Quantification of Cannula Influence on Negative Pressure in Syringe Assisted Liposuction

Summary: To make the results of the autologous fat transfer more satisfactory, all parameters of suction, preparation, and reapplication must be well understood. Since syringe-assisted liposuction is frequently used for small-volume procedures, we quantified the influence of the cannula on negative pressure. For these experiments, we used a digital manometer to which a syringe and one of seven different cannulas were connected. Data was collected and analyzed using LabVIEW and Matlab. The volume of our measurement setup was calculated using Boyle-Mariotte's law to ease interpretation, which revealed a volume of 2.82 ± 0.03 mL. We demonstrate that the volume of the measurement setup significantly affects the measurement results. Consequently, we accounted for this factor and calculated the theoretical values accordingly. Statistical analysis shows a significant influence on negative pressure across different cannulas, except for two pairs, which had minimal volume differences. Exemplary, for cannulas with volumes under 1.75 mL, a 2 mL syringe plunger pull was sufficient to create a - 0.5 bar (- 14.8 inHg) negative pressure. The present data indicate that the size of the suction cannula must be considered in syringe-assisted suction to ensure a specific negative pressure is not exceeded. Other research groups have demonstrated that adipocyte vitality and the amount of stromal vascular fraction are reduced by excessively strong negative pressure.