How SmartLipo Works

If you're seeking a cutting-edge, highly effective method to significantly improve the safety and efficiency of many surgical techniques, then laser technology is definitely the technique you'll want to consider. Routinely used in dental procedures, lasik eye surgery, reconstructive work and cosmetic procedures including liposuction laser technology is what sets SmartLipo apart from its competition.

The word laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Precise and safe, today's medical-grade lasers work by creating a powerful light beam that is adjusted to a specific frequency range.

SmartLipo is different in that it uses a carefully calibrated laser to liquefy fat deposits through the top layers of the patient's skin. The laser actually ruptures fat cells, and the resulting oily, liquid substance is then removed through a tiny incision in the skin by the surgeon. The small laser can also seal blood vessels as it zaps fat, so there is less swelling, bleeding and bruising than with traditional liposuction. Research has shown that little, if any, fat is reabsorbed back into the body. The minimal invasiveness of the procedure allows patients to see faster results and to experience fewer complications.

In addition, SmartLipo's patients need only a local anesthetic for this procedure, whereas liposuction requires general anesthesia. Because the patient is not completely unconscious, SmartLipo carries much fewer risks than traditional liposuction, and the recovery time is much shorter.

SmartLipo Technology

SMARTLIPO uses the latest advancements in cosmetic surgery technology, which provide a safer, quicker and cost-effective method.

Pioneered in Europe, the SmartLipo procedure is the first laser-assisted liposuction procedure. SmartLipo was approved by the FDA in November of 2006 and has quickly been labeled the cutting edge procedure in cosmetic surgery.

According to SmartLipo's manufacturer, Cynosure, the SmartLipo system has quickly become one of the most successful liposuction procedures in the cosmetic surgery field for its use of cutting-edge technology.

With SmartLipo, a hollow, pen-sized instrument called a cannula is inserted into a minor incision made by the surgeon. The cannula uses a small laser to liquefy the fat cells in an area and drain them away. Because the cannula is only about 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm, SmartLipo is a less invasive procedure, reducing the risk of bruising and promoting a quicker recovery. In addition, the cannula's laser acts as a visual guide, helping the surgeon make more precise movements than typical Liposuction.

With a 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser, the wattage ranges from 6W to 18W, and the higher the wattage allows for a faster procedure. As the laser liquefies fat cells, the laser will simultaneously coagulate small blood vessels, preventing bleeding and swelling. A hollow cannula is also used to suction out the fat cells and speed the recovery process.

Safety and Complications

SmartLipo is an extremely safe procedure. The SmartLipo procedure was approved by the FDA in November of 2006, and a serious life-threatening complication has never resulted from SmartLipo. That is because SmartLipo is performed under local anesthetic not the much more risky general anesthesia. SmartLipo has been performed thousands of times since being brought to North America in 2005 and has shown itself to be one of the safest cosmetic surgeries available.

The SmartLipo procedure is safer than traditional liposuction because there is minimal bleeding and minimal invasion. In addition, only local anesthetic drugs are used in the SmartLipo procedure. There are no extensive stitches or incisions to possibly get infected, and no lengthy hospital stays are required. SmartLipo is an outpatient procedure that is one of the safest and fastest-growing cosmetic surgery options available today.

SmartLipo Downtime

It used to take weeks, or even months, of painful healing and limited mobility to recover from traditional liposuction. But with SmartLipo, recovery time is now fast and relatively painless. Patients often return to work within 1-2 days of undergoing the SmartLipo procedure.

Recovery starts the moment the surgeon turns off the SmartLipo laser. The patient is then escorted to a recovery room, where the local anesthesia can begin to wear off. SmartLipo recovery does not involve the nauseating, disorienting recovery general anesthesia typically brings about which many people consider the most difficult element of recovering from traditional liposuction. In fact, patients are generally sent home within one hour of the SmartLipo procedure's completion.

The doctor will give you specific instructions on how to take care of yourself during recovery after the SmarLipo procedure, and he may give you a prescription for pain medication. You will also receive compression bandages, which are key to recovery. In addition to encouraging healing by preventing the shifting of bodily tissues, they can help prevent blood clots.

The goal of SmartLipo recovery is to achieve the best results while reducing the risk of infection. Infection can be the biggest risk during recovery. It can lead to unattractive scars, and possibly serious illness and even death. These rare contingencies, however, are dramatically reduced thanks to SmartLipo's cutting-edge technology.

The staff always takes a personal interest in your recovery. They will schedule recovery checkups where one of our doctors will examine your wounds to make sure they are healing properly. It is very important that you keep your appointments as you recover, since professional monitoring improves your chances of smooth, healthy, scar-free results.

SmartLipo recovery is made up of several stages. Minor bruising and numbness occur directly after the SmartLipo procedure, but they should disappear within days, if not hours, of leaving the recovery room. The swelling will drop within a week. Once the swelling disappears, your recovery is finished and you will be able view the SmartLipo surgery's final results.

Pharmacology

SmartLipo Laser Liposculpture utilizes tumescent liposuction fluid to anesthetize the skin which allows the procedure to be performed while the patient is awake and within an office based setting. The primary active ingredient of this fluid is lidocaine. Lidocaine is a very safe medication if given in correct dosages.

Properly trained physicians who perform liposuction surgery are very careful of the dosage of lidocaine that is given to the patient for the procedure. There is a maximum dose allowed per treatment day and strict guidelines are utilized to make sure that the patient does not receive excessive amounts of this medicine.  Lidocaine is metabolized by a specific pathway within the liver. There are many other medications that are also metabolized via this pathway. When given together, the two medications compete for this liver pathway resulting in higher blood levels of lidocaine. This could result in a toxic dose of lidocaine.  Therefore it is imperative that patients notify their physicians of the medications they are taking. If any of these medications are on the list of similarly metabolized medications as lidocaine, then it is advisable to discontinue these medications one to two weeks prior to the procedure to decrease this potential problematic interaction.

Some of the medications that could potentially interact with the lidocaine in such a fashion include certain antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft, certain antibiotics such as Biaxin and Zithromax, certain high blood pressure medicines such as Inderol and Procardia, and many more. Check with your physician for a complete list.  Other medications to avoid before and after liposuction procedures of any type include those medications that thin the blood and decrease the ability of your blood to clot. These include many anti-inflammatory medications such as Aspirin, Motrin, and Aleve. Moreover, liposuction should not be performed on patients on strong blood thinners such as Coumadin, Heparin or Plavix.  Lidocaine may produce drowsiness as the blood level increases and this can progress into worsening mental states and other untoward reactions. However, studies have shown that injection of dilute solutions of the tumescent fluid into the fatty layer below the skin almost always achieves very safe blood levels of lidocaine that cause no harm. Indeed injected in this area allows the lidocaine to be absorbed into the fatty tissue like a sponge. This results in longer anesthesia in the area which can continue for hours after the procedure has ended.  A unique effect of the lidocaine is that it decreases the chance of infection through a type of bacteriostatic effect of the lidocaine per se. Thus rarely do infections occur after tumescent liposuction techniques and this includes the SmartLipo Laser Lipolysis technique. This improves the safety profile of the procedure which results in improved recovery and results after the procedure.

Another key ingredient of the tumescent liposuction fluid is epinephrine. Epinephrine constricts the blood vessels within the fatty areas resulting in minimal blood loss and, again, a safer procedure profile. It also decreases the absorption of the lidocaine into the blood stream, which results in longer lasting anesthetic effects of the lidocaine.

Finally sodium bicarb is added to the tumescent fluid to decrease the stinging that so often accompanies injection of straight lidocaine into the skin. This results in improved comfort of the patient during the procedure.

Overall, SmartLipo and Tumescent Liposuction result in very few problems from the use of the medications utilized for the procedure. They are therefore some of the safest cosmetic surgical procedures performed under the hands of a well trained, skilled and experienced cosmetic surgeon