Pain management after lipoplasty: a study of 303 cases.

Background: The safety and efficiency of liposuction have been proven in several studies, but little attention has been paid to postoperative pain. The present study was designed to determine the demand for analgesic agents used postoperatively after liposuction.

Methods: A total of 303 patients underwent ultrasound-assisted liposuction between January 1, 1999, and February 1, 2002, in the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Florence Nightingale Hospital, in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The beginning of a new era in tissue expansion: self-filling osmotic tissue expander--four-year clinical experience.

The osmotic tissue expander is a new device made of a hydrogel expanding skin that does not require external fillings. Once implanted, it absorbs body fluids, which leads to a gradual swelling of the device. The swelling phase is completed in 6 to 8 weeks and results in skin gain.