In this advanced day and time, the medical field including the cosmetic world has come up with a lot of mechanisms to develop liposuction processes. These mechanisms are called: suction-assisted liposuction (SAL), ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL), power-assisted liposuction (PAL), twin-cannula (assisted) liposuction (TCAL or TCL), external ultrasound-assisted liposuction (XUAL or EUAL) and water-assisted liposuction (WAL)
Suction-assisted liposuction is the standard method of liposuction. In this approach, a small cannula (like a straw) is inserted through a small incision. It is attached to a vacuum device. The surgeon pushes and pulls it carefully through the fat layer, breaking up the fat cells and drawing them out of the body by suction.
In ultrasound-assisted or ultrasonic liposuction, a specialized cannula is used which transmits ultrasound vibrations within the body. This vibration breaks the walls of the fat cells, emulsifying the fat (i.e. liquefying it) and making it easier to suction out.
PAL uses a specialized cannula with mechanized movement, so that the surgeon does not need to make as many manual movements. Twin cannula (assisted) liposuction uses a tube-within-a-tube specialized cannula pair, so that the cannula which aspirates fat, the mechanically reciprocated inner cannula, does not impact the patient’s tissue or the surgeon’s joints with each and every forward stroke.
External ultrasound-assisted liposuction (XUAL or EUAL) is a type of UAL where the ultrasonic energy is applied from outside the body, through the skin, making the specialized cannula of the UAL procedure unnecessary.
Water-assisted liposuction (WAL) uses a thin fan-shaped water beam, which loosens the structure of the fat tissue, so that it can be removed by a special cannula. WAL requires less infiltration solution and produces less edema from the tumescent fluid. The utility of this technology is under study and is currently not widely used.
