New York — When it comes to fat-removal techniques, plastic surgeons seem to prefer the tried and tested, according to results of a recent survey.
Medical News Today reports that a survey conducted by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) found that more than half its members prefer suction-assisted lipectomy (SAL), or “traditional” liposuction, and consider it one of the safest procedures for fat removal. Power-assisted liposuction (PAL) and ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL) also scored high, while laser-assisted liposuction (LAL) and external noninvasive devices such as external ultrasound and laser were the least popular.
The ASAPS e-mailed 1,713 members, asking for responses to 17 questions on fat-removal techniques, management of complications and experience with newer fat-removal technologies. The 492 respondents generated the survey results, some of which include:
• Most respondents perform between 51 and 100 liposuctions per year;
• Most currently employ or have previous experience with SAL (92.7 percent), UAL (59.6 percent), and PAL (44.7 percent). Fewer have experience with LAL (12.8 percent), mesotherapy (5.7 percent) or noninvasive devices (12.8 percent);
• Preference rates for fat-removal techniques were 51.4 percent for SAL; PAL, 23 percent; UAL, 20.9 percent; LAL, 3.9 percent; and noninvasive devices, 0.8 percent;
• Respondents felt that newer fat-removal technologies compared unfavorably with more traditional methods in terms of complications;
• Most respondents (68.3 percent) felt that marketing was the most common reason that patients choose newer treatments such as LAL.
Medical News Today quotes the survey’s lead author, Jamil Ahmad, M.D., as saying, “Our survey found that ASAPS members tend to more frequently employ the fat-removal methods that have the longest track records and the most data to support their efficacy and safety. In the future, we may notice preferences shift as we see additional prospective data comparing techniques and as we gain more experience with newer methods. These factors will also help us continue to improve safety-related standards of care.”
The full results of the ASAPS Current Trends in Liposuction Survey appear in the February issue of Aesthetic Surgery Journal.
