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Understanding Liposuction Options

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Large Liposuction Companies

We are a small private practice. Some patients may prefer to work with a large company, like Sono Bello (with which we are not affiliated). Sono Bello is a large company that provides laser liposuction and some other plastic surgery procedures. Unlike individual doctors’ practices, when you contact Sono Bello you are not contacting an actual doctor. Instead, Sono Bello is a large company that will refer you to one of many doctors they hire to perform your procedure. It may not be obvious what their credentials and training are.

People that contact Sono Bello are often looking to add contour and shape to their bodies to enhance their natural features. The main procedure Sono Bello offers is laser liposuction. They advertise that this procedure helps make fat removal easier and tightens skin. For marketing purposes, they call laser liposuction, which is actually a very old technology, “TriSculpt”. Sono Bello uses the TriSculpt method to help patients remove unwanted fat. For more information on how laser liposuction differs from traditional liposuction, and to learn about our preferred energy-based body techniques, please see this page.

Please keep in mind that Sono Bello is the name of a company that offers this kind of liposuction, not the name of the procedure itself. In other words, Trisculpt Micro LaserLipo is the branded procedure name used by Sono Bello, a body contouring company. You may have also heard laser-assisted lipo referred to as SmartLipo. Laser-assisted liposuction is also marketed by another large body contouring company, Elite Body Sculpture, under the marketing name “AirSculpt.”

The bottom line is that laser liposuction is a type of liposuction that uses lasers to melt fat and tighten skin, and it is marketed by Sono Bello as “TriSculpt” and Elite Body Sculpture as “AirSculpt”.

What Should You Know About Sono Bello and TriSculpt

Sono Bello uses laser lipolysis branded as TriSculpt as a fat removal treatment that’s used to get rid of unwanted fat through surgery. During treatment, a micro laser makes fat removal easier and decreases adipose tissue (the fat issue) below the skin.

While it is implied by Sono Bello marketing that TriSculpt is less invasive than traditional liposuction, it is actually just as invasive. Like traditional lipo, your doctor will manually remove unwanted fat through incisions in your target areas. But unlike conventional lipo, lasers are used to melt excess fat and tighten the skin in the area. As we mentioned earlier, we prefer other methods of energy-assisted liposuction, and Dr. Darren Smith customizes every liposuction procedure to meet each patient’s individual needs.

Sono Bello marketing also claims that TriSculpt is superior to traditional liposuction because it can be performed while you are fully awake. Traditional liposuction can be performed awake just as easily as TriSculpt can. While Dr. Smith will perform some small liposuction procedures awake, we find that it is often safer and more comfortable to offer patients IV sedation (“twilight anesthesia”) or general anesthesia.

Where Can Sono Bello be Performed?

Laser liposuction is safe for many parts of the body. You can achieve long-lasting results by removing fat from your stomach, hips, thighs, legs, or smaller areas like your chin, face, and neck.

How is SmartLipo Performed?

There are a few things to know about Sono Bello’s TriSculpt as compared to conventional lipo. The procedure begins by making small incisions in the treatment areas. These small incisions allow the surgeon to use long, thin instruments called cannulas to remove undesirable fat from a section of your body. Fat cells are permanently removed with this approach, like in traditional liposuction. The laser-assisted technology can also contour and tighten the skin by encouraging the body to produce its own collagen and elastin. We prefer BodyTite for skin tightening.

How Much Does Sonobello in NYC Cost?

The final price of your surgery will depend on things like how many areas you’re getting done and how much fat you’re removing.

What Kind of Recovery Time Can I Expect?

Laser-assisted lipo is performed in a minimally invasive fashion like traditional liposuction, and has a similar recovery to traditional liposuction generally characterized by mild discomfort, swelling, and bruising. Most of these symptoms are dramatically improved within a few days.

Sono Bello markets their TriSculpt technique as allowing you to be up and walking right after the procedure. This is also true for traditional liposuction techniques performed with local anesthesia, IV sedation, or general anesthesia. Like traditional liposuction, most patients having Sono Bello’s TriSculpt can get back to work within a few days. You should see the final results after a few months once your swelling has completely subsided.

It’s essential to follow all the aftercare instructions to help ensure a safe and comfortable recovery process. Always avoid extensive exercise until you get the “green light” from the doctor to resume your regular workout routine.

Why Choose Sono Bello?

Sono Bello is a large company that invests heavily in marketing to bring patients into their network of providers. While their primary procedure, TriSculpt, has a unique name, it is actually just a form of laser liposuction. Sono Bello’s primary advantage may be its relatively lower cost in some scenarios.

Trisculpt

TriSculpt is a marketing term used to refer to a relatively old-fashioned technology: a form of laser-assisted liposuction. Traditional liposuction is a simple, 3-step procedure.

  • In step 1, tiny (about 3mm) incisions are made.
  • In step 2, numbing medicine is instilled into the treatment area.
  • In step 3, fat cells are suctioned from the treatment area with a long, thin device called a cannula.

Different energy-based devices have been added to the steps above. They are all designed to do the same thing: generate heat. Heat, in turn, is intended to tighten skin. The three kinds of energy in use are radiofrequency energy, ultrasound energy, and laser energy. Radiofrequency and ultrasound are both effective for specific applications. Laser energy, we have found, has become much less popular in advanced clinics and is thought to be less effective. TriSculpt is just a trade name for laser-assisted liposuction. If you are interested in skin tightening, we strongly prefer radiofrequency (“BodyTite“) and ultrasound (VASER) energy.

TriSculptTraditional Liposuction
Instruments inserted through small incisions to perform the procedureYesYes
Less invasive than traditional liposuctionNoN/A
Removes extra fatYesYes
Tightens skinYesCan be combined with BodyTite to do this

This table compares key features of Sono Bello’s TriSculpt to traditional liposuction.