NEW YORK (Reuters) -- 'Liposhaving' may replace liposuction as a safer way of extracting unwanted fat, researchers say.
"I believe in the future this new technique will replace old liposuction methods," said Dr. Charles Gross, professor in the University of Virginia's Department of Head and Neck Surgery, who helped pioneer the new technique.
The liposhaver device consists of a hollow tube, or cannula, surrounding an inner blade. Fat tissue is gently 'shaved' away by the adjustable-speed blade and then removed through the cannula.
Unlike liposuction, liposhavers don't require a perfect vacuum to operate. Gross says this allows surgeons to work in open incisions, giving a clear view of what they are doing.
"It's better from a safety point of view, it's less traumatic. And it's better in terms of control, because you can do as much or as little as you want with precision," Gross explained. "In traditional liposuction, you'd have to have a 'closed-vacuum' technique because you depend upon a vacuum to suck the fat into the cannula."
The study trials, jointly conducted by the University of Virginia and Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, used the liposhaver in 19 operations with successful outcomes in all cases. The liposhaver was used on areas of the face such as the cheeks, chin, and mouth.
The new procedure is less traumatic because it's gentle motion excises fat more safely. "It requires low suction pressures and does not rely on the potentially bruising, vigorous, back-and-forth motion for fat extraction typical of conventional liposuction," researchers say.
Gross says liposhavers cut up to 80% of postoperative bruising. "About 1 in 5 liposhaver patients get some significant bruising, whereas all liposuction patients get significant bruising," Gross commented.
And patients gave high marks to the procedure, say the researchers. "Patients achieved the anticipated contour and profile result," say the study authors. "The fat was cleanly shaved and the contour results were even, without dimpling or asymmetry." Dimpling or asymmetry are occasional results of the less precise liposuction method.
Gross says ease of operation is another big plus to the procedure. "Patients were very pleased because they can just come into the office, have some local anesthesia... similar to when a dentist extracts a tooth," he explained.
SOURCE: Archives of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (1996;122:1161-1167)
