The Liposuction Alternative -Why More People Are Exploring Nonsurgical Approaches To Body Shaping and Contouring

Liposuction is currently one of the most popular procedures available at the plastic surgeon's office, with an estimated 1.6 million liposuction procedures performed worldwide in 2010 alone. It is also one of the most highly searched keyword on Google, with over 1.2 million searches worldwide every month, an indication of the growing number of people who are looking for a way to shed those inches.

With obesity at epidemic proportions, battling the bulge is a major concern for many

Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty, can be performed on many areas of the body, including the arms, neck, upper arms, calves, and back areas, with the abdomen and thigh areas being the most popularly treated areas. Although liposuction is a proven and highly effective tool, the decision to undergo such a treatment should never be taken lightly. Liposuction is a major surgical procedure, and the risks are as high as in any other surgery.

Here are some things that any person considering this procedure must know -

Liposuction is not for everyone - 

Many people think of liposuction as the 'weight loss solution for lazy people', but actually liposuction is best suited for people who have pockets of fat that they have not been able to lose through diet and exercise. The patient must be relatively fit and healthy in order to withstand the rigours of the surgery and recovery process.

Severely obese patients are never a candidate for liposuction - they are encouraged to lose the weight through bariatric (weight loss) techniques or surgery such as gastric banding.

Liposuction is not a magic wand for instant weight loss

Besides the cost and discomfort that this major surgical procedure involves, there are also many risks that must be considered. These risks can include damage to surrounding tissue, toxicity, allergy, uneven contouring and infection. The amount of fat that can be removed from any single procedure is also limited, and some patients are disappointed when the procedure doesn't give them the smooth silhouette and shapeliness they were expecting. Expecting to go from a size 16 to a size 8 is also unrealistic, as

Just because the fat is gone doesn't mean you won't put on weight

Liposuction works by the physical removal of fat cells from the body, so it's easy to think that your post-surgical body will stay the same forever. However, a study done at the University of Colorado found that the majority of liposuction patients regained the weight within a year after their surgery, but in different, non-treated areas. Those who had their abdomen treated regained it on their thighs, and others who had their thighs liposuctioned found their upper body area getting larger.

Historically, fat reserves were the body's insurance against starvation, so our fat cells were tuned to reserve as much energy as possible from the food we ingest. The fat stores on a post-liposuction patient are just redistributed to existing fat cells in other areas to make up for the reduced amount in the treatment sites. Having liposuction to reduce your problem areas does not mean diet and exercise are no longer important.

The typical liposuction patient - the procedure can give you a temporary boost, but research shows the weight is usually put
back on after a year, but tends to regrow in different areas than the ones treated.

Liposuction alternatives - what options are available besides the surgical procedure?

Liposuction is still the gold standard and the quickest method for fat loss and body contouring, but it does not address long term weight control, and always needs to be carefully considered due to cost, discomfort, recovery and health concerns. Liposuction should not be performed  repeatedly on the same treatment area due to the formation of scar tissue. Other problems such as skin laxity and lumpy or uneven areas are also common after the surgery. Liposuction also cannot address concerns such as cellulite, and is not practical for slimmer people who have small fatty deposits.

The trend today is for non-surgical procedures such as cryolipolisis, soft laser lipolysis or ultrasonolipolysis as an alternative for or extra treatment option post-liposuction. In Europe, many also swear by carboxytherapy and mesotherapy, and new techniques that employ these methods are being explored and introduced on a regular basis. 

While these are exciting prospects for those who don't want to opt for or don't qualify for surgery, they cannot produce the instant results of a liposuction procedure, but often rely on repeated procedures or take time to show effects. Safety concerns are key with nonsurgical methods, and fat loss is slow to avoid complications such as skin or organ damage. The amount of fatty tissue treated is also limited as a sudden loss of too much fat can cause your body to go into shock. Most nonsurgical lipolysis (fat elimination) treatments are also dependent on the efficiency of the body's metabolic system, as the treated fat is not manually removed as in surgical procedures, but purged from the body as part of it's natural waste elimination process. A drawback of this extended recovery process is that it can be hard to see visible results. 

You can read more about non-surgical body shaping options in my previous blog post. Have you tried any of these treatments and do you think you prefer them to surgery?

Cosmetic Medicine, MD

Dr. Liow Tiong Sin is an aesthetic practitioner who practices in Kuala Lumpur and Melaka, Malaysia. He has more than 12 years of expertise with non-surgical cosmetic treatments, and  conducts training courses for other doctors from all around Asia. To connect with Dr. Liow, Like Cosmedmd's Facebook page. medical centre website or email.