AirSculpt, Laser Lipo and Energy-Assisted Liposuction in NYC

What people are usually asking

AirSculpt is a trademarked procedure offered by Elite Body Sculpture. The provider describes a mechanically driven cannula for fat removal. Dr. Smith does not perform AirSculpt.

Most people who search for it are not attached to the brand. They are asking a more general question: is there a way to remove fat that uses some form of energy, rather than suction alone, and does that produce a better result. That question has a real answer, and it is worth more than a brand comparison.

What the energy actually does

Standard liposuction removes fat through a cannula under suction. Energy-assisted techniques add a second step: the fat is treated with ultrasound, radiofrequency or laser energy before or during removal.

The energy does two things. It makes fat easier to remove evenly, which matters most in fibrous areas and in revision work. And in the case of radiofrequency, it delivers controlled heat to the underside of the skin, which is relevant when skin quality, not fat volume, is the limiting factor.

The device is not the operation. How much fat is removed, from where, and in what plane still decides the result.

VASER

VASER is ultrasound-assisted liposuction. The ultrasound emulsifies fat before it is suctioned, which allows more selective removal.

Dr. Smith uses VASER in virtually every liposuction case, for two reasons. It substantially reduces bleeding: a comparative study published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal in 2008 documented 7.5 times less blood loss with third-generation ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty than with suction-assisted lipoplasty. And the deep tissue tightening it produces gives a contouring advantage that suction alone does not.

In three situations he considers it non-negotiable. In revision liposuction, because it breaks up the scar tissue left by the previous operation. In gynecomastia, and in liposuction of the flanks, because that tissue is naturally fibrous and does not yield evenly to suction alone.

He also prefers it in male patients generally, whose connective tissue tends to be tougher and can impede liposuction.

BodyTite

BodyTite is radiofrequency-assisted liposuction. It removes fat and delivers heat to the skin and the tissue beneath it in the same pass.

It is the device Dr. Smith reaches for when a patient has fat to remove and skin that will not retract fully on its own. It is frequently used alongside VASER rather than instead of it: the two do different jobs.

BodyTite is not a substitute for excisional surgery. Where there is significant loose skin, a tummy tuck, arm lift or thigh lift removes it; radiofrequency does not.

Power-assisted liposuction

Dr. Smith also performs power-assisted liposuction, where the cannula itself oscillates. It is not an energy device in the same sense, but it belongs to the same question about what makes fat removal more even and less traumatic.

How the choice gets made

Which combination suits you is decided at consultation, after an examination. The decision turns on the area being treated, how fibrous the tissue is, how much fat is being removed, and above all on skin quality. Two people asking for the same thing often need different approaches.

No technique can be chosen from a website, including this one.

Recovery

Compression is worn for four weeks after liposuction, whichever technique is used.

Follow-up is the next morning, then at one week, two weeks, one month, three months, six months and one year. That is the minimum; patients are seen as often as they need. Dr. Smith leads all post-operative care and sees post-operative patients together with the practice's physician assistant.

Swelling resolves over months rather than weeks, and the final contour is not apparent immediately.

Cost

A quote is itemized into the surgeon's fee, the facility fee and the anesthesia fee, and all post-operative visits are included. It is given after an examination, is valid for thirty days, and a ten percent deposit is taken at booking.

The consultation fee is $500 and is applied toward any procedure you book.

For one year after surgery there is no surgeon's fee on a revision; the patient remains responsible for the anesthesia and facility fees.

Common questions

Does Dr. Smith offer AirSculpt?

No. AirSculpt is a trademarked procedure offered by another company. Dr. Smith uses VASER and BodyTite.

Is energy-assisted liposuction better than standard liposuction?

Dr. Smith uses VASER in virtually every case, on the evidence that it reduces bleeding and on his own finding that the tissue tightening improves the contour. The value is greatest in fibrous tissue, in revision work, and in male patients. Radiofrequency is a separate decision, made on skin quality rather than on fat volume.

Will energy-assisted liposuction tighten my skin?

Radiofrequency delivers heat intended to encourage skin retraction, and that is the reason to choose it. How much retraction any individual gets varies with age, skin quality and how much fat is removed. Where there is substantial loose skin, excisional surgery is what removes it.

What anesthesia is used?

It depends on the case. Smaller, limited areas can reasonably be done awake under local anesthesia. Larger cases require twilight or general anesthesia. The decision is made at consultation, not in advance.

Are the results permanent?

Fat cells that are removed do not return. Remaining fat cells can still enlarge with weight gain, which is why weight is expected to be stable for three months before surgery.

Reference

Garcia O, Nathan N. Comparative analysis of blood loss in suction-assisted lipoplasty and third-generation internal ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2008. PMID 19083558.