liposuction Essay

1374 Words6 Pages
In 2007, the Plastic Surgery Research (2008) reported that “398,848 lipoplasty surgical procedures were done.” This cosmetic surgery is commonly known as liposuction. Liposuction is a way to enhance the body from unwanted or excess fat that will not go away from exercise or diet alone. This surgical procedure is better understood by addressing the following questions: 1. How did liposuction originate? 2. What are the types of liposuction? 3. What are the areas of the body liposuction targets? 4. Are there medical risks associated with liposuction? How Did Liposuction Originate? The growth of liposuction dates back to the 20th century. Fat deposits and unwanted bulges seemed impossible to eliminate with the simple combination of traditional diet and exercise. However, in 1976, a European surgeon named George Fischer broke ground with a new technique, he called “aspiration curettage.” (Forrester, 2006). Results remained at an unpredictable rate for any one patient; consequently other doctors were unwilling to attempt aspiration curettage. Aspiration curettage consisted of the following procedure: “Using a suction pump to a sharp cutting instrument, Fischer made a small incision into which he inserted a tube. A long cutting blade turned on by an electric motor, cut off the fatty tissues. The inserted tube attached to a vacuum pump then sucked out the tissues which had been cut.” (Forrester, 2006). Fischer’s technique proved to be more effective than earlier attempts, but was still prone to lead to medical complications. George Fischer’s use of a vacuum pump inspired a French surgeon, named Yves-Gerard Illouz. Yves-Gerard Illouz was confident that his results would make a breakthrough in liposuction procedures. His main concern was the use of sharp instruments used in George Fischer’s aspiration curettage technique, “could destroy blood vessels and
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