Although liposuction is relatively new in the world of cosmetic surgery, it has, nevertheless, become the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure in the United States. Liposuction was first invented in 1974 by Dr. Giorgio Fischer, a gynecologist from Italy. In 1978, it was introduced to Paris, France and popularized by Dr. Illouz, a French Plastic Surgeon. By the early 1980âÂÂs liposuction had reached the US and became widely popular. However, the initial enthusiasm quickly cooled when negative publicity due to increased complications and several deaths became public. In 1985, a California dermatologist (dermatologic surgeon), Jeffrey Klein, M.D., invented the tumescent technique for liposuction, revolutionizing liposuction surgery. Since, many refinements have been made. The most significant improvement was the use of dilute local anesthetic instead of general anesthesia. This made tumescent liposuction one of the most precise and safe procedures in the field of cosmetic and plastic surgery.
