What Is Smart Lipo, and How Is It Different from Traditional Liposuction?
Smart liposuction, or Smart Lipo™, is a high-tech fat removal technique that is quickly becoming one of the most popular cosmetic procedures performed in the United States. Also known as “laser-assisted liposuction,” this minimally invasive procedure utilizes laser energy to contour and reduce small areas of unwanted fat.
Like traditional liposuction, Smart Lipo uses a hollow tube called a cannula to perform the liposuction. This cannula, however, is considerably thinner, and contains an innovative fiber optic laser that produces heat energy to safely and efficiently liquefy targeted collections of fat. In contrast to traditional liposuction, smart liposuction also promotes skin tightening, which makes it ideal for areas with coexisting loose skin, cellulite or unsightly stretch marks.
What Are the Benefits of Smart Lipo?
The ideal candidate for smart liposuction is in good general health and close to their ideal body weight (no more than 10 to 20 pounds overweight) but has deposits of excess fat that they just cannot get rid of, even with a meticulous diet and regular exercise.
The following areas of the body may be treated with Smart Lipo:
- Face
- Neck
- Arms
- Abdomen
- Hips
- Thighs
- Flanks/waist
- Back
- Chest
- Knees
- Breasts (especially male breast enlargement, or gynecomastia)
Smart liposuction has a host of benefits compared to traditional and other forms of liposuction. First, the procedure can be performed under local anesthesia, which avoids much riskier general anesthesia. Second, Smart Lipo has a significantly shorter recovery period than conventional liposuction (1 to 2 days vs. 1 week). Third, it provides meaningful reductions in blood loss, post-procedure pain/discomfort, swelling, and bruising compared to other liposuction techniques. These latter benefits are mostly a function of the minimally invasive nature of smart liposuction as well as the revolutionary laser that seals blood vessels as it glides beneath the surface of your skin.
What to Expect with Smart Lipo
Your physician will administer a local anesthetic, usually a cream or injection with a very thin needle, to numb the treatment area. Next, a very small incision (1 to 2 mm) is made and the very thin cannula is inserted just below the surface of the skin. Your physician will gently move the cannula back and forth while the fiber optic laser heats the fat cells, causing them to swell and burst. The resulting liquefied fat is gently suctioned into a sterile container or, for smaller areas, left behind to be absorbed and naturally eliminated by the body through the liver. The procedure requires no stitches and has very limited bleeding, bruising, and swelling. In addition, there is minimal downtime, as you can return to work in 1 to 2 days and can resume rigorous activity within a week. Smart liposuction can be completed in a few hours. You may begin to notice results within 1 week, but it can take up to a full 6 months to achieve the final results. In the majority of cases, you will only need one smart liposuction treatment.
Contact Precision MD today to schedule a free consultation to see if you are a candidate for the cutting-edge smart liposuction technique.