Reducing tissue trauma and fluid loss during surgery

A sleeve for introducing a surgical instrument (e.g., a lipoplasty probe) into the body via a wound pierced in the skin, and an insertion device for making the wound and inserting the sleeve therethrough are provided. The sleeve reduces the transmission of friction and heat (e.g., caused by the highly repetitive in-and-out and rotational movements and ultrasonic vibration of the lipoplasty probe) to the skin of the patient. In addition, the size of the hole associated with insertion of the sleeve is significantly smaller and more uniform in shape than that associated with a traditional scalpel incision. By piercing the skin, rather than making an incision with a scalpel, and by reducing friction and heat transmission to the skin, the irritation, inflammation, flowering (i.e., curling up of the skin at the edges of an incision), and scarring associated with lipoplasty are minimized, and the cosmetic result of the procedure is improved.