Is BodyTite The Same as Liposuction?
- Posted on: Feb 15 2022
If you’ve been eating healthy and working out regularly, the persistence of stubborn fat can be extremely frustrating. If you’re dealing with this dilemma, you’re not alone. Also, you don’t have to live with pockets of fat in areas like the flanks, hips, and abdomen. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. David Altamira has helped many patients eliminate problem areas and achieve outstanding body contours. One way he does this is with liposuction. Another is with BodyTite. At first glance, the two procedures may seem the same. They’re not. We’ll explain more here.
What is Liposuction?
Liposuction is one of the most well-known plastic surgery procedures. It is performed on an outpatient basis, often using only a local anesthetic directly in the treatment area. When multiple areas are included, general anesthesia may be a better choice. As a fat-removal procedure, liposuction works via a small, hollow tube. This cannula is inserted through one or a few very small incisions. To extract fatty tissue, the surgeon moves the cannula back and forth through the layer of adipose fat. Depending on the size and number of treatment areas, liposuction can take from 1 to 3 hours, after which the patient may spend a short period in a recovery area before being released to a loved one to drive them home.
What is BodyTite?
BodyTite is also a minimally-invasive procedure and is quite similar to liposuction. This treatment, however, involves an applicator with two separate, parallel “arms.” One is an internal probe that runs beneath the skin. The other is an electrode that passes over the outside of the skin. These probes deliver radiofrequency between them to melt fat and also stimulate collagen tightening in the skin. The internal probe is a hollow cannula that simultaneously heats tissue and extracts the liquefied fat cells. The average BodyTite procedure, performed using a local anesthetic, takes 30 to 45 minutes.
BodyTite vs Lipo: What are the Differences?
Both liposuction and BodyTite are great options for getting rid of excess fat. Liposuction does so with slightly more invasiveness than BodyTite. While both procedures utilize small cannulas, liposuction incisions are ever-so-slightly larger. Does this mean more scarring, though? Not necessarily. Liposuction scars tend to heal into very small spots on the skin. Due to the technology used in the BodyTite procedure, patients may not need as much time to recover as they would from traditional tumescent liposuction. Some patients can go back to work within one week of their procedure. That said, some patients also need to come back for subsequent BodyTite treatments to sculpt off a greater amount of fatty tissue. While liposuction can remove more fat in a single session, this procedure does not typically stimulate tissue tightening and therefore may not be an ideal choice for patients with more extensive tissue laxity.
Body contouring has become a more accessible treatment option thanks to innovative technologies, but you’ve got to discern if those technologies are right for you. Dr. Altamira can help. To learn more about liposuction and BodyTite, schedule a consultation at our Houston or Sugar Land office. Contact us at 713.271.9000 today.
Posted in: BodyTite, Liposuction
