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Laser Liposuction
 
  • Laser Liposuction
  • Traditional Liposuction vs. Laser Liposuction
  • Laser Lipo Less Invasive
  • It Treats Tougher Spots
  • Who is a Candidate for Laser Liposuction?
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    Laser Liposuction: Body Contouring with Less Downtime

    Laser liposuction, which is known in the dermatology and surgery world as ‘laser-assisted lipolysis’, is a new technique for improving the body contour. It combines a laser and a cannula (small tube) to liquefy fat cells and remove them with a very small incision. This enables better results with less downtime and greater flexibility.

    Traditional Liposuction vs. Laser Liposuction

    Some of my colleagues in the dermsurgery world genuinely believe that laser liposuction is more of a marketing gimmick than actual science. I respectfully disagree with this opinion. In my experience I have seen some impressive results with laser liposuction. I think your gain with laser liposuction over traditional liposuction is twofold. First of all we definitely see some collagen retraction and generation as a result of the heat from the laser underneath the skin. This helps reduce some of the looseness in the skin often associated with liposuction. Secondly laser liposuction is far less-invasive than normal lipo. We do not have to use a mechanical form to break the fat away from the surrounding structures, breaking blood vessels. This leads to far less downtime.

    Laser Lipo Less Invasive

    Laser liposuction is a minimally-invasive procedure. We make a tiny incision to insert a cannula and laser into the body, usually less than 3 millimeters (0.11 inches). This is so small we usually don’t need to use any stitches to close it. This means much less downtime, if any. Often patients go right back to work the following day.

    Treats Tougher Spots

    Liposuction can have a tough time treating certain parts of the body. For instance the upper abdomen has these fat pockets which are very tough to treat with traditional liposuction and often we can end up causing little ripples in the skin with liposuction. The neck has many blood vessels and it would be too risky to treat this area with normal liposuction. Laser liposuction allows us to treat these areas safely, often making the skin look much better afterward. This is due to the collagen and elastin generation the laser causes.

    Not too long ago I saw a patient who had fat under her chin she wanted removed. This ‘double chin’ is a common issue. Traditional lipo would have resulted in a great deal of bruising and swelling. She would not have seen the final results for anywhere from 3 to 6 months. This would also have involved general anesthesia and significant pain. With laser liposuction she was ready for work the next day. Her results were great and the procedure was performed under local anesthesia.

    Who is a Candidate for Laser Liposuction?

    It is not a replacement for traditional liposuction. Someone who needs a full surgical procedure should have that performed. This is ideal for someone who is generally in good shape, but has minor areas of fat they would like to improve. Body contouring is highly effective with laser liposuction. Areas of fat around the belly such as the spare-tire, male breasts, the arms and chin, all are great areas for laser liposuction.

     
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    New York Body Contouring expert Dr. Lori Brightman discusses laser liposuction
    How Did Treatment
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    78% Life?
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     Zeltiq really works.

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    Charlotte, NC Jul 14, 2010
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