Plenty of people have that extra ring of fat around their middles or a bit more flab than they would like on their inner thighs. That fat might stick around, no matter how much you exercise or how healthy your diet is. Liposuction is the traditional method of removing unwanted fat from the body. New methods, such as Liposonix, offer a non-surgical option of fat removal.

Compared to traditional liposuction, Liposonix has a number of benefits. Learn about the differences between the two procedures so that you can decide which one is right for you.

The Process

The big difference between Liposonix and liposuction is that one is surgery and the other isn’t. Liposuction involves the use of incisions and anesthesia. During liposuction, a patient can be entirely under, either under sedation or given a local anesthetic. During non-surgical body contouring, a patient is give an oral pain medicine to help reduce any discomfort.

When a patient undergoes liposuction, the surgeon inserts a thin tube into the incision, which is then moved back and forth to break up the fat. The loosened fat is then suctioned out of the body and discarded.

The Liposonix procedure is completely non-invasive. There are no incisions made. Instead, the doctor uses a hand-held device to send ultrasound energy to the fat cells. The fat alone absorbs the energy, so that the skin, nerves and other surrounding tissue is left undamaged and untouched.

While fat is removed from the body right away during liposuction, the process of removing it from the body is slightly different with Liposonix. The ultrasound energy destroys the fat cells, causing them to die. The process turns the fat into triglycerides, which are then engulfed by macrophages.

The macrophages transport the damaged fat cells through the body’s lymphatic system, until it reaches the liver. Once in the liver, the organ processes the fat the same way it would fat that a person ingested through diet. Instead of being redistributed to other areas of the body, the fat is metabolized by the liver and eliminated from the body as waste.

The Recovery

Recovery time after Liposonix is considerably shorter than the recovery time after liposuction. In many cases, people can go back to work the day after a Liposonix treatment, while many liposuction patients need to take at least a few days, if not a week, off from work.

Swelling and bruising can occur after either procedure. It can take a few days to a few weeks for the swelling to go down and for bruising to fade after either procedure. Usually, liposuction patients are given a compression garment to wear to help restore the shape of the area after the fat is removed. 

You should take it easy for a few days after Liposonix. It’s usually recommended that you wait two or three days before exercising again. You’ll usually have to wait a few weeks before you can exercise again after liposuction.

Since the Liposonix treatment causes your body fat to be metabolized by the liver, you might want to alter your diet for the first few weeks after it. Eating a low carbohydrate and low fat diet can help improve your results. 

Treated Areas

Generally, liposuction and Liposonix treat the same areas. Liposonix is often used to remove stubborn fat from the abdominal area or from the thighs. Liposuction can be performed on those areas, as well as on the arms, neck and facial area.

Who It’s For 

There are very specific requirements when it come to determining if Liposonix is appropriate for a person or not. Usually, a person should have at least one inch of excess fat in the area to be treated. A one-hour Liposonix treatment can remove up to an inch of fat. If a person has less than one inch of fat, there might not be much point to the treatment.

For both treatments, a person should be at or near a healthy weight. The recommendation before liposuction is usually within 30 percent of  the goal weight. For Liposonix, the recommendation is that a person have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or lower. It’s important to remember that both procedures are designed to shape the body, only. They aren’t intended for weight loss and won’t help you drop those last stubborn pounds.

The final results from Liposonix usually appear about eight to 12 weeks after the treatment. That means you still have time to undergo the procedure and spend part of your summer showing off your flatter stomach or streamlined thighs in a swimsuit. To learn more about Liposonix, contact Dr. Kyle Choe at The Choe Center in Virginia Beach. For a consultation, call his practice at 757.389.5850 today.