Laser-assisted liposuction has been gaining in popularity over using traditional liposuction to remove fatty deposits in your body. The laser procedure is less invasive than traditional liposuction since it uses smaller incisions and melts the fatty deposits before removing them. Traditional liposuction scraps the deposits to break them up before suctioning the fatty deposits out with a tiny vacuum. Here is how a surgeon will use the laser-assisted liposuction procedure to remove fatty deposits in your body.

Preparing for the Procedure

The surgeon will typically take some "before" photos of the areas that will be treated with the laser-assisted liposuction surgery. The surgeon will circle the areas on your body that will be treated with a marking pen. They will also mark the points in the circles where they will place the incision in the skin to create an opening for the liposuction tools they are going to be using during the procedure.

The areas of the body to be treated will then be thoroughly cleaned with a disinfectant to prevent bacteria from getting into your body through the incisions and causing an infection.

Performing the Procedure

The surgeon will numb the skin with a regular local anesthetic and then cut a small hole where he placed the mark for the incision on your skin. The hole will only be big enough to fit a small hollow tube called a cannula.

A cosmetic surgeon will use a cannula to administer a tumescent anesthesia to the fatty deposit locations to be treated. Tumescent anesthesia is a mixture of lidocaine, epinephrine, and saline that not only numbs the area, but makes the fatty deposits become firm and swollen so they're easier to feel and work on.

The surgeon will take out the cannula used to administer the tumescent anesthesia and insert a new one fitted with a laser probe into the incision. The laser probe is moved back and forth as the laser beams melts the fatty deposits. The surgeon will remove the laser probe cannula once the fatty deposits are melted.

Another cannula is now inserted into the incision. This cannula is used as a vacuum to suck up the liquefied fatty deposits. The liquefied fatty deposits are then placed in a container for storage and disposal.

The incision will be closed using skin closure strips that will keep the incision clean and protected from the elements. The surgeon will have you wait in a room for an hour or two after the procedure to make sure you are doing well before they will release you to go home. To learn more, contact a company like Body Spectrum Plastic Surgery Center - Bruce R Barton MD.