The adaptation of laser technology into a liposuction technique results the type of plastic surgery known as laser liposuction.
There are slight differences in trade names over the particular details of how the laser is manufactured and applied to the liposuction procedure but in general the new technique simply improves on a traditional method that has been reputed as physically punishing to the patient’s body.
With shorter recovery time, lower risk exposure overall and greater accuracy especially when targeting tiny fat deposits, laser liposuction is a primary driver for the market growth for the suction assisted fat removal surgery known as liposuction.
There are three major trade names that laser liposuction is marketed as and each offers their own advantages as well as disadvantages relative to each other and other alternative procedures in the cosmetic surgery market.
Most procedures are performed in more or less the same way. The patient receives a dose of local anesthesia to numb the area of the body that will be treated.
Then the fat cells to be removed are targeted with a laser which generates enough heat to literally melt the fat and releasing a liquid form. A suction tool is used to remove the liquefied fat from the area.
Smart Lipo is probably the most popular name out there today and is very effective at working small areas of the body. The arms, back, chin and facial area are ideal parts of the body that will commonly be treated with Smart Lipo.
It is marketed heavily giving it more brand recognition over Cool Lipo, a similar method with a different patent. The difference between the two is in the wavelength of the laser used.
Cool Lipo uses a 1064nm laser to melt the fat while SmartLipo employs a higher frequency wavelength of 1320nm. The difference in results produced by the different laser frequencies has yet to be determined. Both lasers have thus far produced the same results offering patients a sculpted body, lower body fat, and skin tightening.
A third, less popular trade name is Pro Lipo which offers the same results as Smart Lipo and Cool Lipo. The procedure is performed the same regardless of laser frequency.
In laser lipo procedures, the patient only requires local anesthesia to numb the area to be treated. This is preferred over general anesthesia that is used to fully sedate the patient. A lower dose of the drug means less risk of administration error and other undesired side effects from particular solutions.
It also keeps the line of communication open between surgeon and patient since local anesthesia patients are still awake and can let the surgeon know of any unusual discomfort during the surgery. All laser procedures use a fiber to direct the laser energy to the targeted are of fat cells.
Sometimes, any one of the different types of laser liposuction is used to compliment other liposuction procedures as a way of defining and refining the sculpting of the area.