Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL)
What is Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL)?
A popular body-sculpting technology, power-assisted liposuction (PAL) uses a cannula attached to an oscillating handpiece that drives it back and forth to break up unwanted fat cells—without the addition of heat—before suctioning them out of the body.
Compared to traditional suction-assisted liposuction (https://www.realself.com/surgical/liposuction) (SAL), which relies on manual jabs of the cannula, PAL is faster and more efficient—a great asset to both surgeons (reduced fatigue) and patients (less time under anesthesia).
PAL can be used on its own, to dislodge and extract fat cells, or paired with a complementary technology like VASER (https://www.realself.com/surgical/vaser-liposuction) (ultrasound energy), Smartlipo (https://www.realself.com/surgical/smart-lipo) (laser heat), or Renuvion (helium plasma with radiofrequency energy)—all of which help liquefy the fat, making it easier to remove, with less trauma to the surrounding tissue. The heat also contracts the skin slightly.
As with all forms of lipo, PAL can be used allover the body—on the abs, love handles, back, bra rolls, upper arms, inner and outer thighs, knees, and ankles as well as under the chin. Since liposuction is not a weight-loss method (https://www.realself.com/concerns/major-weight-loss), ideal candidates should be within 30% of their ideal weight, with small pockets of pinchable fat that resist diet and exercise. Good skin elasticity is also a must, as lax or stretch-marked skin will sag instead of snapping back post-op.
PAL is sometimes referred to multiple brand names of one particular power-assisted liposuction machine. At True Contour Medical, we use the Vibrasat Pro by MollerMedical. We feel this machine works the best for all areas and has the highest MSC viability for fat transfers.
