10/21/2006 | Smart Lipo

Smart Lipo - A Great New Way to Remove Fat and Tighten the Skin While You Are Awake

By Bruce Katz, MD

Smart Lipo is a new minimally evasive technique that can remove excess fat from the body through the use of a laser. The new laser system, an Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm wavelength, can be used to sculpt body contours and tighten the skin.

Smart Lipo is performed under local anesthesia, has a faster recovery (2 to 3 days) - and it is the safest form of liposuction. Similar to power liposuction, a very small cannula, 1.0 mm in diameter which holds the laser fiber, is introduced through a tiny skin incision.As the cannula is moved back and forth, laser energy is delivered through layers of fat--superficial, medium and deep and into the tissue in the deep layer of the skin.

The overall process, known as laser lipolysis, works when the light energy
from the laser strikes a fat cell, rupturing it and allowing fat to be drained
away.An added bonus is that the interaction between the laser and the dermis (which lies beneath the skin's outer layer, or epidermis), results in skin shrinkage, or tightening.We especially like this laser because it can make it possible to treat areas of the body that might otherwise prove difficultexisting scar tissue from previous procedures, for example, or denser areas such as the male breast. Because the cannula is so small in size, Smart Lipo can also be used in very small areas of the face which might also benefit from skin shrinkage. In addition, since the laser causes small blood vessels to coagulate, compared to regular liposuction Smart Lipo causes less bleeding and bruising.

Finally, the procedure is less taxing for the surgeon, which also makes for greater ease and precision. Smart Lipo works for both men and women. The best candidates for the procedure are healthy individuals of normal body weight. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, and can be used alone or in combination with regular power liposuction to get rid of large areas of accumulated fat. Needless to say,we're excited about all the potential for this new technique.