How Liposuction Evolved

Liposuction has become the most coveted cosmetic surgery in the country now. In fact, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, liposuction was the most common plastic surgery operation carried out in 2006 with 403,684 patients.

Since time immemorial, man has always endeavored for perfection, a better looking body and a fit physical appearance. Liposuction operation goes back to 1926 when French surgeon, Charles Dujarier executed a surgical operation which resulted in gangrene in the leg of a French model. Such incident triggered interest in body contouring for decades to follow.

In the 1960′s surgeons in Europe commenced liposuction and was initiated in the United States by the European surgeon Leon Forrester Tcheupdjian using antiquated curettage processes which were for the most part ignored, as they attained irregular results with substantial death rate and bleeding Dr. Giorgio Fischer, a gynecologist from Rome, Italy, devised the liposuction operation in 1974.

Advanced liposuction first introduced by the French surgeon, Dr Yves-Gerard Illouz, in 1982. The “Illouz Method” featured a technique of suction-assisted lipolysis after infusing fluid into tissues employing blunt cannulas and high-vacuum suction and demonstrated both reproducible effective results and low mortality rate.

During the 1980s, several United States surgeons experimented with liposuction, developing some variations, and achieving mixed effects. In 1985 the tumescent technique developed. In the late 1990s, ultrasound was presented to facilitate the fat removal by first liquefying it applying ultrasonic energy.

Technologies involving the use of laser tipped probes (which induce a thermal lipolysis) have been introduced in recent years and are being evaluated to examine any potential benefit over traditional techniques. Overall, the advantages of 30 years of improvements have been that more fat cells can more easily be removed, with less blood loss, less discomfort, and less risk.