There are many benefits of laser liposuction that traditional liposuction methods just cannot offer. The technique itself is optimized to provide a way of removing unwanted body fat in very small areas. This means significantly increased precision in targeting fat cells while leaving the surrounding tissue of the area relatively unharmed. By minimizing the amount of damage caused to nearby tissue, laser liposuction is a great way to eliminate unwanted body fat with minimal risks commonly associated with traditional liposuction.
The procedure itself is only similar to liposuction in the principle of removing fat with a suction tube. Instead of using the force of the suction itself to tear fat tissue from under the skin, laser liposuction guides the laser with a fiber optic. The heat of the laser literally melts the fat while a tiny suction tube removes the liquefied fat. What isn’t picked up by the suction can be eliminated naturally with the body’s natural cleansing and waste elimination system.
Many plastic surgeons today are actually complementing traditional liposuction patients with laser liposuction when applicable. In procedures that require traditional liposuction because laser liposuction is not ideal for removing large amounts of fat, the laser technique can be used in the end to finalize the detailing of the treatment area. This is commonly used to liposuction legs because of the requirement for both legs to look symmetrical.
When it comes to numbing the area for treatment, laser liposuction patients only need local anesthesia to numb the treatment area and remain awake during the surgery. This differs from traditional liposuction where the patient must be fully sedated. This increases risks as well as the cost of liposuction surgery. The increase in dosage means more of the drug is consumed which is billed to the patient as well as the need for an anesthesiologist. All these factors and more influence liposuction pricing so it is a good idea to stick with as small a procedure as possible if you want to be economical.