lipolysis injections
How Was Liposuction Introduced?
The first case of liposuction dates back to the early 1920s. It was carried out by a French surgeon, Dr Charles Dujarier, on a famous model called Mademoiselle Geoffre who wished to improve the looks of her legs. Dujarier cut out sections of fat with a scalpel. The operation was a complete failure. Gangrene, resulting from suture tension, arose, leading to amputation of the leg. Further complications led to Mademoiselle Geoffre’s death. Dr. Dujarier was sentenced to pay 200000 francs in compensation, and plastic surgery was practically outlawed.
Modern liposuction was developed in 1974 by the gynaecologist Dr. Giorgio Fischer. He performed liposuction on a patient using a curette. The curette was used to scrape fatty tissue away before it could be removed by suction. The process was more successful than Dujarier’s endeavour but still produced significant blood loss and uneven skin texture. There was also unnecessary nerve damage and removal of healthy muscle tissue by the sharp curette. This method was largely disregarded by most doctors.
A few years later, in 1978, Dr. Illouz and Fournier of France altered Fischer’s method by using a blunt-tipped cannula. This produced much less damage and blood loss. Dr. Illouz further innovated by injecting a saline solution (about four to six ounces) into the patient’s fatty tissue. This caused the fatty layer to expand (lipolysis), facilitating the surgeon’s task. The solution also contained a small amount of epinephrine which causes blood vessels to contract, reducing blood loss during the operation. Dr. Illouz performed his operations on general anaesthesia.
Dr. Illouz’s success spurred American doctors to travel to Europe to learn what became known as the “Illouz Techniqueâ€. It was during this period that liposuction was finally introduced in the United States as a cosmetic procedure.
In 1985, Dr. Jeffrey Klein, a dermatologist, developed the Tumescent Technique by adjusting Dr. Illouz’s method. This technique requires much more fluid to be injected. The fluid contains a lot of lidocaine which is a good anaesthetic. Thus, tumescent liposuction was performed on local anaesthesia. This was a significant improvement as the risks associated with general anaesthesia could now be avoided.
Ultrasound technology was added to the procedure in the 1990s. Ultrasonic energy was used to liquefy the fat before its removal by the suction apparatus. Additional developments include laser-tipped probes that induced thermal lipolysis.
The most recent developments involve using the fat as autologous fillers. For example, fat from the belly is removed, cleaned and used to fill up wrinkled areas.
About the Author
Leonard Dawson is a freelance article writer who writes for Cosmetic Surgery Guru about current issues, technology and news within the cosmetic surgery market.
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