Cosmetic Surgery and Beauty Magazine #64

feature
An ideal candidate
for liposuction
• Is close to their ideal body weight
(within 30 percent)
• Wants to remove specifi c areas of fat that are
resistant to diet and exercise (fat pockets in the
abdomen, arms, knees, inner and outer thighs,
‘love handles’ and neck)
• Weight has been stable for six months or more
• Has good skin tone and elasticity
• Does not have loose or saggy skin
• Does not have stretch marks
• Has realistic expectations
• Is emotionally stable
tumescent technique reduces bruising and swelling, larger
quantities of fat can be removed.
The amount of tumescent fl uid used varies from patient
to patient and is usually driven by what level of anaesthetic
the patient prefers. Technically, the tumescent method also
Most surgeons will adapt
techniques and tools to each
individual patient to achieve
optimal results
includes the ‘wet’ and ‘superwet’ techniques as these also
inject fl uid to expand, or tumesce, the target area. The
main differences of the true tumescent technique and the
‘wet’ and ‘superwet’ modifi cations are the volume of fl uid
injected in relation to the amount of fat removed and the
type of sedation used.
Generally, there is a balance between the volume of fl uid
injected and the anesthetic used – the more fl uid, the less
additional anaesthetic needed. For example, liposuction
performed using the true tumescent technique will typically
negate the need for additional sedation because the local
anesthetic in the injected fl uid is suffi cient. Conversely,
the wet technique preinjects a minimal amount of fl uid so
more sedation is required, usually in the form of general
anaesthetic. The superwet technique, which normally
involves an amount of fl uid equal to the amount of fat to be
removed, would typically require intravenous sedation. The
volume of fl uid and corresponding level of anaesthetic used
is also dependent on the projected length of surgery and
the amount of fat to be removed.
The terms ‘tumescent’, ‘wet’ and ‘superwet’ are used
loosely. Generally, each doctor has their own preferred
amount and composition of fl uid to be injected and it has
never been completely standardised. Doctors will usually
adjust the amount of fl uid used depending on the desires
of the individual patient and their preference for local
anaesthesia, intravenous sedation or general anaesthesia.
Once the areas of fat to be treated have absorbed
the injected solution, there are generally three ways to
actually remove the fat: the traditional cannula method,
the syringe technique and the energy-assisted method,
which can further be broken into numerous sub-categories
such as laser-assisted. The method of fat extraction used
is mainly dependent on the surgeon’s preference and
their level of expertise and experience in that particular
technique. csbm
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