Liposuction or Mesotherapy? Plastic Surgeon Says Liposuction is Better and Safer

According to Dr. Allan Parungao, who is Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, patients are well-advised to stay away from injection fat-loss treatments, such as mesotherapy. For those wanting safe, effective fat removal, Parungao says, liposuction is the only proven method to date.

In a Sept. 29 press release, Parungao talks about both methods of fat removal. The release says that, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), more than 400,000 liposuction procedures were performed on patients in the U.S. in 2006.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) describes liposuction as a surgical procedure whereby fat is removed from under the skin with the use of either a canula, which suctions out the fat, or an ultrasonic probe the breaks up the fat into small pieces before removing it with suction. The FDA cautions, however, that liposuction is not recommended for weight loss, but is intended to remove localized fat and shape the body. Potential patients should also be aware, according to the FDA, that any licensed doctor may perform liposuction. Specifically, the FDA says, "while some physicians' professional societies may recommend training before performing liposuction surgery, no standardized training is required. As a result, there will be differences in experience and training in physicians performing liposuction."

Parungao says that "liposuction has a long and successful track record." Also known as "suction-assisted lipoplasty or suction lipectomy," liposuction is a minimally invasive form of plastic surgery. Parungao also says that "newer techniques, such as tumescent liposuction and ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty, offer more-precise results and quicker recovery times. Liposuction patients are typically up and around right away, and most go back to work in just a few days."