Vibration Exposure Safety Guidelines for Surgeons Using Power-Assisted Liposuction (PAL).

[BACKGROUND] As power-assisted liposuction (PAL) gains in popularity, plastic surgeons operating these devices experience occupational exposure to hand-transmitted vibration, which can result in hand-arm vibration syndrome, a debilitating neurovasculopathy.

[OBJECTIVES] The objective of the study was to determine vibration exposure from the utilization of a PAL device during surgery to generate recommendations for safe use.

[METHODS] Vibration emission of a commonly utilized PAL system (MicroAire-650, Surgical Instruments, Charlottesville, VA) was examined employing a vibration data logger under both controlled laboratory conditions and during 13 typical liposuction cases. Data were analyzed and compared with established safety limits of vibration exposure.

[RESULTS] The experiments demonstrated a mean vibration magnitude of typical liposuction surgeries to be 5.69 ± 0.77 m/s2 (range, 4.59-6.27 m/s2), which is significantly higher than the manufacturer declared value of 3.77 m/s2. Cannula size was shown to be the most significant contributor to vibration magnitude, with larger cannulas causing more vibration transmission.

[CONCLUSIONS] These results indicate that recommendations must be made to prevent undue occupational exposure to vibration from PAL. The MicroAire-650 can generally be safely utilized for less than 1.5 h/d. At exposure levels >1.5 h/d, there is increased risk of developing vibration-related injuries, and vibration-reducing strategies should be implemented. At exposure levels >6 h/d, the safety limit is exceeded and there is significantly increased risk of developing hand-arm vibration syndrome and vibration exposure should be halted.