Dr. Smith and the plastic surgery institute are always at the forefront of any new advances in plastic surgery. Dr. Smith himself has helped to advance the science and art of plastic surgery and has received many awards for this. Almost every day we hear news about some new procedure or advance in plastic surgery. Unfortunately, most of these claims are more hype than substance, and can often be more damaging then helpful.
Lately there has been a large amount of press about the benefits of laser liposuction. As with every new claim made in plastic surgery, Dr. Smith has carefully evaluated the risks and benefits of laser liposuction prior to introducing it to his practice. The initial laser liposuction machines did not have a great deal to offer in terms of advantages over traditional liposuction. In addition to this, there were increased risks in terms of possible burns to the skin. At that time, we chose not to offer laser liposuction. However, in the past two years since the introduction of laser liposuction, there have been significant advances that now make laser liposuction a beneficial tool that we can safely add to the many procedures that we offer at the plastic surgery institute.
Initially, the laser liposuction was a single laser that was not very powerful or specific for fat cells. The newest and most advanced laser liposuction (SMART LIPO,) now combines two lasers in one for better destruction of the fat cells. Initially there was hope that the laser could heat the skin and thereby tighten the skin. However, the early liposuction lasers had no real good way to heat the skin and even more concerning, no good way to measure how hot the skin became. This meant that the skin could be heated to such a small amount it was useless, or heated so much that the skin could be burned. The newest and best liposuction laser, SMART LIPO, has a special hand piece that carefully measures the temperature of the heated skin. This allows us to know exactly how hot the skin becomes so that we can heat the skin to get maximal effect without burning the skin.
There are now many laser liposuction machines available, but after careful research and for the reasons stated above, the plastic surgery institute has purchased the most advanced and safest of the laser liposuction machines, the newest generation “SMART LIPO.” With its dual lasers and patented heat sensing technology, we can do many things not possible with traditional liposuction and not possible with the other laser liposuction machines.
There are many advantages to “smart lipo” laser liposuction.
1. It is usually less invasive: for small areas such as under the chin or arms or inner thighs, we can typically use a smaller incision then we use for traditional liposuction. Often the incision size can be as small as 2 to 3 millimeters or about 1/10th of an inch. This allows for a quicker recovery and smaller scars. Also there is less pain with the actual procedure which allows us to perform the procedure under local anesthesia with or without sedation when the patient desires it. However, general anesthesia is always a choice given to the patient when he or she desires it.
2. There is usually less bruising and a quicker recovery time: Perhaps the most important advantage of laser liposuction is that there is typically less bruising and recovery time. For small areas such as the submental (under the chin, upper neck) area or for the inner thighs, patients can often have the surgery on a Thursday or Friday and be free of bruising and most of the swelling by Monday or Tuesday the next week.
3. Typically there is less pain. With the laser liposuction there is less pain during the procedure which allows us to use local anesthesia, sometimes without any sedation if the patient wants it. However, for large areas or if the patient desires it, we usually will still use general anesthesia. After surgery, the pain is also decreased. The laser makes the post-operative pain less, allowing for a quicker return to normal activity and a quicker overall recovery.
4. There is possible skin tightening. With all forms of liposuction there is usually some skin tightening. However; the tightening is usually mild and not really very helpful, especially for the loose skin in the inner thigh area or upper arms. Fortunately, perhaps the biggest advantage of laser liposuction, is the possibility to heat the skin which then can lead to skin tightening. As I mentioned above, the skin must be heated very carefully, not too much or the skin will burn, and not too little or the skin will not be tightened. The advantage of the “SMART LIPO” over all other forms of laser liposuction, it‘s specific heat sensing technology, which allows us to closely monitor the heat of the skin and to heat it just enough to tighten, but not too much. It is important to know that the amount of skin tightening varies from person to person and that skin tightening takes a very long time, usually three to six months to see the full effect.
5. There may be a reduction in cellulite. Traditional liposuction does not usually correct cellulite. This is because cellulite is not only due to fat cells, but to the skin attachments to the fat cells and therefore cellulite can be present even in very thin people. Because the SMART LIPO uses a very small fiber, and because we are able to heat the undersurface of the skin to fairly high temperatures, there is a possibility that cellulite may be improved with the smart lipo. This is a distinct advantage over other forms of liposuction.
Laser liposuction is not perfect. Laser liposuction is best for small areas. For large areas such as the abdomen, outer thighs or when there is a large amount of fat to be removed, we must combine the laser liposuction with some other form of liposuction. At the plastic surgery institute, when needed, Dr. Smith will always combine the laser liposuction with tumescent liposuction which is the safest form of liposuction. It is also important to know that with laser liposuction, all the same risks exist as with traditional liposuction and there is an additional small risk of burns to the skin. Laser liposuction requires a special laser fiber that must be replaced every time it is used, and this adds an additional cost to the procedure.
Finally, the training, skill and expertise of the surgeon is more important than the type of liposuction being performed. Fortunately Dr. Smith is a highly trained, and experienced surgeon with artistic talent.
If you are thinking about any type of liposuction procedure, or if you are thin and just want to try to correct your cellulite, feel free to contact Dr. Smith and the Plastic Surgery Institute. Our office number is 702-838-2455, or you can email us from this website or directly at smithsurgery@aol.com for an appointment.