Liposuction Cannula Tip Types: Mercedes, Basket, Cobra and Infiltration
Instrument guides
Liposuction Cannula Tip Types: Mercedes, Basket, Cobra and Infiltration
What each liposuction and fat grafting cannula tip is for, from infiltration and harvesting to dissection and injection, with the sizes we make each one in.
A liposuction cannula tip is chosen by job. Infiltration cannulas have many small holes along the shaft to spread tumescent fluid evenly. Harvesting cannulas have ports near the tip: a single port for gentle, controlled harvest, the three port Mercedes for more volume per pass, two port cobra and basket heads for faster or broader harvest, and grater ports for fibrous fat. Dissecting tips such as the V shaped and spatula release tissue planes, and fine blunt injecting cannulas place the graft. Pick the job first, then the diameter and length, then the hub.
How did the blunt liposuction cannula come about?
Early fat removal used sharp curettes and caused serious complications. The turning point was the blunt tipped cannula. The French surgeon Yves Gérard Illouz developed a blunt cannula technique in the late 1970s, after a patient asked for a large lipoma to be removed without a long scar, and he combined it with a "wet" method of injecting fluid first. The account of Illouz and his method dates its first publication to 1984. A blunt tip pushes vessels and nerves aside instead of cutting them, and that is still the principle behind every tip below.
The second change was tumescent anaesthesia. In 1987 the dermatologist Jeffrey Klein published liposuction done entirely under large volumes of dilute local anaesthetic, along with fine microcannulas and multi hole infiltration cannulas. That is why infiltration cannulas have so many holes: the fluid has to reach the whole area evenly.
What does each cannula tip do?
| Tip | Ports | Job | Our Luer lock sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infiltration, straight | 18, 22 or 30 holes along the shaft | Spreads tumescent fluid | 2 to 4 mm, 12 to 30 cm |
| Standard single port | One | Gentle, controlled harvest or injection | 1.7 to 3 mm, 12 to 25 cm |
| Mercedes | Three, around the tip | More volume per pass | 2 to 3 mm, 15 to 25 cm |
| Cobra | Two, opposing | Harvest from two sides per stroke | 2 to 3 mm, 15 to 25 cm |
| Basket | Multi port basket head | Broad, high volume harvest | 3 or 4 mm, 20 cm |
| Becker grater | Grater ports | Fibrous or dense fat | 2.5 to 4 mm, 15 to 30 cm |
| Spatula | Flattened tip | Low profile dissection and harvest | 2 to 3 mm, 15 to 25 cm |
| V shaped dissector | V tip | Releases tissue along a plane | 1.6 to 3 mm, 7 to 25 cm |
| Blunt injecting | One, at the tip | Placing fat grafts | 0.7 to 1.6 mm, 4.5 to 20 cm, straight or curved |
We also make pyramid, spiral, microport harvester and Schwarcz facelift infiltrator patterns, and angled and bayonet infiltration shafts.
How do diameter and length change the result?
- Diameter. A smaller cannula removes or places less per pass, which gives finer control. Fine diameters suit the face and fat grafting. Larger diameters, 4 to 6 mm, suit body contouring and come in our thread, fixed handle and Toomey lines.
- Length. Choose the shortest cannula that reaches the whole area from the entry point. A longer shaft flexes more and is harder to control near the tip.
- Ports. More or bigger ports harvest faster, and a single small port gives more control. Many surgeons start with a multi port tip and finish with a single port.
The surgeon decides tip and size for each case. This guide explains the designs, not the clinical choice.
Which fitting should the cannula have?
Every tip above comes in more than one hub. Luer lock suits small syringes, Toomey 60cc suits large volume syringe harvest, and thread and fixed handle cannulas connect to an aspirator. Our Luer lock vs Toomey guide explains each fitting and the adapters that join them.
How should cannulas be cleaned?
Flush every cannula straight after use and brush the bore with a brush of the right diameter, because fat dries quickly inside the lumen and around the ports. Check the ports under good light for burrs and the shaft for bends before every case. See our instrument care guide and the CDC guidance on cleaning instruments before sterilization.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Mercedes cannula?
A harvesting cannula with three ports spaced around the tip, so it draws fat from several directions in one pass.
What is an infiltration cannula used for?
Spreading tumescent fluid through the area before liposuction. The many small holes along the shaft spread the fluid evenly.
Which cannula tip is best for fat grafting harvest?
Many surgeons harvest graft fat through fine multi port or single port cannulas at low suction, then inject through fine blunt injecting cannulas. The surgeon chooses for the case.
Are reusable cannulas autoclavable?
Ours are. Flush and brush the bore before every cycle.
Related instrument guides
- Luer lock vs Toomey cannula fittings
- Dermatome types for skin grafts
- Nasal rasp types for rhinoplasty
- Killian vs Cottle nasal speculum
Build a cannula set
Browse the Luer lock cannula range or the Toomey 60cc range. For a full set in one fitting, send us your list and we will send you a quote.