VASER Liposuction

Once our surgeon suctions away the fat cells in the treatment areas these cells are gone for good. The human body has a set number of fat cells. They become larger with weight gain and smaller with weight loss. This permanently lowers the number of fat cells in the areas we treat.

Just as ultrasound energy has been used in imaging for decades and more recently for skin tightening, these high-frequency sound waves improve liposuction in VASER Liposuction at The Bougainvillea Clinique.

For these procedures, Dr. Sweeney first injects the treatment area with a tumescent solution. This is a mixture of sterile saline water, lidocaine, and epinephrine. The saline expands the area; the lidocaine provides local anesthesia, and the epinephrine constricts both the fat cells and the blood vessels. This makes the fat cells easier to break loose and creates less bleeding and subsequent bruising from the blood vessels.

The VASER tool delivers the sound waves through a long thin handpiece that is inserted through a tiny incision into the targeted area. These specialized VASER instruments are of different thicknesses and have different rings etched into their tips. These rings cause the ultrasonic energy to be dispersed in different directions, with different energy strengths, and these are matched by Dr. Sweeney to different treatment areas.

Once inserted, the ultrasound energy begins to gently break apart the fatty tissue. This takes the place of the aggressive movement of the cannula in traditional liposuction. Once Dr. Sweeney has allowed the VASER ultrasound energy to break up the fat, he inserts the cannula and suctions away the unwanted fat cells along with much of the tumescent solution. In most cases, the incisions are so small they can be closed with Steri-Strips; there is no need for stitches. Any fluid remaining is absorbed by the body over the following days.

Thanks to VASER Liposuction’s ultrasound assist, these procedures create less tissue trauma, pain, and subsequent bruising than traditional liposuction. The ultrasonic energy works to dislodge and break up the fat cells without causing damage to surrounding connective tissue and blood vessels. This makes for an easier recovery.

Our VASER Liposuction patients can usually get back to work in just 2-3 days. Driving and normal activity can resume as soon as you’re comfortable doing so.

These are minimally invasive procedures, but they are still surgery. As such, you’ll need to prepare as you would for any surgical procedure. You’ll need to stop taking blood thinning medication, aspirin, anti-inflammatory medications, and most herbal supplements for a few days prior to your VASER Lipo session. That’s because these can all lead to increased bleeding and subsequent bruising.

Recovery is easier with VASER Liposuction because of the addition of the ultrasound energy, so you don’t need to plan for an involved recovery.

Patients can be put under general anesthesia or a form of conscious sedation. Also, remember that the tumescent solution injected into the target areas acts as a local anesthetic. These are painless procedures.

This is not a fleeting result. The fat removed by Dr. Sweeney is gone for good. Our bodies typically have a set amount of fat cells. These cells become larger with weight gain and smaller with weight loss. After this procedure you will have less fat cells, and your contour will remain slimmer and sculpted for good. Sure, you will have some slackening of your tissues; this is simply a part of aging. But if you don’t gain a good deal of weight, you’ll enjoy your results from VASER Liposuction for the rest of your life.

If you do put on a large amount of weight, it is possible to create new fat cells. But most of our Bougainvillea Clinique patients are so thrilled with their slimmer contours that they become dedicated to a healthier diet and regular exercise. That will keep your results looking great for the long haul.

Our patients love these procedures because, while they are invasive, they aren’t overly invasive. Still, liposuction of any form is surgery, so it entails the same risks involved with any surgery: excessive bleeding, infection, and reaction to the lidocaine used in the tumescent solution. These are all quite rare, and this is even more the case thanks to Dr. Sweeney’s double board-certified training, expertise, and experience.

As for the high-frequency ultrasound energy that is assisting the process, ultrasound has been used across the medical world for decades. It has no harmful effects on the human body.

Complications specific to liposuction are:

• Contour irregularities — The treated area can appear bumpy or wavy. If the patient has inelastic skin, this is more prevalent.
• Numbness — Any numbness in the area is usually temporary, but it can endure.
• Fluid accumulation — Temporary pockets of fluid (called seromas) can form. These may need to be drained.