What Are The Different Types Of Liposuction?

There are a number of different kinds of Liposuction which are suited to different areas of the body and are used for different reasons. Your surgeon will discuss the options with you during your consultation and will make recommendations based on your individual concerns and desired results

• Traditional Liposuction - Traditional Liposuction is generally used to remove small areas of fat. This can be performed under local or general anaesthetic. It is particularly useful for treating the neck and the chin, as it is at least as effective as any other technique, is simple and has the fewest potential complications. We use this regularly to harvest fat for processing and re-injection during Fat Transfer procedures. Traditional Liposuction works through the physical movement of the cannula breaking up the fat to allow it to be extracted. 
• BodyJet or Water Assisted Liposuction (WAL) - This is an enhancement of the traditional technique which injects fluid at the same time as carrying out the Liposuction. This fluid pulses from the end of the cannula like a low-pressure washer helping to mechanically dislodge and break down fat. It may also contain local anaesthetic or anti-inflammatories to aid the recovery process. Large volumes of fat can be removed quickly and efficiently. It is particularly good for larger areas such as the abdomen or 360 Lipo.
• Power-Assisted Liposuction (PAL) - MicroAire and Lipomatic are two of several mechanically enhanced techniques. The fat is broken down by a motorised cannula moving back and forth, sideways or rotating, before being extracted from the body. It is very effective and popular amongst surgeons, primarily because there is less physical effort involved. This makes it highly suited to procedure which involve a large amount of Liposuction such as Brazilian Abdominoplasty or BBL.
• Laser-Assisted Liposuction (LAL) - The most successful of these techniques is the Smartlipo, now in its third generation, Smartlipo Triplex. We are lucky to have the pioneer of this treatment, Mr Al-Ayoubi, with his huge experience using the technique in all areas. A laser is used to break the fat down swiftly to allow it to be removed from the body. This also helps to tighten the skin in the treated area, which is especially beneficial in areas such as the upper arms and the inner thighs, where the skin is thinner and more prone to sagging after Liposuction. 
• Vaser Liposuction - Vaser is a recent innovation in the Liposuction world. Ultrasound is applied to the skin at the same time as the fat is broken down and extracted which encourages skin tightening. This method is not suitable for areas with significant sagging or excess skin. Vaser is a popular technique with male patients who are concerned about fat around their chest.