Is Ultrasonic Liposuction Safe?

Ultrasonic liposuction, also known as ultrasonic-assisted liposuction or UAL, is an advanced procedure in body contouring surgery that works by helping surgeons remove unwanted body fats with more room to maneuver. Body contouring procedures performed using ultrasonic liposuction work by using "ultrasonic energy" in breaking up fat cells in certain areas and converting these unwanted fats into oil.

Ultrasonic liposuction uses a generator, which is attached to the specially designed suction vacuum. Tumescent fluids are injected into the fatty areas. Then, a hollow canula with an ultrasonic probe is attached to the generator and suction vacuum. Once the canula passes through the fat, the energy breaks down fat cells while converting them to oil. This transformed oil will then blend with the tumescent fluids to form a mixture that can be easily sucked out through the canula.

With the use of ultrasonic liposuction, surgeons could remove unwanted fats from different complicated areas like the flanks, back, hips, upper abdomen and areas that are being redone.

Although ultrasonic liposuction could give effective results, it is not considered as a replacement for the traditional procedures of liposuction. Ultrasonic liposuction, however, can be a helpful addition to traditional liposuction. This is because surgeons can now easily reduce or treat fats that are difficult to remove using traditional liposuction.

The Risks behind Ultrasonic Liposuction

While you can expect the same outcome by using ultrasonic liposuction, there are more complications and risks associated with this procedure compared to traditional liposuction. For instance, the energy given out by the canula could burn the patient's skin, which could cause scarring.

Ultrasonic liposuction is also known to cause blood clots since the procedure gives out heat that could elevate the fatty tissues' temperature. When this happens, blood clots within the blood vessels could occur, which could cause the break down of skin.

Another concern about ultrasonic liposuction is that it could cause injuries to the patient's sensory nerves. According to different neurosurgery studies, the increased exposure to ultrasound could damage peripheral nerves, especially on areas like the face, neck, arms and legs.

A potentially dangerous risk associated with ultrasonic liposuction is the formation of seromas in the patients. A seroma is a cavity with fluids, which contains a yellow, clear fluid known as serum that is located beneath the skin. When excessive energy from the canula is given out, patients could experience seromas for up to several months, which could lead to the damage of its surrounding tissues.

While ultrasonic liposuction could work similarly to the traditional liposuction procedure, it is important to consider these health risks before undergoing this procedure.