Laser Liposuction For Stubborn Body Fat

Laser Liposuction (CoolLipo™, SmartLipo™, LaserSculpt), Microsuction, Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL), Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction (UAL), Erchonia Laser Assisted Liposuction, Tumescent Liposuction In Macomb County Michigan

There are many different techniques to remove unwanted and stubborn fat from the body; a consultation with Dr. Mok or Dr. Kotlus of Allure Medical Spa in Shelby Township, Macomb County, Michigan will help you determine which procedure is right for you.

Laser Liposuction is designed to remove fat and tighten skin. Many people find that losing weight through diet and exercise tends to "miss" certain areas. In other cases, the skin, in and area like the abdomen, may have stretched and become lax after childbirth.

Liposuction is one of the most common cosmetic surgical procedures, and has undergone fantastic improvements in the past few years. Now you have the opportunity to lose your double chin or "turkey" neck, tighten those thighs, or narrow your waist!

Laser liposuction is done as an outpatient procedure; you are able to resume normal activities in less than a day in some cases.

Learn more about the advancements in modern liposuction.

• Laser Liposuction (CoolLipo™, SmartLipo™, LaserSculpt)
• Microsuction
• Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL)
• Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction (UAL)
• Erchonia Laser Assisted Liposuction
• Tumescent Liposuction

Liposuction, also known by the medical term, suction lipectomy, has evolved over the past 30 years. It was invented in Europe by an Italian gynecologist in the early 1970's. A few years later, a French surgeon improved on this technique of suctioning fat out through a tube. Prior to that time, the technique for removing fat was by taking out wedges of fat with skin, and there was considerable risk and downtime, with unsatisfactory results. This procedure of liposuction was much safer than tissue removal, involved much less scarring, and was able to create some body contouring for the first time. In the following decades, the primary problems of liposuction, blood loss and tissue injury, limited its wide spread use.

Tumescent Technique

In the early 1990's, the fist definite evidence of today's modern liposuction was published. A dermatologist in California, Dr. Jeffery A. Klein, proved that liposuction could be done safely with local anesthetic, smaller cannulas, almost no tissue trauma, and with virtually no blood loss. He developed what is known today as the Klein Formula or Tumescent Technique. Tumescent literally means "to swell". He proved that by using diluted lidocaine, an anesthetic, as well as a blood constrictor, adrenaline he could numb up an area so the liposuction did not hurt. Not only that, the adrenaline resulted in virtually no blood loss, and the swelling effect of the solution separated the tissues, so there is much less trauma. With the Tumescent technique, liposuction can be done with little concern for blood loss, very little tissue injury, limited down time, and essentially painless.

This tumescent technique is a standard practice for liposuction; some surgeons still use older techniques called the "super wet" technique. The tumescent technique is occasionally criticized because it is slower and takes more work for the surgeon. In our opinion, the speed of the procedure and work for the surgeon is irrelevant when it comes to the safety of the patient. At Allure Medical Spa we use the tumescent technique for every liposuction procedure, every time.

Laser Liposuction Or Laser Lipolysis (CoolLipo™, SmartLipo™, LaserSculpt)

Laser liposuction, also known as laser lipolysis, has several basic principal advantages: It allows the fat to be pre-treated, pre-tunneled and pre-softened before liposuction. Because the laser breaks up fat without removing it, the laser can be used on all layers of the fat in your skin. In traditional liposuction, the superficial layers (the fat cells closer to your skin) are avoided, as this can lead to surface irregularities. But this layer of fat is the most responsible for skin contraction. The use of the laser for treatment of the superficial fat is probably the reason we are seeing significant tightening with laser liposuction. The tip of the laser is able to heat up fat and water. Heating up fat causes the fat cells to be vaporized or melted. Heating up water causes tissue contraction. There has been significant speculation as to which aspect is leading to the significant tissue tightening with laser liposuction. The research that both Dr. Mok and Dr. Kotlus have done shows that it is probably the direct effect of breaking up fat close to the skin that causes the skin tightening.

There are several laser liposuction devices on the market. CoolLipo™ uses 1320nm wavelength, and SmartLipo™ uses 1064nm originally (although they are switching over to 1320nm now). LaserSculpt is not a device, but instead is a branded name referring to laser liposuction and can be used interchangeably for both CoolLipo™ and SmartLipo™. The wavelengths are similar enough so both can work. Dr. Mok and Dr. Kotlus have chosen the CoolTouch® because it is more powerful, more specific to fat, and has more utility. If you are trying to decide which laser is best for you, our opinion is that they both have similar advantages, and while the CoolLipo™ that we use has some aspects of superiority, if your doctor uses SmartLipo™, that works just fine.

Laser liposuction involves preparing the area with the laser, which essentially vaporizes the fat, causes tissue shrinkage and creates tunnels for effective all layer liposuction. For small areas the laser can be used alone, but in general it is used in conjunction with liposuction (Micro liposuction or Microsuction).

Microsuction:

Microsuction refers to the use of tiny cannulas to suction fat (Micro Liposuction). The original liposuction procedures involved using 1/2-3/4 inch thick tubes. These were able to be pushed through the fat, but resulted in unevenness of the skin, fat irregularities, and more tissue injury. Doctors and scientists were able to prove that fat could be suctioned through tiny cannulas with tiny holes,with essentially no injury to the skin and surrounding tissues. This Micro cannula technique, or Microsuction, is sometimes criticized because it takes more time and is more difficult for the surgeon. In reality, liposuction is a tedious surgery, so the surgeon should expect to work hard. We use micro cannulas, or Microsuction on all cases, as this allows more thorough fat removal, more skin evenness, and better results with less downtime and scarring.

Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL):

This involves the use of a mechanical device to aide the surgeon in fat removal. It is basically designed to make the procedure of liposuction easier. The PAL devices rotate back and forth, move in and out, or do some kind of fast movement so the surgeon does not have to use as much arm movement. We have the STAR power assisted system, and we have also used the MicroAire power assisted system. While there is no advantage or disadvantage to the patient, this is the surgeon's choice. In the past we have used it for difficult areas like the male chest, but now with laser liposuction, it is no longer advantageous.

Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction (UAL):

UAL can be divided into 2 techniques.
Ultrasound applied to the skin after tumescent anesthetichas been shown or at least is expected to help the fluid penetrate the tissues better, and can result in less post procedure discomfort. We use the same device for patients who have had liposuction and are still feeling excessive firmness to the skin after the usual 2-3 weeks. Internal ultrasound involves the use of an ultrasound probe at the tip of a wand that is inserted to break up fat before suction. The first generation devices were problematic, caused burns to the skin, and are largely abandoned. Newer ultrasounds have a much higher safety profile if used correctly. The most common today is VASER® ultrasound (sometimes referred to as Vaser Liposelection). This allows the fat to be pulverized without injuring the tissues prior to suctioning. We do not use VASER®, but feel that it is a good option.

Erchonia Laser Assisted Liposuction:

The Erchonia is a cold diode laser that alters tissue environments. It has often been talked about as the “healing” laser. It is a laser that is waved over the skin that has been shown to make the fat cells more “leaky”. It appears this “leaky” aspect of the fat cells lubricates the tissue, so when liposuction is performed, the patient has less post operative pain and discomfort, as well as a shorter period of swelling. Because the Erchonia laser is perfectly safe, ads no cost, and reduces discomfort, we use this on liposuction routinely.