Feeling Heat With Laser Liposuction

You can get a local anesthetic for a procedure that seems simple enough that you feel as though you can be all but in and out, over and done, lighter in fat and tighter in skin, and back to your daily routine the same day. That is the perception given by laser liposuction. In addition, it may be a true perception. However, that does not mean a risk-free procedure by any means.

No surgery comes risk free. In addition, while it sounds like a simple zap and done, laser liposuction-as numerous medical observers and practitioners like to remind us-is surgery. It has its own kind of risks as a member of the suction-oriented surgical family, but the laser itself adds a few more to the picture no matter how simple the operation seems.

"Most people of course do perceive it to be the very easy," writes Florida therapist Caroline Bourke, "and this kind of thinking has allowed some doctors to offer their (often untrained) services to people looking for a quick fix to their fat related problems. This in fact is one of the biggest laser liposuction risks that you must be aware about and then you need to ensure that you do not fall into such traps."

"Most people of course do perceive it to be the very easy," writes Florida therapist Caroline Bourke, "and this kind of thinking has allowed some doctors to offer their (often untrained) services to people looking for a quick fix to their fat related problems. This in fact is one of the biggest laser liposuction risks that you must be aware about and then you need to ensure that you do not fall into such traps."

"Lipo sculpture with or without the laser is a surgical procedure," writes Dr. Brooke Seckel, a Massachusetts plastic surgeon who specializes in facial aging correction, "and as with heart surgery, brain surgery or any other type of surgery, if I am having surgery I am going to do my homework and find the best board certified surgeon I can find to perform my operation . . . If you are considering any type of plastic surgery do your homework. Read more about the procedure you are interested in. Study the bio and credentials of the board certified plastic surgeons in your area. Be an informed consumer."

Some of laser liposuction risks otherwise include loose skin, a problem usually believed to be uncommon with the procedure and believed the major impediment to surgical fat removal. However, the risk increases if an inexperienced or technically weak practitioner performs the procedure.

The heat element in the procedure carries its own risk as well. It is the major advance of laser liposuction but, if it is used too aggressively or carelessly, or if the heat fiber conducting the laser is used too close to the skin, the burn risk rises. In addition, so does the risk that you may suffer damaged or lost skin.

The fiber is also placed just beneath the skin during the procedure, and that opens a risk of infection. As with any surgical procedure, sterile conditions and antibiotic support are critical. The procedure also carries a lesser bleeding risk than standard liposuction, but the risk remains nevertheless. In addition, the common liposuction anesthetic, lidocaine, is risky if administered improperly or excessively. So investigate and settle only on a well-trained, experienced surgeon. That is important for laser liposuction and any surgery you may require.