What You Should Know on Liposuction Techniques

Liposuction surgery is the most commonly performed cosmetic surgery in the World. More than a quarter of a million liposuctions were performed in 2005.

Many things have changed after liposuction was first introduced in 1974 and this kind of operation is becoming increasingly popular, as the skills of the surgeons and the different techniques are improving throughout decades.

Choices, options and results can vary widely after liposuction surgery. Doctors should make sure those who are overweight and interested for liposuction treatment understand that liposuction is not “magic”. Liposuction is usually very effective in shaping the body in fat-prone areas such as the buttocks, breasts, hips, abdomen, chin, cheeks, neck and arms. According the American Association of Plastic Surgeons (AAPS), liposuction is most effective on, “Normal-weight people with firm, elastic skin who have pockets of excess fat in certain areas.”

Liposuction surgeries can be performed in hospitals, in the surgeon’s office, and others in an outpatient surgery center. Larger liposuction surgery performed in a hospital, and may require a day or so of hospital stay for observation and recovery. For reasons of cost and convenience, many smaller liposuction surgeries are performed outside Operation Theater on an outpatient basis. Basic liposuction techniques are, namely Dry Liposuction, Wet Technique, Super-Wet Technique and Tumescent Liposuction.

Dry or Traditional Liposuction is commonly called as first liposuction technique . It originates from the procedure of lipectomy, which involves suction of tissues with a standard cannula. The operation is done without using any external fluid. It comprises putting high negative pressure on the tissue and sucking out the fat from the body. The bad after-effects of dry liposuction techniques are substantial blood loss, necrosis, nerve damage and trauma to the tissues.

Tumescent fluid is used in the second type of liposuction technique i.e. the Wet Technique. The operation is done by injecting of tumescent fluid(such as saline, epinephrine) into the fattened tissues. Unlike Tumescent Technique, this method involves injection of less tumescent solution than the amount of the fat itself.

The third liposuction technique is quite similar to the Wet Technique, and that is why it is called Super-Wet Technique. The tumescent fluid amount is equal as quantity to the fat that is removed after injection.