Lipoplasty, which is another name for liposuction, is an increasing popular procedures for patients to elect to do away with unattractive fat stores throughout the body.  Power assisted lipoplasty is routinely referred to in short as PAL.  PAL is a relatively new procedure for patients to consider.  Only approved by the FDA in 1998, its decade of usage has proven it a safe and effective procedure.  Before making your final decision on the type of liposuction to pursue, you'll need to understand more about how power assisted lipoplasty works.

Types of Lipoplasty

There are several main types of lipoplasty procedures.  The oldest and most commonly performed liposuction type is called SAL: suction assisted lipoplasty.  This is what is typically thought of when liposuction is considered.  A simple vacuum is used to literally sweep out deposits of fat cells.  The more-advanced PAL or power assisted lipoplasty procedure simply indicates that the vacuum want is powered by gas or electricity.  The final type of lipoplasty commonly used is UAL or ultrasound assisted lipoplasty.  This occurs when an ultrasonic frequency is used to break up fat cells prior to their removal.  Suction assisted lipoplasty, power assisted lipoplasty and ultrasound assisted lipoplasty have all been approved for usage in the United States.

Benefits of Power Assisted Lipoplasty

One of the primary benefits of power assisted lipoplasty is the reduction of time necessary to complete the liposuction procedure.  The powered wand and tip break through fat cells faster than traditional wands, meaning that patients have to spend less time with open incisions and under sedation.  This is a benefit to surgeons as well, as it allows for fatigue to be avoided and additional procedures to be performed due to saved time.

One side affect of the lower time requirements necessary for power assisted lipoplasty is that it is then considered less invasive and less likely to lead to any infection.  The powered tips allow for greater precision in movement and thus power assisted lipoplasty can also be considered a gentler form of liposuction.

One final and terrific benefit of power assisted lipoplasty is the ability of the patient to recover faster due to faster surgery times and less time necessarily spent under any form of anesthesia.  Beyond physical recover, patients can experience an overall shortening of downtime and can feel stronger faster and be better equipped to sooner pick up the various aspects of their life.