In the beginning, the only option to remove fat was traditional liposuction. Using tumescent fluid, fat destroyed by mechanical force was then suctioned out. Effective and relatively safe, liposuction offered overweight patients a way to contour the body. Technological advances have made liposuction easier with different types of energies, less invasive and and in some cases, allows for fat to be removed intact.
American Health and Beauty has reviewed body contouring devices in our Beauty Tech Review which featured procedures from traditional liposuction to noninvasive body contouring devices such as CoolSculpting by Zeltiq. Two body contouring devices, Smartlipo and {!Body-Jet} were designed with the same end goal in mind: fat removal - but in two radically different ways.
Actual Smartlipo Before & After Photos of Dr. Daryl Hoffman
Often considered the gold standard in body contouring, Smartlipo is a type of Laser Lipolysis. According to board certified San Jose plastic surgeon Dr. Daryl Hoffman, "Laser lipolysis uses a laser to melt fat cells while simultaneously heating and tightening the skin. It's a very smooth treatment which is especially important for areas such as the abdomen."
The newest iteration, the Smartlipo Triplex, uses three wavelengths to disrupt and melt fat, offering more precision body contouring than previously available. Smartlipo uses smaller instruments than traditional liposuction and is performed under local anesthesia. Through a small incision, a tiny fiber optic cannula (tube) is inserted into the top layers of skin. Instead of mechanical energy, the lasers rupture membranes of the fat cells - causing the fat to melt and is then aspirated through the original incision. It is believed that while the laser is melting the fat, it is also working to cauterize blood vessels resulting in less bleeding, bruising and swelling. Patients who undergo Smartlipo usually have a downtime of 1-2 days.
Actual Smartlipo Before & After Results of Dr. Daryl Hoffman
The Body-Jet, also known as Water Assisted Liposuction, uses water to remove fat gently from it's connective tissues. Dr. Hoffman says, " The Body-Jet uses a jet of water to dislodge fat so we can harvest it for future use in a fat transfer. I also find that it is good as a secondary treatment, to get out more fat after other forms of liposuction have been performed." Because the fat cells are left intact, this type of liposuction is ideal for patients who also want to undergo fat transfer. "The number one area that patients are having fat transferred to is the buttocks for buttock augmentation," says Dr. Hoffman.
Other popular areas that the fat can be transferred to is the breast area for a Natural Breast Augmentation or the face in lieu of facial fillers.
Dr. Hoffman, who has both the Smartlipo and the Body-Jet, says, "For a patient seeking contouring in a relatively small area under local or minimal anesthesia, laser lipolysis is ideal. People who have a bit of skin laxity or perhaps less than ideal skin tone, the Smartlipo is a great option. For patients who have previously had liposuction, I'm more likely to use the Body-Jet because it's better in areas that are scarred from prior procedures. Or of course, if the patient wants the fat transferred elsewhere on their body, I would use the Body-Jet."
