Sunday, August 8, 2010

I'm Considering Getting Tumescent Liposuction - What Do I Need to Know?

Liposuction is a big phenomenon in today's world. More and more people are deciding to use this surgical procedure, which is also called lipoplasty and suction lipectomy, to remove their excess fat and trim their bodies.

In America, the surgery is especially popular. For twelve out of the last thirteen years, it has ranked as the number one most popular cosmetic surgery in the United States. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans undergo this cosmetic surgery.

However, although we tend to speak of liposuction as a single procedure, there are actually quite a number of different techniques or methods that can be used to remove the fat. Some techniques use lasers or ultrasonic waves to help break down fat before it is taken out. Some techniques use water jets or sound waves to help.

Interestingly, the most commonly performed lipoplasty technique used today is also one of the oldest. This technique is called the tumescent method, and it was developed in the mid 1980's by a surgeon working out of California. The discovery of the tumsscent method allowed for great advances in the safety and the aesthetic results that a suction lipectomy could offer.

In the tumescent technique, large amounts of fluids are introduced into the target area before fat is removed. These fluids include painkillers and medications which help to control blood loss and constrict blood vessels. The introduction of these large amounts of fluids causes the fat to swell and become firm (or to "tumesce," the word from which the technique draws its name).

Once the fat is firm and swollen, it is much easier to remove, and this affords the surgeon with a much greater degree of control. This means better, more pleasing results. The medications introduced into the area in the tumescent fluids also help to drastically reduce the amount of blood loss.

The firm, swollen fat is broken up and removed through the body as the surgeon moves a hollow needle called a cannula through the unwanted fat. The cannula is hooked up to a vacuum device, and as the fat is broken up, it is suctioned out of the body.

Even though there are a number of new liposuction techniques on the market today, many of them still use tumescent fluid to help ease the removal of fat. Exactly which technique is best is a bit of a tricky problem to answer. Most lipoplasty techniques have pros and cons. Typically, the skill of the surgeon is at as important, if not more so, than the exact technique used.

By : Christian_Heftel

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