Diet and exercise are no strangers, especially in the health-conscious climate we currently live in. There is a lot of hard work involved—hours, days, months of sweat and sacrifice — but, as the pounds melt away, there’s also an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment …until that small, unresolved remainder catches your eye. What is one to do? All the exercise and diet in the world won’t dissolve it; it being (in)conveniently located in a part of your body that is resistant to the effects of your labors. The fact of the matter is, there are certain areas of the body for which diet and exercise will be futile. Well, you’ve done your share, and now it’s only fair to let an expert step in.
Power-assisted liposuction (PAL) offers an effective way to shed excess fat in those stubborn areas. This procedure removes fat and contours the treatment area by using a small, power-assisted cannula attached to a suction machine. Most surgeons use a tumescent anesthetic technique wherein an anesthetic-saline solution is infused throughout the tissue to be treated; this allows for the smooth removal of fat cells through the cannula via suction. Moving the cannula through fatty tissue, however, can oftentimes be difficult, increasing the chances of the presence of left-over fat tissue in the area.
The PAL technique remedies this difficulty and complements standard tumescent liposuction. The power-assisted cannula allows for smaller incisions than the traditional cannulas. Also, the reciprocating movement of the cannula allows for tiny, rapid vibrations that propagate into the fatty tissue, breaking up the fat cells and facilitates the cannula’s movement underneath the skin. With PAL, surgeons can remove fat more quickly and accurately with much less damage to surrounding tissues, making the procedure safer and more effective. Also, PAL shortens the recovery period, since the vibrations also allow doctors to be gentler on the body by reducing the force required to move the cannula back and forth underneath the skin.
Still, no surgery is without its risks. Although the risks and risk rates vary between individuals, those that are most commonly associated with PAL include: pigmentation changes, skin injury, fluid retention, excessive fluid loss, and infection. Other risks may also arise depending on the patient’s individual health and habits. However, generally healthy individuals with disproportionate pockets of excess fat, and who have firm, elastic skin, are considered ideal candidates and are less likely to experience such complications.
When dealing with any kind of surgery, the best source of information is a board certified and well-trained plastic surgeon. If healthy eating and hitting the gym has fallen short, perhaps the next step is to make an appointment with the doctors at BH 6750 Multi-Specialty Aesthetic Institute (a registered brand of Beverly Hills 6750 CSSI Corporation).