Plastic surgeon recommends patients to choose ultrasonic liposuction over Smart Lipo

Aug 27 2009

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, minimally invasive cosmetic procedures increased by five percent over the past year while traditional cosmetic procedures decreased by nine percent. Partially due to the economy and less spending, many patients interested in Fort Lauderdale liposuction seek out Smart Lipo believing it is either less invasive or less expensive than other types of liposuction. Dr. Wigoda, a Fort Lauderdale, board certified plastic surgeon, shares in his Smart Lipo vs. Liposuction video that Fort Lauderdale ultrasonic liposuction is usually the smarter way to go. Smart lipo is equally invasive and typically, equally priced as traditional liposuction; however, it is often not as effective.

"In South Florida, many Smart Lipo doctors advertise the procedure as safe and effective although they are not board certified plastic surgeons," said Dr. Paul Wigoda. "These doctors open up an office or spa, declare themselves Smart Lipo experts, and perform Smart Lipo without any formal plastic surgery training other than maybe a one or two-day Smart Lipo course."

As one of the most common Fort Lauderdale plastic surgery procedures, it is inevitable that enhancements or tweaks will be made to the liposuction process, however, when comparing the procedure of Smart Lipo vs. ultrasonic liposuction, the results are usually not similar.

Smart Lipo vs. Liposuction

-- Smart Lipo claims to tighten the skin during the procedure; however, neither the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the companies that sell the device, nor anyone else has proven that statement. Similarly, traditional liposuction also does little to tighten the skin. -- A doctor does not have to be a board certified plastic surgeon to perform Smart Lipo. Dr. Wigoda advises clients to always choose a plastic surgeon that is a board certified in plastic surgery and has completed plastic surgery training. -- Smart Lipo was introduced to the market as a 'lunchtime' procedure with little pain and minimal downtime, usually to treat very small areas of excess fat. These claims were true when Smart Lipo machines emitted low wattage but as clients complained about minimal results, Smart Lipo increased the machine wattage, which also increased the pain. -- Ultrasonic liposuction is much more powerful than Smart Lipo and is more successful at removing larger amounts of fat. -- Smart Lipo, traditional liposuction, and ultrasonic liposuction can all be done under local anesthesia, but most plastic surgeons recommend general anesthesia for comfort. Non-plastic surgeons often cannot offer general anesthesia in their offices.

"The bottom line is that the advantages of Smart Lipo don't really exist," said Dr. Wigoda. "If a patient is looking for long term, effective Fort Lauderdale liposuction results they need to look into all of the available options and most importantly, trust the doctor they choose."

SOURCE: Dr. Paul Wigoda