What is the difference between surgical and non-surgical procedures?

Surgery involves anesthesia and incisions, and recovery takes weeks. Non-surgical procedures have no incision or anesthesia, but the change is smaller and lasts for a limited period.

How to read the table

Read the table top to bottom and you see what is accepted and what is gained. Higher up, recovery is heavier and the change larger; lower down, daily life is less restricted but the change is smaller and lasts for a limited period. It is less about which is better than about which row your own condition belongs to.

What these figures do not mean

'Non-surgical' does not mean risk-free. Reactions such as swelling or altered sensation can occur, and are usually temporary.

What makes the difference?

• What the problem is — Whether fat or loose skin is the main problem decides the branch.
• Size of change — Methods without incisions carry less recovery burden but produce a smaller change.
• How long it lasts — Non-surgical procedures may need repeating once the effect wears off.

What is accepted and what is gained?

Read the table top to bottom: higher up, recovery is heavier and the change larger; lower down, daily life is less restricted but the change is smaller and lasts for a limited period. Rather than which is better, which row your own condition belongs to has to be settled first. Comparing methods before settling the condition means choosing without a standard.

Excisional surgery and liposuction also differ from each other

Both need anesthesia but deal with different things. Excisional surgery removes the loosened skin itself to set the line; liposuction inserts a cannula through small incisions to suction the fat layer. So when skin has loosened, reducing fat alone does not solve it, and conversely when elasticity remains, methods short of an incision are considered first.

For device procedures, look at the cleared purpose too

For procedures that use a device, what purpose the device was cleared for is a separate item to check. Clearance is granted separately by device and by intended use, so even with the same device you need to compare whether the procedure you are having falls under that purpose. Recovery also differs depending on whether it is done alone or together with another procedure.

What to confirm at consultation

• Hearing first which case you belong to
• How far a non-surgical option can go

Asking about your own case

The table above gives general ranges and does not apply to you as it stands. Rephrasing the question like this at consultation gets you an answer for your own case.

Which row does my condition belong to? How far can a non-surgical option go?

Common misunderstandings

Can a non-surgical procedure achieve the same result?

The size of change differs. Methods without incisions carry less recovery burden but produce a smaller change that lasts for a limited period. A comparison only holds once it is settled which row your own condition belongs to.

Does non-surgical mean no risk?

It means no incision or anesthesia, not no reaction. Swelling or altered sensation can occur and is usually temporary, and for device procedures the cleared purpose is a separate item to confirm.

Related questions

• Can loose skin be treated without an incision?
• When there are several methods for the same area, how do I decide?
• What is the difference between reducing fat and removing skin?