With Summer just around the corner, it might seem as if the many alluring ads for fat reduction are starting to scream for your attention every which way you turn. It can be quite confusing as to which methods of liposuction are actually safe and effective, and which ones are just a waste of your time and money?
Orlando’s Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Armando Soto, educates us on questions to ask and what to look for when deciding which method of liposuction is best for you...
Q: Dr. Soto, there was a recent survey taken about the safety and effectiveness of the newest methods of liposuction. According to this survey, most Board Certified Plastic Surgeons believe that newer liposuction devices are nothing more than marketing gimmicks. Being a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon yourself, what are your opinions about this?
A: Well, I think what you are referring to is a recent survey done by the
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. First of all, it’s important to understand some of these societies - because not all societies that you read about are actually legitimate or require any special training to join them.
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is a very legitimate society. To become a member you not only have to be a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, you also have to prove that the vast majority of your practice is cosmetic in nature, so it actually is a very prestigious and legitimate organization.
ASAPS did a survey of their members recently discussing the technologies available for liposuction. As we all know, over the past few years there has been a lot of new stuff coming out for liposuction and all of these machines say that they can do things that the previous machines could not. Smart Lipo was one of the first ones, as well as Cool Lipo, Pro Lipo, Aqua Lipo. There are so many different ways to make your fat go away it can be confusing, especially when the manufacturers and sometimes the doctors that use them make irresponsible and unprovable claims about the things that these machines can do. The survey asks the members of
ASAPS how many of us use each of these technologies and why.
The survey showed that the vast majority of plastic surgeons and members of the Aesthetic Society believed that most of these newer devices are just marketing gimmicks and don’t really show a significant benefit over the older technologies. Using the word “older” can make it seem like it’s not as good - because we all get hungry for things that are new and exciting, but it’s important to understand that just because something is new it doesn’t make it better. With cell phone technology and computer technology moving so fast, it gets to be normal for us to think that just because something is new, it’s better.
In medical technology, things don’t always move as fast because the anatomy of the body doesn’t change over time. So the truth of the matter is, when the next liposuction machine comes out instead of asking is it going to make our fat go away, what we really should be asking is: "Is it going to make our fat go away better? Is it going to be safer? Is it going to be less expensive than the other liposuction technologies that have existed for some time?" If you let yourself get fooled into asking “Does it make my fat go away?”, well, there’s tons of things that can make your fat go away. Not all of them are safe - some of them can be very expensive, and it’s not necessarily going to make your fat go away in a safer or more aesthetic manner.
When you ask the really difficult questions, the questions that really matter, in other words “Is it better? Is it safer? Is it less expensive?”, then in that case you’ll be able to come to the conclusion that traditional tumescent liposuction is best for most women.
Vaser Liposuction or other ultrasound based devices do have benefits in some patients - patients who have had previous surgery or patients who want liposuction in an area of their body where their fat is very fibrous. But
if you ask those difficult questions, there are very very few surgeons, and certainly very few legitimate, experienced surgeon members of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery who actually believe that laser based devices like Smart Lipo or water based devices, like Aqua Lipo, actually show any benefit for their patients. For the most part, those devices show benefit for the surgeon. In other words, they are going to increase my bottom line and allow me to get patients in the door and make more money. But it’s not necessarily better for the patient, so you need to be very careful what you read and what you believe.
For more information, visit the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s website at: www.Surgery.org
