The results are visible and unflattering, but SmartLipo is a procedure that definitely can help eradicate that unwanted fat. So, where are the places that fat tends to migrate to? In women, these areas are the breasts, the stomach, and the thighs. In men, it is generally just the stomach.

SmartLipo takes the best elements of liposuction, and channels them into a new, improved, cosmetic surgical procedure. Have you ever seen how glass or steel is cut with lasers? You were probably surprised to see how strong a ray of light could be. Well, SmartLipo takes that strength and uses it to get rid of fat molecules.

The thing about fat is that it takes a while, usually, to get rid of. Fat is a dense substance, and it tends to just build on top of itself. In fact, the way that people gain weight is that the body is unable to digest the excess fat that the food has, and so that food just migrates to different parts of the body. Here's an interesting fact: When you eat a donut (which has a high fat content) it takes a body on average three days to completely digest it.

So, what SmartLipo does is, through a small incision, penetrates the layers of fat, liquefies them, and then a small tube is inserted to drain out the fat. The result is a virtually fat-free area, and the fat has safely been removed from the body.

The thing about this procedure that interests both patients and members of the medical community alike is the fact that it is minimally invasive. With liposuction, the incision is larger, the potential for scarring is higher, and the recovery time is longer. In the case of this procedure, the incision is less than an inch long, and there is practically no risk of scarring. The recovery time is usually around a week.

Something else that is very much liked about this procedure is that it requires only a local anesthetic. That means that only the area that is going to be worked on is numbed, and the patient is awake throughout the procedure. Some people do not react well when they are completely sedated, and so using general anesthesia makes this procedure safer overall.

Who would be the right kind of candidate for this procedure? It would not be a person who is morbidly obese – that kind of person would first need to go on a stringent exercise regime. Instead, the ideal candidate would be someone who of average size, and who has an obvious amount of fat that has accumulated in one area. So, if you're interested in having this procedure done, make sure that you choose the right surgeon – a surgeon who is properly certified, and can accommodate your needs.