Over the past year, a new tool has been added to the armamentarium of the liposuction surgeon. Power-assisted liposuction augments the above procedures. There is a small similarity to the ultrasound, in that the vibrating cannula enables the surgeon to remove the fat with less mechanical work, thereby allowing the surgeon to perform the procedure more rapidly, and allowing him to remove more fat with the same mechanical effort.
The moving cannula is similar to the motion of an electric toothbrush. The cannula moves rapidly with a short excursion. As in all modalities, the cannula is attached to the vacuum machine. In addition, the cannulas come in more sizes than in the ultrasound liposuction technique. It would be premature to say that there is a significant difference in the convalescence of the patient.
