All types of liposuction involve the use of a cannula, or tube, to extract fat from the body. With Smartlipo a high-powered laser within a tiny cannula is placed under the skin. The laser energy is used to burst the fat cells and liquify the fat. The fat droplets of the burst fat cells can then be easily removed through a hollow cannula.
By first bursting the fat cells to release and liquify the fat a much smaller cannula is required to remove the fat than with traditional liposuction procedures. This makes Smartlipo not only a good choice for use on all areas of the body which traditional liposuction can be performed on, but also for other areas of the body which traditional liposuction is not suitable for.
Areas of the body not suitable for traditional liposuction which Smartlipo™ can be performed on are the face such as cheeks, chin and jowls, neck, back, arms, bra strap, mons pubis, knees, ankles, and areas of loose and flabby skin. The smaller cannula used with Smartlipo™ allows sculpting of these areas of the body which cannot be treated well through traditional liposuction techniques.
Smartlipo™ is a minimally invasive in-office procedure. Only local anesthesia is required as compared to traditional liposuction which typically requires general anesthesia. Because of these differences between Smartlipo™ and traditional liposuction, there is a faster recovery period, lower risks, and none of the side affects associated with general anesthesia for Smartlipo™.
The laser used in Smartlipo™ seals capillaries by immediately coagulating the blood. Therefore Smartlipo™ produces significantly less bleeding and bruising than traditional liposuction and does not require stitches or drains. There is a much shorter down-time and most patients are able to return to work after only a couple days. As a bonus, the laser used in Smartlipo™ promotes skin tightening through collagen shrinkage. Skin tightening does not occur with traditional liposuction. In situations were loose skin will remain after a traditional liposuction procedure it may be even more noticeable and therefore traditional liposuction would not be a good choice.
The Center for Smartlipo™, http://www.centerforsmartlipo.com/smartlipo_laserlipo.php, is an excellent resource for further information on Smartlipo™.
Smartlipo™
