While both traditional liposuction and SmartLipo are effective at removing unwanted fat, there are some key differences. Smartlipo is laser-assisted liposuction performed under local anaesthesia, in which the patient remains awake and conscious throughout the procedure. The typical local anaesthesia used is the highly effective anaesthetic agent, lidocaine, which provides the patient with a virtually painless procedure. Local anesthesia is the safest form of anesthesia, since it reduces the risk of complications because the patient is awake and its effects last for many hours after the procedure, reducing the need to take narcotic pain relievers after the surgery.
SmartLipo, sometimes known as lipo laser, is a non-surgical body contouring treatment that can remove excess fat from stubborn areas. Maybe your thighs or buttocks are too big or you would like to have a slightly flatter abdomen. You may have excess skin on your upper arm. Regardless of your aesthetic concerns, there's a good chance that this non-invasive treatment can help you achieve your aesthetic goals.
If you're considering liposuction, you've probably heard of laser-assisted liposuction, or what a company calls their specific machine, SmartLipo. The honest answer (and that of a surgeon who has performed hundreds of procedures with SmartLipo) is probably not. Finally, SmartLipo (like normal liposuction) has the power to dramatically change the body by removing (potentially) large amounts of fat from the body (as you said). In recent years, patients have been bombarded with aggressive marketing campaigns promoting SmartLipo as the best of the best.
There is very little evidence to support the claim that SmartLipo is better than other forms of liposuction. However, it all depends on the specific characteristics of the patient's skin, so an in-office evaluation is always necessary to determine if SmartLipo will be a better treatment option. SmartLipo is a form of laser-assisted liposuction (LAL) that was coined by Cynosure, the Massachusetts-based company that manufactures and sells the SmartLipo laser machines used in the procedure. With that caveat, I usually fly one day after a SmartLipo procedure it's okay if it's the ONLY treatment being done.
We have seen dozens of patients with a saggy abdomen after SmartLipo even though they were told that their skin would tighten. I'm a fan of consulting with patients who in the past were extremely disappointed with the results of their SmartLipo. Since Smartlipo can be performed on almost any area of the body, there are very few cases where I choose to perform traditional liposuction instead of Smartlipo on my patients. Power-assisted lipo is a great option, however, SmartLipo has achieved great results, especially since it provides some improved benefits for stretching of the skin.
