(Washington) - You have probably seen the outdoors, not to mention the ads of brilliant magazines, annuling the benefits of laser assisted liposuction. But is it really so "smart or" cool? "
The answer depends on who you ask. Defenders say laser liposuction involves less bruises and a faster recovery time. And new research presented at the annual meeting of the American plastic surgery of aesthetic surgery in Washington, D.C., suggests that laser liposuction also results in the effect of tightening of the skin very coveted.
But others say laser liposuction only increases the cost of traditional liposuction, not the results and increases the risk of side effects, namely burns.
Laser liposuction uses lasers to liquefy fat before being removed, facilitating vacuum through liposuction. Lasers can also stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, which results in firmer, tighter and softer skin. Lasers can also coagulate small blood vessels in the area, which translates into less bruises.
In a study, patients had laser liposuction on one side of their abdomen and traditional liposuction on the other side. They had more elasticity on the laser side at three months later next to the traditional liposuction.
"skin loses elasticity and gains laxity, so for areas with loose skin, laser lipo may be the way to go", the study researcher Barry Diberdo, MD, says WebMD. Diberdo is a plastic surgeon in Montclair, N.J. and a Cynosure consultant, manufacturer of Smartlex Smartlex, a laser power device used for laser liposuction. "It's not magic. It's just another tool that can add skin tightening to improve the overall result."
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It's not for everyone, says Diberardo. "Lasers bring an increase in collagen and elastin for the party. If you are too old, the cells do not have the ability to do collagen and elastin."
But there is the risk of burns. "You need to monitor the temperature," says Diberardo.
Peter B. Fodor, MD, a plastic surgeon in Los Angeles, is not convinced with the benefits of Lipo laser, and saw his fair participation of burns from laser liposuction procedures. "It's a tremendous hype and very hype is from companies," says WebMD. "Do not place trade before science."
The results - and the risks - depend on the doctor performing the procedure, he says.
When you hurt the skin with the laser, I contract, says Fodor. "There is no doubt that if you hit exactly, you will cause the skin to contract. A little injury is good, but a lot and you are burned."
Place another way: "There is a very small margin of error."
Jeffrey M. Kenkel, MD, Professor and Vice President of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and Director of the Clinical Center for Laser Cosmetic Treatment in Dallas, has reservations about the procedure.
."Liquefy the fat and there is no data that I am aware of this will consistently shake the skin," says WebMD. "There is a thin line between tightening and skin lesion. I am not convinced that we are at a point where we can offer security and predict laser lipo as an option."
