Fortunately, “liposuction” was developed in France back in the 1970s to address these pockets of stubborn fat. The procedure came to the U.S. in the 1980s and has continued to evolve with less invasive methods and shorter recovery times.
Today, liposuction is the first or second most popular cosmetic surgery in the United States every year.
Dr. Yates performs liposuction for our patients from across Utah and the West. He uses different methods to fit the patient and her/his unique needs.
What is tumescent liposuction?
The injection of tumescent solution prior to introducing the cannula to break loose and suction away the fat was a game changer for liposuction. Tumescent solution is a mix of saline water, Lidocaine, and epinephrine. The saline solution swells the area and creates more room to work, which creates less tissue trauma. The Lidocaine provides local anesthetic during the procedure and for hours afterward. The epinephrine acts to constrict the blood vessels, which leads to less blood loss and subsequent bruising.
What is SAFElipo?
SAFElipo involves specific cannula types and a lot of smoothing and blending without suction to achieve a much smoother skin effect than is typically seen with traditional liposuction. SAFE is an acronym standing for Separation, Aspiration, and Fat Equilibration. The fat is separated from the connective tissue with power-assisted liposuction with a blending cannula technique, removed with suction and blended after removal with PAL blending. SAFElipo is a preferred technique of Dr. Yates, and it can be combined with VASER lipo (see below).
What is VASER lipo?
VASER lipo is a modification of traditional liposuction using VASER ultrasound energy immediately before liposuction. Using the VASER probes, which are inserted through the typical liposuction incisions, the fat is loosened from its surrounding tissue and emulsified into a liquid form. This facilitates more aggressive fat removal and less tissue trauma. VASER lipo is particularly helpful in areas that have already had fat treatment from previous liposuction or CoolSculpting or in dense fibrotic tissue such as the male chest or upper back.
If you’d like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Yates for liposuction, please give us a call at (801) 525-8741.