Liposuction has been one of the most popular Cosmetic Plastic Surgery procedures since the development of Tumescent Liposuction. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) ranks Liposuction number one, with almost 400,000 Liposculptures performed last year. The second most commonly performed procedure, with over 300,000, is covered in last week’s video blog: Breast Augmentation.
The San Francisco Bay Area’s KRON 4 Body Beautiful
More information on Liposuction, also known as Liposculpture, is available right here on the San Francisco Plastic Surgery Blog. Below is a video segment from a recent appearance on Body Beautiful. Host Janelle Marie and I discuss Liposuction, its indications and recovery. Like any elective surgery, safety and predictability are number one. This is why it is important to seek an experienced Board Certified Plastic Surgeon when exploring your Body Shaping options. Only a Plastic Surgeon can offer you all the currently available options.
Liposuction Video (Liposculpture)
More Liposuction for More People
Liposuction procedures increased over 15% compared to the previous year. This is despite the marketing of many minimally invasive and non-invasive disruptive technologies. The fact that more Liposuction was done last year than ever before means it still works, and works better.
The ASAPS Liposuction Page gives Liposuction a 91.6% patient satisfaction rating, based on over 1000 patient reviews. On the ASAPS site, Liposuction gets 4.58 out of 5 stars, with 90.6% of patients giving the procedure 4 or 5 stars. Only 1.6% of patients rate it 1 star. This is consistent with the popular plastic surgery social site RealSelf, which also gives Liposuction a 92% “worth it” rating.
How Do CoolSculpting and Kybella Rate?
The hottest Non-surgical and minimally invasive alternatives to Liposuction are Cool-Sculpting and Kybella. So how do they stack up to Liposuction? Both are less expensive for a single treatment, but a series of treatments are usually recommended, which means additional cost and downtime with each treatment.
CoolSculpting uses cold pads to chill your fat away. CoolSculpting gets a 77% rating on RealSelf, but there is an asterisk *Worth It ratings [on RealSelf] only factor in “Worth It” and “Not worth it” ratings. They do not include “Not sure.” When the not sure votes are added in, the “worth it” rating drops to 50.6%.
Kybella in an injection of bile acid that dissolves fat. It has a very misleading 97% “worth it” rating when comparing only the “worth it” to “not worth it” votes. When the “not sure” votes are considered, the “worth it” rating drops to 48.7%. Although Kybella injections seem less invasive that Liposuction one of the more dramatic complications, temporary paralysis of the lower lip, is five times greater. It turns out that bile acid also dissolves the fat that protects and insulates the nerves. In most cases the nerve heals and returns to normal function in about three weeks. To be fair, Liposuction’s RealSelf “worth it” rating also drops when the “not sure” votes are tallied, from 92% to 65.2%.
What Does Liposuction Do?
Liposuction removes localized and disproportionate fat. Bulges around the waist (muffin tops, love handles, lower bely fat), neck or thighs (saddle bags, inner thigh) can all be effectively removed by vacuuming away the excess fat. Liposuction is not a weight loss tool. Unlike weight loss, however, Liposuction has the advantage of being able to spot remove disproportionate fat directly from the areas in which it is causing problems. Even the most meticulously performed Liposuction cannot tighten skin that is inelastic. Not everyone I evaluate is a good candidate for the procedure. Some patients will choose more effective, alternative treatments other may choose to leave well enough alone. It is an individual decision, but since most Plastic Surgeons offer many different types of cosmetic plastic surgery, they are uniquely qualified to inform you about all your options.
Liposuction Consultations
To review all your options, and maximize your knowledge of Liposuction and the alternatives, nothing can substitute for an in-person consultation appointment. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, give me a call at (925) 943-6353 and get the information you need to make an informed decision.