Laser Lipolysis (SmartLipo) compared with Traditional Liposuction

	SmartLipo	Liposuction
Administration
Cost	£1500-£3750	£3000-£12000
Treatment by	Cosmetic Physician/Surgeon	Surgeon
Consultation fee	Included in cost	May be included
Treatment on Same Day	Available	No
Treatment
Treatment Time	1-2 hours	1-2 hours
Surgical Invasiveness	Minimal	More invasive
Needle	1 mm fibre optic laser	3-6 mm cannula
Anaesthetic	Local	General
Fat Cells	Lysed and absorbed; may be aspirated	Vacuumed
Blood Loss	Minimal	May be substantial
Obesity Treatment	No. Modest fat deposits only.	Yes
Repeatable	Yes	No
After Treatment
Recovery time	0-2 days	3-10 days
Pain Level	Minimal or mild	Moderate or severe
Compression garment	2-7 days	Several weeks
Bruising	None or very little	Moderate or severe
Swelling	Very little	Moderate or severe
Results fully visible	3 – 4 months	Up to 3 months
Skin tone	Skin tightened by Laser	Skin may sag afterwards
Permanent fat removal	Yes	Yes
Scarring	Tiny	Usually small
Infection	Rare	More common