Ultrasonic Liposuction Is Back!
Although becoming the preferred technique, ultrasonic liposuction is not new. The first internal ultrasonic liposuction patents were issued around 1987. Following the development of external methods, the procedure was divided into two varieties. There are now two main types of ultrasonic liposuction: Internal, (with the vibrating cannula) and External (performed with a vibrating machine applied to the outside of the skin just prior to the liposuction procedure). Ultrasonic liposuction can be performed with either the traditional, wet, or tumescent methods. "Ultrasonic" means high-pitched sound. This property has many uses outside of the operating room; for example, in "shaking things loose," as is the case with the new ultrasonic toothbrushes. The ultrasonic principle is to loosen the fat so that fat or oil can be vacuumed out of the body faster than it might with other methods. Equipment concerns caused years of delay in the roll-out of machinery necessary to perform internal ultrasonic liposuction. The industry is currently on its third generation of devices. Internal ultrasonic liposuction instrumentation is very expensive and doctors have to pass these costs along to patients. Many plastic surgeons still use first- and second-generation ultrasonic liposuction equipment. After all, many paid tens of thousands of dollars for the then-popular older (1st & 2nd generation) equipment back then when it was new and some doctors now can pick up the older, earlier generation equipment at a great discount. The high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations will weaken all generations of internal ultrasonic cannulae. Some reports indicate ultrasonic cannulae breaking into pieces during the procedure, and requiring exploratory surgery to remove. Third-generation titanium cannulae may cost hundreds of dollars each and may be rated for, say, 20 uses. Very few surgeons or their staff keeps accurate records of the number of uses and amount of time of use of each specific ultrasonic cannula in their sets/kits. The practice of internal ultrasonic liposuction on humans did not originate in United States. It was first used in Europe and Latin America. Unfortunately, in the early 1990's, the experience with internal ultrasonic liposuction caused concern. There were many serious problems that caused harm to patients, and the procedure suffered in popularity. Currently, the newest but not necessarily the best type of ultrasonic liposuction is external. In external ultrasonic liposuction, a vibrating hand piece is held on the outside skin of the areas that are soon to be suctioned. Before the external ultrasound is applied, the areas are first pumped with fluid and are then shaken by the sound/shock waves of the external ultrasonic liposuction device. The external ultrasonic liposuction device resembles the hand-held one, used in physical therapy, to treat deeper tissues such as muscle and fibrous tissues. However, to achieve any significant (breaking-up or liquefaction, not just soothing) effect on the fat, excessive energy levels must be transferred through the delicate upper skin into the deeper fat. When appropriately used, the devices have not proven to be effective. Misuse of the external ultrasonic liposuction devices can cause serious burns and scarring to the visible skin surface. Be careful of certain doctors having tendencies to experiment, in your body.
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