Ricardo Baroudi During the 10 years since liposuction was intro­ followed by all plastic surgeons, as they were duced to the world of plastic surgery, new hori­ considered safe practice. zons have appeared with regard to the aesthetic Suddenly, however, no more than a year ago, aspects of body contouring. Patients were en­ the International Plastic Surgery Society started couraged by the absence of scars, the good re­ to hear from a young Roman plastic surgeon, sults, the speed of recovery, and the safe condi­ Marco Gasparotti, regarding a procedure called tions. superficial liposculpture that he had been per­ As with any new procedure, the initial eu­ forming since 1982. Superficial liposculpture is phoria subsided. It became apparent that lipo- , completely opposite to the traditional teachings pIa sty could not be used in all cases, and it could ! of the plastic surgery community. Gasparotti had not substitute for traditional surgery. Upon re- ' accumulated almost 10~rs of personal experi­ view of the limitations and the possibilities, these ence before his discovery by the outside world. two surgeries have come to be used in combina- , Although there were a small number of isolated tion or alone depending on the surgical situation. personal communications in various countries, The quality of care again improved. nothing evolved at a global level.