Developed in the 1990s, ultrasonic liposuction, also called ultrasound-assisted liposuction, marked an important advancement in body contouring. Today, here in Los Angeles, power-assisted liposuction (PAL) – a newer and better technique – has replaced ultrasonic liposuction as the technique of choice for most patients.

If you have areas of diet resistant fat and want to find out which liposuction technique is the right approach for your body sculpting goals, call Marina Plastic Surgery Associates in Los Angeles at 877-298-9915 in Marina Del Rey or use our simple online form to request a consultation.

About Ultrasonic Liposuction In Los Angeles

Ultrasonic liposuction uses a specialized probe that transmits high-energy sound waves into the body. The vibration is just powerful enough to burst the walls of fat cells, causing them to rupture and liquefy. The liquid fat can then be easily removed during a second step that uses traditional suction-assisted liposuction.

The ultrasonic method is most advantageous in cases where the patient has areas of fat that are especially fibrous. Fatty areas of the body may be extra fibrous because of their location (such as the chest or flanks), hereditary factors or because a liposuction procedure was previously performed in the same location. For such patients in Los Angeles, liposuction – ultrasonic or power-assisted liposuction – can facilitate a smoother, easier removal of fat.

Here in Los Angeles, liposuction with ultrasound has been supplanted by PAL in many cases because of certain disadvantages of ultrasonic techniques. Ultrasound is a high-energy system and is more likely to damage adjacent tissues such as the skin and nerves. Using ultrasound to assist liposuction will also increase the time it takes to perform the surgery. And ultrasonic liposuction overall has a higher complication rate than other liposuction procedures.

The ultrasound energy directed at fat cells during ultrasonic liposuction may be transmitted from an external or an internal source. The internal ultrasound probes require larger access incisions than other techniques, while the drawback of using external ultrasound is that it has a higher chance of inadvertently damaging the skin during the treatment of the fat.

Used under the appropriate circumstances, the ultrasonic technique may yield nice results, but ultrasonic liposuction should be used selectively. Should your liposuction surgery be performed with the assistance of ultrasound or another liposuction technique, such as power-assisted liposuction? Dr. Stevens can easily determine this at your initial consultation.