Liposuction Without the Suction?

Like many folks with a few pounds to lose, I've occasionally pondered what it would be like to have liposuction. But looking at a warm and fuzzy print advertisement for liposuction is one thing. Watching an actual liposuction procedure on one of the endless stream of reality television shows? That's always enough to dispel any thoughts I might have. New technology poses the question: is it possible to gain the benefits of liposuction without the suction?

I know that I'm not the only one who gets squeamish at the thought of invasive surgery (like liposuction) to remove fat.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) says the liposuction procedure improves "body shape by removing exercise-resistant fat deposits with a tube and vacuum device."

Eeeek. Like Stymie said, "it may have choked Artie, but it ain't gunna choke Stymie."

I went looking to find out if there might be anything on the high-tech horizon that would make the process less frightening (and potentially less costly).

Discarding the possibility that an infomercial marketeer would offer a home liposuction kit (just add a shop vac!), I found some interesting technology that promises to change the process. The action centers around the development of non-invasive alternatives to traditional surgical fat reduction methods.

There are at least two companies working on ultrasound-based technologies to reduce body fat. Ultrasound in fat reduction isn't entirely new. The ASPS website explains that "for larger volumes of fat or for fibrous body areas, ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty (UAL) may be used. UAL is a new technique in which a ultrasound probe is inserted beneath the skin to "liquify" the fat before it is suctioned."

According to its rather sparse website, Bothell, Washington-based LipoSonix is "a medical device company focused on the development of proprietary technology for noninvasive cosmetic surgery applications. Current product development efforts are targeted at the aesthetic body contouring market."

The website of UltraShape, Liposonix's prime competitor is far more illustrative. While those illustrations appear to be 3D conceptual renderings rather than photographs, UltraShape provides a tantallizing peek at the technology. UltraShape's system "is to be operated in an office setting, while the patient is fully awake. The operator sits at bedside with his/her hand holding the integrated transducer. The video camera is installed above the patient to capture real time positioning of transducer and patient."

Zap your fat away!

This isn't a late night sci-fi movie. According to reports, UltraShape just landed $6 million in its third round of funding.

Note: UltraShape has no relationship with the very fabulous Turkey Ultrashape balloon at balloonplanet.com. Okay, none that I know of ...