Liposuction Techniques Now & Then

Let’s talk about the basics of liposuction. Most people have a vague idea about the definition, that is liposuction is a way to remove fat from under the skin using a suction device. Yep, that’s it. Liposuction, also called liposculpture, lipoplasty, or suction lipectomy is used to remove adipose or subcutaneous fat, the fat just under a person’s skin. What people may not know is how and why the basic techniques of liposuction are used. What is tumescent liposuction anyway, you might ask.

Liposuction was developed in the early 1970s in Italy. This original type of liposuction is now known as “traditional liposuction.”  Later in 1977 a French surgeon began to use hyaluronidase , a substance that helped to break up hyaluronic acid. That may look familiar to you. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is the very substance that some facial fillers are made from. You may remember that  HA based fillers increase draw water to the facial area to be filled. Hyaluronidase did the opposite, it helped to break up the fibrous connective tissue holding the fat to the skin and other tissues. This was the first “wet” technique. But it was not until the 1980s when an American named Jeffery Klein introduced the “tumescent” technique.

The problem with previous attempts at liposuction was blood loss. The tumescent technique minimizes the loss of blood by using epinephrine (basically adrenaline) and a local anesthetic, which are injected into the tissue diluted in a large volume of saline. The technique is called “tumescent” because it swells the area that is injected with this solution: tumescent means “to swell.” Not only does the saline solution mechanically loosen the fat, but the epinephrine, along with the saline, has the effect of decreasing bleeding. This is because the epinephrine causes vasoconstriction, which reduces the blood flow in tissues. Now there was a way to perform liposuction without much blood loss, and the possibility of not using general anesthesia. Liposuction may be performed under local, or general anesthesia if deemed preferable to make the patient even more comfortable. The lidocaine, the local anesthetic, is easily absorbed by fat and this is an added plus.

So the low down is that tumescent liposuction causes less blood loss, and is less painful than traditional liposuction, also known as  the “dry technique,” which almost no one performs anymore. However, now days, the tumescent technique is often combined with ultrasound. This is VASER assisted liposuction. Ultrasound had been used previously in other surgical procedures, because it was discovered to liquefy fat while preserving connective tissue. Again, it was Europeans who first attempted to combine ultrasound with liposuction, but it was Americans who combined the two step procedure of emulsifying the fat with the ultrasonic vibrations, while subsequently suctioning out the fat.

At Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center, tumescent liposuction and VASER assisted liposuction are both available to Arkansas patients. Come in for your consultation.

Dr. Branman

Feel free to call Melinda at the front desk for your consultation with me. 501-277-0707