The United States have employed an initiative for obese individuals to lose weight. Advertisements for weight loss supplements, exercise machines, and even weight loss reality shows are all nudging America to achieve a firm and tone body. Most individuals try to accomplish this through gyms and other techniques. However, some areas of the body may not tone despite all of the effort poured into a healthy regimen. Techniques have been developed to assist the individual with achieving the tone without exercise.

Ultrasonic liposculpture uses ultrasound technology to sculpt and contour the body when traditional exercise fails to work. This procedure was developed initially in the 1990s and has progressed to include more advanced techniques, such as power-assisted liposuction (PAL). Traditional ultrasonic liposculpture procedures are often referred to as “Vaser Hi Def.”  Ultrasonic liposculture or Vaser Hi Def liposculpture is not usually intended for significant weight loss. The procedure is designed for the individual who has put in 90 percent of the work and needs extra help toning areas that have been resistant to exercise. Many individuals employ this technique directly before summer time to achieve a more athletically toned body for beach attire.

Uses for Ultrasonic Liposculpture

Many of the females have used ultrasonic liposculpture to tone thighs, buttocks, hips or breasts. Males have used ultrasonic liposculpture to achieve chiseled abs, to rid the body of excess back fat or chest fat often associated with gynecomastia.

Description of Ultrasonic Liposculpture

Ultrasonic liposculpture is employed when the fat in the area would be more easily removed if in a liquid form. Fibrous fat cells are more difficult to remove. These types of cells may be located in the chest or flank of the body. A specialized probe is used to transmit ultrasonic sound waves into the affected area of the body. The high energy sound waves act as an agent to liquefy the fat to aid in removal. The process works by vibrating the fat cells to cause them to erupt inside the body and turn into a liquid.

Prior to this process the physician numbs the area with a tumescent fluid. This fluid consists of a combination of epinephrine and lidocaine. Epinephrine has vasoconstrictive properties. It shrinks the capillaries; therefore, minimal blood is loss during the procedure. In fact, most patients only lose 3 teaspoons of blood or less. Lidocaine acts as a numbing agent. This allows the patient to feel minimum pain when the physician inserts the cannulas, a small metal tube, to remove the liquefied fat cells.

Risks Associated with Ultrasonic Liposculpture

Ultrasonic liposculpture should only be used by skilled physician. The procedure is very risky and may cause damage to unintended surrounding tissues, skin and nerves. Ultrasonic liposculpture increases risks for burns, blistering, and scarring. Seromas are also more likely with this process. Seromas occur when the body produces excess fluid to replace the fat removed. This problem may persist until removed via a syringe.

External ultrasonic liposculpture, in some respects, may have slightly more risks than internal ultrasonic liposculpture. The high energy beams often cannot be directed solely to the specific area, especially when applied externally. External ultrasonic liposcupture is a non-invasive technique that is applied to the surface of the skin. Because it is applied externally, the risks of affecting unintended tissues magnify. Internal ultrasonic liposuction requires an incision to direct the ultrasonic energy to the desired area. The ultrasonic energy also allows the physician to make a more precise removal of fat cells compared to other procedures. This was thought to provide less damage to surrounding tissues and nerves.

Many doctors have abandoned the used of internal and external ultrasonic liposculpture all together. They abandoned the technique because the procedure took twice as long as a traditional liposculpture technique. There were risks of not only bruising, infection, allergic reaction, swelling and pain, but also of damaging or liquefying fat in unintended areas. Once liquefied, physicians often were forced to remove fat in areas that they had not intended. This sometimes caused deformity or uneven areas of skin.

Now, doctors are migrating towards power assisted liposculpture (PAL) techniques, which will be discussed in detail in the next section. Though many physicians still perform the technique, internal ultrasonic liposculpture may soon be obsolete. According to a study of 250 patients in 1998, ultrasonic liposculpture was deemed safe despite the fact that patients 11.2 percent of the patients developed seromas and others developed blisters. After reading the study, many physicians independently decided that tumescent liposculpture with microcannulas was safer than this particular technique. Many physicians will list on their websites that they will no longer perform this procedure because of the risks involved. Several years ago European surgeons decided to forgo performing this procedure. According to one physician, the United States no longer manufactures the internal ultrasonic machines.

Power Assisted Liposculpture Technique

Power Assisted Liposculpture does not liquefy the fat cells by causing them to erupt. Instead, power assisted liposculpture allows the surgeon to insert the cannula without making any manual movements to disrupt the fat cells. This procedure works because is actually shakes the fat cells loose, causing them to be easily removed without liquefying the cells.

Candidates for Ultrasonic or Power Assisted Liposculpture

Individuals who are in good health and are between the ages of 16 and 80 are good candidates for ultrasonic liposculpture. Those individuals who have fat in areas that are resistant to toning despite diet and exercise are good candidates. Those individuals, who are only moderately overweight by 10 to 20 pounds, are good candidates. All candidates must understand that ultrasonic liposculpture is not a substitution for exercise and a good diet.

Recovery After Ultrasonic Liposculpture

Depending upon the affected area, it may take between 2 and 5 days to recover. After this time period, most patients can resume exercising and return to work. Many physicians recommend wearing a dressing over the affected area to aid in the liposculpture recovery process. Since most individuals do not produce fat cells after the puberty stage, removing the fat cells will be a permanent procedure. Individuals, who do gain weight, will expand the current cells in the body.

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