Although Liposuction conceptually seems like a simple process by which unwanted pockets of fat are removed from the body through suction extraction, ultimately it depends on the artistic sense and the innate sculpting ability of the surgeon to be able to contour the individual patient’s body back to its ideal shape and form.
Two main advances in the technology of liposuction surgery have allowed the procedure for most patients to be able to be done in an outpatient setting with minimal associated risks and almost no downtime.
First is the advance in delivery of local anesthesia using the Tumescent technique, which has significantly reduced blood loss as well as provided excellent local pain control during and many hours after the completion of surgery. As a result, pain control is very well tolerated after surgery, enabling most patients to return to work in a day or two. Minimal bleeding during surgery has allowed the surgeon to be much more exacting in the sculpting process of the liposuction surgery.
It is very important to realize that the end result can vary quite a bit based on the patient’s age, skin thickness and elasticity, and the density, volume, and location of fat. The second advance has been to address these varying issues through development of new liposuction instrumentation, which includes power-assisted liposuction, ultrasound-assisted liposuction, and laser-assisted liposuction. There is no one best technique. What is most important is which instrument your surgeon is most comfortable with and that a consistent result is achieved.