There have been many changes in the field of fat treatment and cosmetic surgery.  Many claims are hard to believe, i.e., no incision, no downtime, no recovery, results equal to liposuction.

When liposuction was first done, this technique primarily attacked the deep fat.  To go after the fat just under the skin gave lots of ripples, wrinkles and irregular contours.  As liposuction has improved, we can now attack all the layers of fat, getting a remarkable and dramatic result in just one treatment.

New methods have emerged recently that are either “minimally-invasive” or “non-invasive”.  The minimally-invasive techniques typically utilize a small incision, through which a narrow tube is inserted, and a laser beam is directed down this tube to dissolve the fat and tighten the skin from underneath.  This dissolved fat is “melted” to oil, which your body then has to get rid of.  Studies have not determined definitely whether this oil in your body can cause problems, travel to your lungs, or other places, cause heart or blood vessel problems, etc.  There are reports of these oil “lakes” becoming infected, or coming up to the skin like a boil, with scarring.

The non-invasive techniques involve treating the surface of the skin with either a laser beam, ultrasound, (which are sound waves), or freezing the skin in order to kill the fat immediately underneath the skin.  Most studies I have read are showing only small results with these techniques, usually after multiple treatments.  And we are, once again, seeing the problems with ripples and wrinkles due to attacking the top layer of fat.

Most plastic surgeons, who have had experience with both, agree that the new techniques will never compete with the new forms of true liposuction in their results or complications.  Many of these new techniques are being done by non-plastic surgeons who have not been trained in the art of true liposuction.  I saw a video on the Internet recently, in this area, of a physician, not even trained as a surgeon, doing liposuction in the office, without using surgical OR sterile technique.

When it comes to achieving a life-long improvement in your body and your contours, shouldn’t you go to someone with the experience and knowledge to treat you with the best and most effective methods available, and certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?