Do you wish to go in for a laser fat removal treatment, but can’t make up your mind between liposculpture vs. liposuction procedures? Find out which one is safer….
When it comes down to the battle between liposculpture vs. liposuction, the end results become the final judge. Both are popular methods of cosmetic surgery, which are used for extracting and suctioning excess flab from under the skin. These procedures are preferred by men and women who wish to get rid of the extra fat that stigmatizes them. Excess fat can be removed from almost any part of the body; be it the stomach, thighs, buttocks, arms, or even the lower back and neck.
The only difference is that liposculpture (Tumescent liposuction), is much more advanced and safer to opt for as compared to the present techniques of liposuction. Let us find out why liposculpture is comparatively better than other fat removal techniques.
Comparison Between Liposuction and Liposculpture
Let’s examine the various nuances of liposuction and liposculpture, in order to be able to judge which one serves our needs better.
| Aspects of Procedure | Liposuction | Liposculpture |
| Brief Overview | Liposuction involves making larger incisions into the flesh, so as to carry out the surgery. It extracts large amounts of excess fat, usually up to 15 pounds and sometimes more. Example: Abdomen, buttocks, thighs, arms, waist, and upper back. | On the other hand, liposculpture, as the name suggests, orientates itself towards sculpting a particular body part, so as to beautify it further. Four pounds of fat is the maximum amount that can be suctioned, in one operation. Example: Lower chin, face, waist, tummy, etc |
| Anesthetics | Liposuction procedures, require the use of general or local anesthesia, which may cause adverse reaction and side effects in some people. | Liposculpture is one of the techniques of liposuction, which utilizes regional anesthetic/adrenaline, thereby ensuring that complications do not arise and that the overall recovery is comparatively faster. |
| Cannula Size | The incisions are made, using a large fat suctioning device (6 mm) known as cannula. | During liposculpture, the incisions made are very small, thus requiring micro (2-3 mm) cannula instruments. |
| Safety | In order to accommodate the cannula, deeper incisions are made into the flab. These incisions may at times escalate the risk of rapid blood loss, if the procedure is not practiced well. | While undergoing liposculpture, the patient is injected with a solution of licodaine and epinephrine, which tighten and constrict the epinephrine blood vessels along with the fat that needs to be removed. These small incisions and the adrenaline help control excess bleeding, thereby providing more time to the surgeon to perfect his sculpting of the problematic area. These chemicals also help reduce the swelling and pain experienced after the surgery. They also help in letting the incision heal at a much quicker rate, without leaving the risk of permanent scars. |
| Scale of Intrusiveness | Liposuction involves mass removal of excess body fat, which can lead to several complications. Sometimes too much of fat is removed, which can cause permanent dents and bumps in the skin. It can lead to excessive bleeding, and is not suitable for people with certain health problems such as an ongoing heart condition or diabetes. | The best advantage of using micro cannulas is that they reach the targeted fatty area with greater precision and do not cause collateral damage to the peripheral area surrounding the fat. This fat removal technique is not very intrusive and is meant for reducing small amounts of excess fat. |
| Recovery Time | Liposuction recovery time takes 8 to 9 weeks for the deep incisions to heal. The swelling reduces very slowly and gradually, taking several months to disappear. The end results are dramatic and can show a stark variation and change in the person’s appearance; especially in their overall size. | The average liposculpture recovery time is much lesser than liposuction, as the surgery lasts for about an hour and the incisions take a minimum of 3 to 4 weeks to heal completely. The results are visible immediately, though they are not as dramatic and are meant for minor improvements in a person’s appearance. |
| Average Cost | Most types of liposuction such as stomach liposuction, will cost anywhere around $2000 to $10,000. The rates hike according to the amount of fat that needs to be removed, thereby charging more for greater fat extraction. | In the United States, the minimum charge for this procedure is $2000 and can go up to $20,000 depending on which parts of the body are being treated. For example facial liposculpture may cost you anywhere between $2000 to $3000. This procedure is comparatively more expensive, because the surgeon needs to literally sculpt the affected area so as to enhance its attractiveness. |
Nonetheless, there cannot be a concise answer for this as both liposuction as well as liposculpture prices may vary, depending on the cosmetic surgeon and how well experienced and reputed he is. Fat removal procedures are more expensive for men because their fat texture and composition is different and comparatively much more difficult to remove.
Risks and Side Effects
Infection
The patients may go through adverse side effects such as bleeding and infection in the incisions, which could be due to bad stitches or reaction to the chemicals used. Infection could also be due to badly sterilized surgical tools. However, the chances of infection from liposculpture are less likely, because the incisions are not deep and can be cleaned properly, if in case an infection does arise.
Asymmetrical Blunder
If the fat is not sucked out uniformly then the end result would lead to uneven flab on the operated area. For example fat dimples on the thigh that look worse than cellulite. The large incisions involved in liposuction, obviously take much more time to heal and leave ugly scars. Both these aftereffects, do not usually occur in liposculpture.
Fatality
The most dangerous consequence of liposuction, could be the possibility of death during or post operation, if the procedure has been done carelessly. Choosing a highly experienced doctor can save you from such a disastrous repercussion. There have been no deaths because of liposculpture.
Those who wish to opt for laser fat removal should know which procedure is safer. Nonetheless, liposuction complications are far greater than liposculpture. Hopefully, this article depicting the epic war between the two famous fat removal procedures, has helped you make up your mind.
