VASER Lipo Advantages Over Traditional Liposuction

Background

According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons more and more people are turning to liposuction as a way of removing fat. Despite an overall reduction in the number of cosmetic surgery operations, dropping by 9% in 2014, liposuction managed to buck the trend with a rise of 7%.

Liposuction methods have come a long way since first used in 1920, and new methods seem to be discovered every year. The latest technique is Vaser Liposelection, also known as Liposculpting; a big improvement on the more traditional methods in the opinion of many. This method targets localised stubborn pockets of fat that are resistant to diet or exercise, and is a minimally invasive procedure.

What is VASER Lipo

Vaser Lipo, to give it its commonly used name, stands for Vibration Amplification of Sound Energy at Resonance, and uses ultrasound to break down the fat. The technique is becoming popular due to its quick recovery time, and immediate results compared to the more traditional surgical liposuction procedures.

As each person is unique, choosing which method of liposuction to remove excess fat is an individual choice. Where traditional liposuction is used when there are larger areas of fat, Vaser Lipo is used for patients with an average Body Mass Index (BMI) and who are looking to remove small volumes of fat from key areas of the body.

Advantages of VASER Lipo

One of the primary benefits of using Vaser Lipo is that the procedure can be completed quickly. The operation is done on a day-case basis, and that is often preferred to being an overnight patient. Vaser Lipo can be completed quickly under local anaesthetic rather than taking up to three hours, as for traditional liposuction. Recovery time is faster due to it being a much less intrusive and single procedure rather than being used in conjunction with Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck). The procedure stimulates collagen production, resulting in the skin tightening rather than sagging, so there is no need to perform a tummy tuck.

The other reason that people choose this method over the more traditional ones is that the results of the procedure are visible from day one, and continue to improve in the following months. Patients can also return to normal activities within a shorter time span, although there may be a small amount of discomfort following the procedure. As a low level of heat is produced during the procedure, there is a small possibility of erythema ablipo (skin discolouration). There may also be some minor bruising and bleeding immediately following the procedure.

To ensure patients receive the most optimal results, doctors recommend they plan to have manual lymphatic drainage massage regularly for the two weeks following the procedure. Patients may also need to have a surgical drain fitted before leaving. This is easily removed and is only required for up to five days post procedure. There is a requirement for patients to wear compression garments for between two to four weeks after the operation.

There are some variations in the method of Vaser Lipo, and depending on which method is used patients may be advised not to drive or fly for a few weeks during recovery.