In the mid-1970s, Drs. Arpad and Giorgio Fischer, Italian father and son cosmetic surgeons, first developed the liposuction technique, although their procedure was very different from the tumescent liposuction we use today. They invented a blunt, hollow tube which they attached to suction. Some of these tubes also had blades to cut into the fat. Prior to their invention, unwanted fat was removed by cutting into it with a scalpel or curette, which often resulted in excessive bleeding, uneven results, extensive liposuction recovery periods and other complications.
How did liposuction techniques develop?
In the late 1970s, liposuction became very popular throughout Europe. A French physician. Dr. Gerald Illouz, made some changes in the Fischers’ method and eventually developed the “wet technique,” using an injected solution before suctioning out the fat. Another French physician, Dr. Pierre Fournier, also refined the Fischers’ techniques, although he initially preferred a “dry technique,” with no fluids injected before fat suctioning. Later on, Fournier adopted the wet technique.
When was liposuction introduced into this country?
During the 1970s, American physicians were aware of the growing popularity of liposuction, and many of them observed the procedure and its results in Europe. Then, in the mid-1980s, American physicians went to Europe to train with Drs. Illouz and Fournier.
When was the tumescent technique developed?
Dr. Jeffrey Klein, a California dermatologic surgeon, developed the tumescent liposuction technique in 1985 using local anesthetic for the liposuction procedure. The low concentration of the anesthetic he injected permitted the numbing of a much larger area than had been previously possible with local anesthetic. By avoiding the risks of general anesthesia, the tumescent technique achieved a much higher rate of safety. It also meant that liposuction could be performed outside of a hospital setting, which is much more convenient for both the patient and the doctor.
When did liposuction become so popular?
In the early years, when liposuction was performed only in hospitals using general anesthesia, the side effects and complications kept many people from having it. So the current popularity of liposuction really started after Dr. Klein’s introduction of the tumescent technique. Once people saw that they could spend just a few hours in a doctor’s office, remain awake, have a painless and very safe procedure, and return home for a few days’ recuperation, they were much more willing to try it. And of course the many liposuction before and after photos certainly helped spread the word. Today we also have power-assisted liposuction, which has been available since 2000. When we look at how many people are now undergoing this procedure, I think the numbers speak for themselves.
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