Liposuction: The History Of The Modern Procedure

Liposuction has undergone many changes over the years. It is now one of the most popular cosmetic procedures carried out in the United States, as well as other countries.

Numerous types of plastic surgery are done in abundance each year. Out of the different kinds available, liposuction (also called liposculpture suction lipectomy) is often chosen among men and women alike. This type of procedure removes fat cells from specific areas of the body even after diet and exercise have failed to create the intended appearance.

The technique of fat removal has existed in varying degrees since at least the 1850s. At that time deposits of fatty tissue were removed via scalpel. This resulted in health complications, pain and bleeding. Many advances have been made over the years to perfect this procedure and reduce the amount of trauma to the body.

Curettes were first used in the 1920s. While that showed more promising results than the scalpel method, there were still complications. Throughout the 1960s, sharp curettes continue to be the instrument of choice. Dr. Giorgio Fisher, of Italy, came up with the idea to attach suction device to a blunt ended curette in the early 1970s, resulting in an effective though somewhat rudimentary form of lipo.

At the end of that decade, two French doctors, Illouz and Fournier, took the idea a step further by using a suctioning vacuum along with a cannula. Though general anesthesia still had to be used, this form of surgery allowed larger fat deposits to be removed while decreasing injury to the body.

This was quite an advance in the plastic surgery industry. Due to the size of the cannulas, however, patients still experienced a large amount of bleeding. By the early 1980s, another large advance in liposculpture was made. Dr. Jeffrey Klein, of California, began using the tumescent technique for the procedure.

The tumescent technique includes adding a large amount of fluid along with a local anesthetic to the area which fat will be removed. This reduced the bleeding significantly. IV sedation is typically used which allows the patient to avoid the risks of general anesthetic. Since the 80s, even more advances have been made including ultrasound assisted surgery, laser tipped probes, and the use of vaso-constrictors to further reduce the risk of blood loss.

The technique can be used to remove fat from the arms, legs, stomach, chin, and any other place that is disproportionate even, after diet and exercise.

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