Is Laser Liposuction Worth the Risk

Yeti | Dec 11, 2009 |

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To many people, laser liposuction seems to be simple enough. The procedure needs only local anesthesia, and there are those who believe you can reap the benefits you sought-lost fat, tighter skin, smoother skin-and get back to your daily routines the same day you have the procedure.

However true that may be, it does not mean laser liposuction is entirely risk free. No surgery comes without risk. In addition, as numerous medical observers and practitioners like to remind people, laser liposuction is surgery. Suction-oriented procedures have particularized risks in general, of course, but this liposuction's risks are compounded to a certain extent by the laser itself.

"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."

That perceived simplicity may be one of laser liposuction greatest risks in its own right. Professionals who are not trained surgeons, or who have little to no surgical instruction at all otherwise, offer the procedure as part of their therapeutic practices no matter their actual surgical competence.

"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."

That said, some of the risks otherwise include loose skin. It is thought to be the major impediment to surgical fat removal, with older patients in particular, but it is also thought to be uncommon with laser liposuction. Unless the procedure is performed by an inexperienced or technically weak practitioner. Laser skin tightening is actually a common side effect caused by the heat of the laser

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.

In laser liposuction, the fiber is also placed just beneath the skin, opening a risk of infection. Thus, as with any surgical procedure, sterile conditions and antibiotic support are critical. Laser liposuction 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. Therefore, your need to investigate and settle on only a well-trained, well-experienced surgeon for laser liposuction is just as important as it is for any surgery you may require.