At the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons’ (SERS) 2011 Atlanta Breast Surgery Symposium, Dr. James Namnoum presented on multiple advances in cosmetic surgery, including water jet assisted liposuction. This procedure, Body Jet is one brand name, uses sterilized water in the same way the tumescent liposuction uses an anesthetic solution.
During the procedure, sterilized water is injected into the surgery site, breaking down the fat for easier removal. In tumescent liposuction, the more popular practice among American doctors, an anesthetic solution is injected into the site, swelling the skin (“tumescent” means “swollen and firm”) and providing a local anesthetic effect.
So why is water-assisted liposuction so exciting, even though it doesn’t provide the same anesthetic effect? Well, it has to do with the water-assisted liposuction device itself. it is a completely closed system, meaning that the vented chamber construction keeps the fat from being exposed to air and filters out any foreign matter. This means that the fat can more easily be reused in breast augmentation or other reconstructive surgery.
Fat storage and injection is a new, booming niche service in the cosmetic surgery field. Many people are choosing to store their own fat for later use, as their bodies will not reject it, unlike silicone implants or donated fat injections. According to a SERS press release, “Because the Body Jet machinery strains the particulates and bodily fluids from the harvested fat, it maintains a pure liquid consistency that enhances re-injection (fat transfer) results.”
Water-assisted liposuction is just one of many new and exciting techniques in the world of cosmetic surgery. Researchers and scientists all over the world are working hard to ensure that cosmetic surgery is safer. more precise, and provides more patient satisfaction.