S.A.F.E Liposuction: Evaluating Outcomes and Complications
Liposuction is classically defined as surgical aspiration of subcutaneous fat for the purposes of bulk reduction and improved body contour. While quite successful in bulk reduction there exist limitations as to the achieved aesthetic result from tissue removal alone. Improving body contour is best accomplished through a combined effort of fat reduction and redistribution. S.A.F.E. Liposuction serves to accomplish such goals. The process approach of fat separation followed by aspiration and fat equalization provides a comprehensive treatment method to optimize aesthetic outcomes. The purpose of this study was to review both outcomes and complications of S.A.F.E Liposuction.
Methods/Technique:
Retrospective chart review was completed of patients undergoing S.A.F.E. Liposuction from January 2007 to January 2012. Patient selection was limited to those undergoing liposuction alone with no adjuvant excisional procedures. Data collected included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and treatment sites. Wetting solution and lipoaspirate volumes were collected. Complications were classified as minor or major. Major complications were considered any untoward result requiring reoperation. Minor complications were those that resolved without intervention or with treatment in the clinic setting.
Results/Complications:
One-hundred and twenty-nine patient were found to meet inclusion criteria. Eighty-three of the 129 patients underwent treatment of the circumferential trunk. Thirty-two of the 83 patients received treatment of circumferential trunk alone while 51/83 underwent treatment of the trunk and additional area(s). Fifty-three of the 129 patients underwent treatment to an area other than the trunk. This patient subset included treatment of neck (7), arms (6), breast (13), and legs (20). Patient age ranged from 18-42 years (mean 36) with a male to female ration of 1:2.7. BMI ranged from 18-42 (mean 26.3). Wetting solution infiltration ranged from 0.15-8L (mean 4.2L) while lipoaspirate volume ranged from 0.05-7.8L (mean 3.4L). Use of S.A.F.E. liposuction technique provided optimal results in all cases pertaining to body contour and achieved aesthetic result. There were no cases of patient dissatisfaction.
No major complications occurred in any of the 129 patients. There were no cases of contour deformity or inadequately treated areas identified. Five of the 129 patients (6%) developed the minor complication of seroma formation. All seroma formations occurred in patients that had undergone circumferential trunk treatment and were successfully treated with local aspiration alone.
Conclusion:
Application of S.A.F.E. Liposuction provides a comprehensive approach to body contouring through combined fat separation, aspiration and equalization. The results of this study show such technique to be safe and effective.