The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) recently performed a survey of its members on their likes and dislikes in the field of liposuction, where there are multiple surgical options to select from.
Most ASAPS respondents reported performing between 50 and 100 liposuction procedures annually. Standard suction-assisted lipectomy/liposuction (SAL) was the preferred method of fat removal for 51% of them. Power-assisted liposuction was second, preferred by 23% of respondents. Only 10.5% of ASAPS members surveyed employ laser-assisted liposuction (SmartLipo and others) in their practice. When these ASAPS members were asked why they used LAL over other modalities, the main answer was that it gave them a marketing advantage (68%).
Ultrasonic liposuction (UAL) was the most likely method to have been abandoned by the respondents.
With regard to complications after liposuction, ASAPS members felt that ultrasonic and laser liposuction were the techniques most commonly associated with complications (35% and 23%, respectively).
Of the respondents, 38.2% have taken care of a patient with complications secondary to laser liposuction. Contour deformity was the most common complication reported by respondents (71%), followed by unsatisfactory results (59%), burns (44%), and scarring (38%). (Some patients, unfortunately, had more than one problem.)
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[Source: The Orlando Plastic Surgery Blog]