Laser-Assisted Liposuction in Face and Body Contouring

Abstract

Laser liposuction was developed as minimally invasive liposuction technique where energy breaks adipocytes (comparing with traditional liposuction where disruption is manual). After its implementation in the early 1990s, various academic reports were published that showed superiority of the laser assisted liposuction over standard tumescent technique. After tissue damage with photo-optical thermal energy, histological changes result in adipocyte disruption, blood vessel coagulation and neocollagenesis. The clinical manifestation of the latter is significant skin tightening and faster and more comfortable recovery. The diameter of the laser fiber is very small. Therefore, it is possible to reach adipose tissue entrapped in fibrotic areas and also superficially under the skin. The lysis of the given adipose tissue enables the subsequent suction with microcannulas. That explains the widespread use of the laser-assisted liposuction in the face and neck. Due to the significant skin tightening, the procedure can be done solely for rejuvenation purposes and is called endolight lifting. The possibility to reach fat in the fibrotic areas makes laser-assisted lipolysis/liposuction ideal procedure for contouring irregularities from previous body contouring procedures.