Liposuction and tummy tucks have been around for over 20 years, and just as with all medical technology, new devices are improving the procedure and making it available to more people. A common complaint amongst women who want to tighten their stomachs is that a tummy tuck just takes too long to heal. Many working women who have children simply can't take off the kind of time needed after surgery. New procedures enable for more skin tightening so that some patients who would traditionally have needed a tummy tuck can now avoid this invasive surgery.
BodyTite is a new fat reduction procedure that uses radio frequency (RF) to break up the fat before it is removed. RF delivers a high-frequency electrical current to the fat cells which essentially dissolves them while causing little to no trauma to the surrounding tissues.
BodyTite Results of Dr. Malcolm Paul
Dr. Malcolm Paul, past President of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) has experience with the BodyTite device and says that it differs from other new liposuction technologies. "This is the only technology that can simultaneously dissolve the fat cells, coagulate the blood vessels - so that there's less bleeding and bruising - aspirate the fat that is dissolved, and as importantly, tighten the collagen from the skin down to the muscle."
BodyTite is a two pronged unit that has an internal and external component. The physician makes a small incision and adds the tumescent solution, just as with traditional liposuction. One prong goes in the body and the other stays above, and the two form a circuit for the electrical energy. The prong that's under the skin both melts and suctions the fat at the same time. Also, the unit checks the temperature constantly to avoid burns to the patient. There is also a NeckTite device that works in a similar manner, but is better suited for treating a sagging neckline.
"Many patients that we would have offered another procedure, a more aggressive procedure, they can get significant skin tightening from this alone," says Dr. Paul. He cautions though that this is not for those who have "loose skin and no fat, and need a skin tightening procedure."
It is this combination of factors that enables for faster healing and enables patients to avoid traditional procedures. Dr. Steven Davis sits down with Dr. Oz today to discuss this treatment and informs that it is not yet FDA approved in the US, but is undergoing clinical trials to gain approval. The procedure itself takes under one hour and recovery time is cut down from a week or more to 2-3 days. Patients can expect to pay $2500-$8000 for a BodyTite procedure.
