The Rapid Technology of Liposuction
Maybe you know a little bit about what liposuction is today but you may not realize it is a fairly new and extremely revolutionary medical field. As early as the 1920’s people were curious about reshaping the body through the removal of fat and fat cells. Today, the best cosmetic medicine has to offer is available to patients that are interested. Here’s a quick summary of the history of the procedure and the advances in the last thirty years.
If you’ve wondered about liposuction,
what it is and what it does, you’re probably wondering, where did this idea come from? How long has this procedure been practiced in the medical field? What are the newest advancements that have made this procedure even better? If you’re curious, here’s a short run-down of the history of how this idea has become the most popular plastic surgery procedure today.
The origins of liposuction as a cosmetic surgery date back as early as the 1920s. Most of these experiments were extremely invasive procedures. Most resulted in infection because the medicine of the time was not sufficient enough. Many also resulted in death due to complications during the procedure, extreme blood loss, and the results of serious infections.
What we're familiar with today is a fairly new science and the old risks associated are now avoided with new technology. What most people are familiar with today originated in the early 1980s. The procedure, now referred to as the dry technique, was successful for it’s time. However, there were a lot of persisting problems. The method was still very invasive and along with fat cells removed a lot of nerves, vessels, and a lot of blood. Patients were required to undergo anesthesia before the procedure and have a long hospital stay during their recovery incase any emergency to be taken care of like the infections so common in its beginnings.
With the advent of developing special solutions to expand the area where the fat cells lie, between the skin and the muscles, this created a safer alternative to the dry method. Experiments using more or less solution led to better results, lower blood loss, and a shorter recovery time. As the method was used professionally, new solutions were developed. The most common method today is called Tumescent Liposuction.
The cosmetic surgery industry has worked with medical scientists to use other types of technology to help assist in making liposuction non-invasive as possible by aiding to break down the fat cells further for an easier time of getting them out. In the last five years cosmetic surgeons have been using laser technology to liquefy fat cells before removal. The newest technology on the market uses ultrasound to break them down.
Considering how far it’s come, it is still a relatively new technology – just about thrity years. As we progress further and further into the future, the cosmetic surgery for liposuction will continue to develop safer, less invasive methods for getting rid of excess fat that does not seem to respond to diet and exercise. You probably still have a lot of questions: What to expect when going in for a consultations, what are the latest methods for fat removal? What are your options? Call a doctor to consult him about your questions, fears, and desires associated with procedures. Who knows? There may be a new cutting edge method ready for you right now!
