Power-assisted lipoplasty (PAL): A clinical pilot study comparing PAL to traditional lipoplasty (TL).

The subject of this paper is a study designed to compare power-assisted lipoplasty (PAL) to traditional lipoplasty (TL) in 30 patients. PAL was used on one side and TL was used on the matching contralateral body area. In PAL, a cannula powered by medical-grade nitrogen (N(2)) reciprocates between 2000 and 4000 cpm with a 2-mm stroke. The device is commercially offered by MicroAire Surgical Instruments. While there was no difference in the speed of recovery or in the aesthetic quality of the result between the two sides, PAL was found considerably superior as far as ease of fat extraction.