SAN DIEGO -- There’s a new way to get rid of your unwanted fat, and some doctors said it works better than traditional liposuction.

Instead of vacuuming fat, laser liposuction melts away fat cells. The procedure has just been approved and it has just arrived in San Diego.

Doctors said a new fat-zapping technique would help you lose a size or two without the stitches or bumpy, saggy skin.

"This is such a soft, gentle technique, it's like playing a violin," said Coronado plastic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Schafer.

The Food and Drug Administration just approved the less-invasive technique for liposuction called laser body sculpting, also known as Smart Lipo.

"It's something that really is going to change liposuction," added Schafer.

Schafer is the first doctor on the West Coast using this method to melt fat.

"This is the first thing I am really excited about. It's really going to make a significant change in the results," said Schafer.

Alice Schultz never considered liposuction because it could sometimes make the skin worse after the fat is removed.

“There is potential for hardness that comes afterwards," said Schultz.

With Smart Lipo, Schultz’s fantasy of having a flat belly and firm hips is about to become a reality.

"The laser actually heats up the collagen and causes the collagen to tighten and contract," said Schafer.

Schafer said only a tiny incision is needed to allow a small tube with a laser to glide under the skin.

As the laser tip comes into contact with the fat cells, it literally melts the fat.

Using lasers means less blood loss and trauma, faster recovery and quicker results.

“There's an immediate change right away," said Schafer.

In Schultz’s case, her hips and stomach seem tighter just hours after her surgery. Now, she’s anxious to see how she’ll look in her favorite jeans.

"I am going to try on some tight jeans that I have at home and hopefully I won't have that muffin top," said Schultz.

The new procedure is not for everybody. Doctors said the laser system is best suited for targeting small fat deposits in healthy people.

Laser lipo patients experience complications fewer than 1 percent. By comparison, conventional liposuction patients have up to a 10 percent complication rate.