In explaining the liposuction technique known as tumescent liposculpture, it will be helpful to contrast it with other methods in order to illustrate the differences between the two. Prior to the widespread adoption of tumescent liposculpture, a patient being treated to have fat removed via liposculpture / liposuction, was at the receiving end of a surgery that had to use larger incisions in the flesh in order to accomodate larger cannulas. (The cannula is the fat suctioning or fat sucking device used in all liposculpture procedures.) This technique used what’s known as general anesthesia and carried with it an increase risk of blood loss during surgery due to larger incisions and the possiblity of an unwanted reaction to said anesthesia. Additionally, prior to the tumescent technique, recovery was usually considered harder on the body with previous techniques.
Compare this to the tumescent liposculpture technique in which one or more very small incisions are made to insert also very small cannula tools, sometimes referred to as micro cannulas. Instead of using general anesthesia, tumescent lipo uses local anesthesia. The important point to note about this difference is that it means less risk of anesthesia related complications for the patient. Because the incisions are smaller and the cannulas are smaller, this carries a number of benefits to the patient. First, it lessens the risk of blood loss compared to traditional techniques. Secondly, smaller incisions mean faster healing time and less risk ofd scarring or marks left on the body post-surgery. Third, these micro cannula tools are able to target the fatty areas with improved accuracy and finesse. This all translates to a speedier recovery as compared to previous techniques!
Why the word tumescent though – what does this mean?
When speaking of “tumescent liposuction”, the tumescent phrase refers to being swollen and firm. This is in reference to the fat which will be removed, which is made swollen and firm through the injection of lidocaine, which is a local anesthetic, coupled with a solution to tighten or constrict the surrounding blood vessels (often epinephrine). Note that this blood vessel constriction is one reason why the risk of blood less is minimized in the tumescent lipo technique.
For all these reasons, tumescent liposculpture immediately became a widely adopted preference for performing various liposuction treatments all over the body. The benefits it carries – improved recovery, less anthesthia complications, less blood less, less risk of liposuction scars, and improved cannula technology – cannot be ignored!
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