For some people, it seems that no matter how much effort they put into diet and exercise, there are areas on their body where fat seems to accumulate in an unnatural proportion and refuse to budge. This can make a person uncomfortable when it comes time to bare all in a bathing suit on the beach, or slip into summer slim clothing that hugs the body. Liposuction has been a popular plastic surgery technique to battle these stubborn areas of fat for years and advances within the last decade have made the procedure even more effective in making the skin smooth and firm.
Laser assisted liposuction was introduced about eight years ago and has proven to be helpful in getting rid of unwanted fat deposits in combination with traditional liposuction surgery. With liposuction surgery, small incisions are made in the skin, a solution of saline mixed with a mild anesthetic and sometimes epinephrine is then injected into the fat. Then the fat is evacuated by means of suction using an aspiration machine.
When lasers are added to the procedure, the fat is heated by the light energy of the laser making it softer and easier to remove. This can make the procedure less traumatic to the tissues under the skin, making recovery quicker and possibly resulting in less pain. It is also believed that the laser energy encourages the production of collagen in the skin which naturally slows with age. Collagen “plumps up” skin cells and makes them appear fuller and smoother which is a great tool against cellulite that can accompany areas of concentrated fat.
The advantage to having laser assisted liposuction is that bruising can be less extensive and you may find that you can return to normal activities with less pain in a shorter period of time. An additional advantage to laser-assisted liposuction is that it can be performed under local anesthesia alone depending on the patient case. If several areas are being treated, it is best that more than just a local anesthetic is used and general anesthesia may be required.
Dr. Stoker is a skilled plastic surgeon in the LA area and has even been voted one of the top surgeons for liposuction in the nation by The New York Times. If you are struggling from excess fat and are looking for a solution to help you feel great about your body, call Dr. Stoker’s offices at (310) 300-1779 to schedule your liposuction consultation!
Leave a Reply