Liposuction Surgery vs Laser Liposuction

By Gary Motykie, MD

Liposuction Surgery vs Laser Liposuction | Beverly Hills | Los Angeles Traditional liposuction plastic surgery can help to enhance contours by reducing excess fat in targeted areas of the body. This treatment is sought-after by patients who want to improve their body shape and achieve a slimmer, sculpted appearance.

However, some patients may be wary of choosing an invasive procedure such as liposuction. For such patients, the plastic surgeon may provide a less invasive liposuction alternative technique such as Smart Lipo or laser liposuction.

Smart Lipo makes use of safe and proven laser technology to produce heat energy that liquefies stubborn fat deposits and helps eliminate them from the affected areas in a powerful yet gentle manner. Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Gary Motykie provides liposuction to patients in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, and surrounding communities.

Key Differences

There are some key differences between traditional liposuction and Smart Lipo. These differences are as follows:

Traditional liposuction cosmetic surgery is typically undertaken using general anesthesia. This type of anesthetic procedure is more complex and involves a recovery period as well as necessitates the services of an anesthesiologist. On the other hand, laser liposuction is usually performed using a local anesthetic.
- In this procedure, the patient is usually awake during the liposuction. (However, the patients should note that a less invasive tumescent liposuction technique can be a salient substitute for traditional surgery for suitable candidates. Tumescent liposuction can be performed using local anesthesia.)
Traditional liposuction commonly involves the placement of relatively larger incisions. Consequently, the patient will also experience more scarring in the future. An experienced surgeon will try to ensure that this scarring remains as discreet as possible by placing incisions in inconspicuous locations. In laser liposuction, the surgeon will place comparatively smaller incisions leading to tinier scars afterwards.
Traditional liposuction is not meant to tighten loose skin. This procedure is only designed to reduce fat. This causes some patients to experience loose and sagging skin in the sites of the fat removal warranting another procedure to tighten the skin. In ultrasound or laser-assisted liposuction, the heat that is released during the process assists in making the skin firmer and tauter to a certain extent.
Traditional liposuction cosmetic surgery may lead to the formation of ripples or ridges beneath the skin in some cases. This occurs as large cannulas are utilized to remove the stubborn fatty pockets from the deeper skin layers.
- However, in laser liposuction, smaller cannulas are used during the procedure. In addition, the heat energy causes the fat to melt and liquefy. This allows the surgeon to suction out the excess fat smoothly without causing damage to the surrounding skin and tissue.
The recovery period following traditional liposuction lasts for between seven to ten days in a majority of cases. With laser liposuction, the patient experiences a relatively shorter recovery phase, and many patients can resume their routine within four to five days following the procedure.
- On top of this, bruising and inflammation is not as severe with laser liposuction but could be significant after traditional liposuction.

Devoted cosmetic surgeon Dr. Gary Motykie receives patients from Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, and nearby areas across the horizon for liposuction.
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