“Do you do super-lipo?”  Questions like this one are not uncommon when my office staff answer calls about Liposuction.  Whatever the latest innovation in liposuction surgery is that hits the media becomes the essential buzz word.  Personally, I love innovation and am always looking for a way to improve my patients’ results.  I also appreciate the advances that lead to new equipment, and currently make us of a number of newly developed items.  But choosing a plastic surgeon based on the machine he or she uses doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.  Liposuction machines, like scalpels, lasers and sutures are tools a surgeon uses, or brushes if you will, in the hands of an artist.  We surgeons tend to find the types we like the best, that is, the ones which help us get the best results for our patients.  I think a more appropriate question for a potential patient to ask would be, “May I see some photographs of your previous liposuction patients?”

That being said, this is an exciting time for liposuction.  Innovations in the design of liposuction equipment has helped us, but even more so, innovations in technique and more versatile applications of the procedure.  We still have and will always have the limitations; liposuction is not a method of weight loss. But in the right patient with realistic expectations it can be a great way to improve areas that won’t go away no matter how many crunches you do or how long you’re on the elliptical. We are also able to combine liposuction safely with other body contouring procedures such as abdominoplasties and lower body lifts.  In addition, we can perform fat-grafting to other areas  such as the buttocks or dimples from cellulite using the fat that we would otherwise have thrown away.

What about claims of faster recovery, less pain, better results…?  Everyone heals differently, and there are no guarantees in medicine, so I would be wary of any claims that seem to be “over the top.”  From what our patients tell us, there is not a lot of pain after liposuction, especially compared to other surgical procedures.  They get back to work quickly, and good results can be obtained with any number of techniques and tools.  We have video patient testimonials on our site from patients who volunteered to share their experience, because it’s always nicer to hear it from someone who has had it done.

So if you’re thinking about liposuction, remember there’s a lot of good innovation out there, but in the end, it’s the surgeon, not the tool that will be doing your surgery.  If you like a surgeon’s work and get along well with them, I’d say you’re better off letting them choose the tools that they feel have the best chance of giving  you the result you looking for.

Copyright Loomis Plastic Surgery 2010