding-tip” cannula inserted through a small incision. This cannula is heat-free, suction-free, and able to vibrate, which gently loosens the fat cells so they can be easily removed while preserving the surrounding blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissues. The second step, aspiration, is the removal of the loosened fat. Instead of the typical cannulas used to remove fat in traditional liposuction, SAFELipo uses smaller cannulas and gentle suction to remove it, with minimal bleeding or damaging. “This allows for removal of all the targeted fat, and the surgeon doesn’t have to use a lot of manual force, like with other liposuction methods—which is another reason there’s minimal bruising and bleeding with SAFELipo,” says Dr. Simeon Wall Jr., a plastic surgeon in Shreveport, Louisiana, and the developer of the technique, in a RealSelf Q&A.

What really sets SAFELipo apart from other forms of liposuction is the last step of fat equalization. During this step, the light layer of fat remaining beneath the skin is then sculpted and molded, using the same exploding-tip cannula, so that it’s smooth and even and without any of the indentations, puckering, and ripples that sometimes occur after traditional liposuction. Using the cannula, the layer may also be evened out, if necessary, with the emulsified fat collected during the aspiration step. “It allows us to provide a smooth layer of fat, almost like fat grafting, under all the areas treated with liposuction,” says Dr. Nick Slenkovich, a plastic surgeon in Littleton, Colorado, in a RealSelf video. “That allows us—particularly when we’re going for a particularly “skinny” result, where there’s not a lot of distance between the skin and the muscle or the tissues down below—to leave a smooth, even layer of fat.”

SAFELipo is a good option to revise poor results or side effects, like lumpiness, resulting from previous liposuction procedures. And it can be performed anywhere on the body that traditional liposuction is used—such as the face, neck, upper back, arms, legs, knees, and breasts—but it’s especially beneficial for circumferential areas of the body, such as the midsection or thighs, that can be completely circled.

Question 2

What are the pros and cons of SAFELipo?

Accepted Answer

Pros

There’s no heat involved in the process—and, therefore, less risk of thermal damage to the tissue and skin (which also decreases downtime).
The gentle yet effective separation step allows more fat to be emulsified and removed than with traditional liposuction.
The extra step of fat equalization minimizes such skin irregularities as ripples, lumps, and puckers.
It can be paired with other augmentation procedures, including tummy tucks, facelifts, and breast lifts.
It can be used to revise poor results from previous liposuction procedures.
You can transfer the fat harvested from SAFELipo to other areas of the body, such as the breasts, according to RealSelf experts. (However, it may add more time—and, therefore, cost—to the procedure.)

Cons

Because it’s a surgical procedure, it may require general anesthesia.
Tenderness and achiness can last for weeks after the procedure.

Question 3

How much does SAFELipo cost?

Accepted Answer

The cost of SAFELipo depends how many areas you’re having treated, the experience level of your surgeon, and their practice location. It’s not typically covered by insurance, and you may have out-of-pocket expenses for compression garments and other recovery supplies.

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Question 4

What happens during a SAFELipo procedure?

Accepted Answer

You’ll start with a consultation, during which your surgeon will assess whether you’re a good candidate for SAFELipo. “The best candidates are people who are already engaged in a healthy lifestyle and have been at a stable weight for four to six months prior to having liposuction,” says San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Trent Douglas in a RealSelf Q&A. “Patients with loose skin or loss of skin elasticity do not typically do well with liposuction, so having good-quality skin that will retract down after fat removal helps with optimizing the final result.” Like any liposuction procedure, SAFELipo is not intended for weight loss.

On the day of your procedure, you’ll arrive at either your doctor’s office or the hospital, depending on your provider. You’ll start by receiving an anesthetic. For smaller treatment areas, this could be a local anesthetic. Larger areas may call for twilight anesthesia, meaning you’re very relaxed, or even general anesthesia, so you’re asleep. If that’s the case, you’ll receive anesthesia via an intravenous line.

Your provider will begin by making a small incision in the treatment area. A sterile saline-anesthetic solution will be injected, to loosen the tissue, before inserting the wand and passing it back and forth, to gently loosen and emulsify the fat. After that, your surgeon will remove the wand and replace it with the small cannula, to suction out the fat. Finally, they’ll smooth the remaining fat in order to get an even result.

The procedure can take anywhere from 10 minutes to a few hours, depending on the area you’re treating.

Question 5

How long does SAFELipo recovery take?

Accepted Answer

You can go home after the procedure, but you should expect to recover as you would after any surgery. You’ll have about one week of downtime (about a week less than with traditional liposuction), and you’ll have to wear a compression garment nonstop until your follow-up appointment, a few days afterward. Then, depending on your recovery, you may be able to wear the garment less often or switch to one that’s less compressive. You’ll also need to massage your skin regularly in order to prevent knots and lumps, which have been reported by a few RealSelf members.

Swelling can last for 8 to 12 weeks following your procedure. Many RealSelf members report feeling bruised, stiff, sore, and achy in the first two weeks post-treatment, though the recovery tends to be easier than with traditional liposuction. However, one member experienced intense pain in the treatment area after a few days.

With the SAFELipo technique, most patients can resume their daily activities within a week. The total recovery period may be longer if pairing SAFELipo with other procedures, such as a tummy tuck and/or breast lift.

Question 6

Are SAFELipo results permanent?

Accepted Answer

It takes up to a year for the skin to fully tighten and final results to appear. After that, the effects should be permanent—if you maintain a stable weight.

RealSelf Tip: Only board-certified plastic surgeons can perform the SAFELipo procedure. For the best results, it’s critical to find a surgeon who has the expertise to perform your surgery. “Far more important than the technique is the skill and experience of your plastic surgeon,” says Dr. Larry Nichter, a plastic surgeon in Newport Beach, California, in a RealSelf Q&A. Because SAFELipo is a method and not a device, you’re relying on your plastic surgeon to deliver the results.

Question 7

What are the alternatives to SAFELipo?

Accepted Answer

Popular alternatives to SAFELipo include SmartLipo, which uses laser technology to melt the fat, and VASER liposuction, in which ultrasonic vibrations break up the fat.

The major advantage of SAFELipo over these is that it has a lower risk of incidental damage to the surrounding tissue. “VASER and SmartLipo use ultrasound energy or lasers to help destroy the fat, which makes it easier for the surgeon. Unfortunately, they can also heat up nerves, blood vessels, and skin and induce more scarring,” says Dr. Jeffrey Claiborne, a plastic surgeon in Mandeville, Louisiana, in a RealSelf Q&A.

However, doctors who prefer SmartLipo say the heat generated by the laser helps collagen to contract, which provides better skin tightening.

SAFELIPO

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