NEW YORK, April 11 (Reuters) -- Experts believe a new ultrasound-based liposuction method can help remove fat deposits from areas not amenable to traditional liposuction techniques.
"We expect ultrasound liposuction to become the preferred method for performing liposuction in certain parts of the body where good results are difficult to obtain with traditional liposuction," said Dr. Rod Rohrich, chairman of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center's Department of Plastic Surgery in Dallas.
Rohrich is also committee chair of a two-year-old national task force set up by leading plastic surgery organizations, aimed at evaluating data on ultrasound liposuction. They submitted their report on the technique to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which approved use of the procedure last year.
Traditional methods of liposuction involve high-pressure breakup of underlying fat, which is then removed via suction with a hollow plastic tube, or cannula.
The new ultrasound technique breaks up fatty tissue by the insertion of a thin 'wand' into the fat area, along with a local anesthetic. Ultrasonic energy emitted by the wand causes fat cells to vibrate at high speeds, and then liquefy. The liquefied fat is then drawn out by low-pressure suction.
Besides being less time and labor intensive, the ultrasonic method renders "improved contour in those previously difficult liposuction areas and patients," Rohrich says.
Ultrasound liposuction can also reach fat 'problem areas' not accessible by traditional methods. "These problem areas include the back, flanks and large breasts in males affected by a condition known as gynecomastia," Rohrich explained.
It is especially useful in patients who require the removal of high volumes of fat. Rohrich says using the technique can help remove up to 26 pounds of fat in one session.
But the advent of ultrasonic liposuction doesn't mean the end of traditional procedures. "The traditional method is still most useful in small localized areas of fat," Rohrich explained. "You don't need to use ultrasound for those areas. And if you want to get better contour, you can use the two together."
He says ultrasound liposuction will probably end up costing the same as traditional methods. An average bilateral hip trim should run between $1,500 - $3,000, Rohrich said.
Not everyone is totally enthusiastic about the new procedure. Some critics charge that inexperienced surgeons have burned patients with the hot ultrasonic vibrators. Rohrich advises consumers to check a plastic surgeon's credentials and experience before agreeing to the procedure. "Ask to see their training certification. Ask about the number of patients he or she has done. Talk to former patients that have had the ultrasound. Ultrasound suction is different than the traditional techniques, and practitioners must go to a training course."
He says 800 plastic surgeons nationwide have already been trained in the procedure, with another 1,200 expected to have their certification by the end of this year.
