Water-jet technology eases liposuction effort. (Suitable for Beginners).

WESTMINSTER, COLO. -- Water jet-assisted liposuction may be the next wave.

Having done more than 100 liposuction cases using the investigational technique, Dr. Thomas B. Tork is convinced water jet-assisted liposuction offers several major advantages over existing methods.

Operating time is markedly reduced because there is no prior infiltration of tumescent solution and hence no delay in waking for its effect, Dr. Tork said at the World Congress on Liposuction.

Another major time saver results from application of the cutting jet of high-pressure water simultaneously with fat aspiration, both occurring through a single cannula.

Moreover, with the water jet doing the hard work of breaking fat cells loose, operator fatigue isn't an issue.

Water jet-assisted liposuction (WAL) doesn't entail anything like the vigorous force required in wielding a conventional cannula, added Dr. Tork of the University of Muenster (Germany).

"There's no bruising, and the aspirated fat is very yellow, indicating very few blood vessels are injured," the surgeon said at the World Congress, sponsored by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.

WAL utilizes physiologic saline at 1,100-1,600 psi, with the pressure controlled by the surgeon using a foot pedal.

"Unlike ultrasound- or laser-assisted liposuction, this technique is well suited for beginners because there's no risk of thermal injury, even if you stay for a long period of time in the same spot," Dr. Tork said.

Water jet-assisted cutting of metal and stone has a lengthy industrial history. It was adapted for surgical use in the early 1980s for liver resection.

More recently, it has also seen application in kidney resection, parotid surgery, eye surgery, prostatectomy, and even brain surgery.

The appeal lies in the water jet's precise and selective tissue separation with minimal damage to blood vessels and nerves.

Dr. A.Z. Taufig, inventor of WAL, said it produces aesthetically superior results.

Conventional liposuction involves a certain amount of guesswork.

It takes place in a hypervolemic milieu due to the large quantity of tumescent liquid.

Over- and undercorrection, bumps, and asymmetries are common and require time-consuming correction.

In contrast, a surgeon utilizing WAL can sculpt until the desired final shape is achieved, knowing that what's seen upon completion is what the patient will end up with, according to Dr. Taufig, a Cologue, Germany, plastic surgeon.

Water jet-assisted liposuction may be heading for the United States soon.

An official with Human Med of Schwerin, Germany which is developing the WAL equipment, told this newspaper that his company hopes to have a U.S. presence in the coming year.