How many times have you seen advertisements for products that purport to melt fat away? Well don't believe the hype of diet pills and miracle drugs, but there is an available form of liposuction that does just that. Ultrasound Assisted Lipoplasty (UAL) is one of the newest technological advancements available for patients wanting to get rid of stubborn fat that circles itself around waists, hangs from arms, and clings to backs, unshaken by any number of Pilates, sit-ups, and carrot sticks you can throw at it. And luckily that technology keeps getting better.

What Is LipoSelection^sm?

LipoSelection^sm, a UAL machine manufactured by VASER, is one such machine that literally melts fat, offering, in some instances, better results than some of the more traditional liposuction techniques. Dr. Russell B. Stokes has treated over one hundred patients with LipoSelection^sm at the Santa Barbara Institute of Body Contouring, and says that his patients are seeing great results with few complications. Dr. Stokes has been using the new technology in his California based facility for just over a year, and says there are still times when he uses more traditional forms of liposuction or pneumatic assisted liposuction, times when LipoSelection^sm may be unnecessary. But for areas that are more difficult to treat with traditional means, LipoSelection^sm can be more effective than what patients of the past have been used to.

So how does LipoSelection^sm work? First, the area to be treated is filled with a saline wetting solution, and tiny probes are used to heat and liquefy fat cells on contact. Next a cannula, or large suction tube, is used to remove the liquid fat. Because sound waves produced during LipoSelection^sm dislodge fat from surrounding tissue, leaving the tissue intact, this new technology can make liposuction less invasive and poses less of risk of blood loss and tissue damage.

Why It Works

Dr. Russel B. Stokes

What makes this technique most effective is the fact that the energy used to liquefy fat is harmless to skin and surrounding tissue. Dr. Stokes even offers demonstrations. Hold the probe to your skin and nothing happens; no burning sensation or discomfort. Then place the probe on soap or any other fat byproduct and it melts almost instantaneously.

Though LipoSelection^sm can be safe and effective virtually anywhere on the body, Dr. Stokes still uses other techniques when this new technology offers no direct advantages. LipoSelection^sm, he says, is most effective for thin-skinned areas such as the arms or face, or more difficult areas, like the back. This new technology, unlike UAL systems of the past, uses pulsed energy, which leaves much less partially emulsified fat. Emulsion occurs when the liquefied fat comes in contact with the saline solution, but does not mix; similar to what happens when you combine oil with vinegar. When this process is slow in completion, or does not occur with all of the intended fat, leaving partially emulsified fat, pockets of unwanted fat can remain causing undesirable results.

Improved Technology Improves Results

Aside from smoother results, this new technology is also safer for patients. "The big knock [against UAL] prior to pulsed energy was that it was too much heat," says Dr. Stokes, and many patients would suffer burns. "That is essentially eliminated by new technology." In addition Dr. Stokes has had no major complications, no instances of infection, and has sent no patients to the hospital since he began using this technique.

The revision rate, he says, is about the same as with any other technique; between 5 and 7%, and the fluid requirements during surgery tend to be the same as well. As for a recovery time: that can vary depending upon the particulars of the procedure. "Removing five liters of fat is a completely different surgery from removing 1 liter from the outer thigh." For the smaller surgeries, patients can sometimes return to activities in as few as 2 days, when there is substantial fat removal it can take as long as 5 to 7 days.

Remember

Liposuction is not a weight loss technique; after surgery you will not notice a significant decrease in weight, if any. But for a more countered body and shapelier physique, LipoSelection^sm could offer the results you're looking for with all the benefits that the newest technology can offer.

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