Laser-assisted lipolysis, liposuction tightened skin, removed fat

Laser-assisted lipolysis and liposuction was an effective combination for body sculpturing and fat removal, according to a presentation at the Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans.

“Many women who have standard liposuction are discouraged because often the skin sags after the fat is removed,” researcher Abbas Chamsuddin, MD, an interventional radiologist at the Center for Laser and Interventional Surgery in Atlanta, said in a press release. “Ultrasound-assisted guidance of a fiber-optic laser during laser lipolysis can be used on many parts of the body and result in excellent sculpting with tight skin.”

Abbas Chamsuddin

Chamsuddin and Maya Zayour, MD, a dermatologist at the Center for Laser and Interventional Surgery, studied 2,183 patients (mean age, 38 years; 75% women) who underwent laser-assisted lipolysis and liposuction between February 2009 and July 2012. Multiple areas of the body, including the neck, arm, love handles, breast, abdomen, thighs and calves, were treated. Lipolysis was delivered through the 1064 nm or 1064/1320 nm fiber-optic laser protocol (Cynosure Smartlipo). Initial tumescence anesthesia infusion was followed by laser lipolysis, fat removal, then skin tightening. Patients were fitted with compression garments and followed daily for 1 week, then at 1, 3 and 6 months.

Reductions in the bulk of fat in the treated areas ranged from 30% to 90%, depending on the area and patient’s body habitus. Contingent on initial skin laxity, age, stretch marks and treatment area, skin tightening varied from 20% to 80%. Pain and bruising were primary complaints; no skin burns were observed. Three to 6 months after initial treatment, approximately 7% of patients had “touch-up” treatment, the researchers reported.

“Combining traditional liposuction with laser lipolysis has now been shown to produce well-sculpted bodies with tight skin,” Chamsuddin said. “We are able to give people such things as a tighter abdomen without the need for surgery.”

For more information:

Chamsuddin A. Abstract 143 – Laser Liposuction in Interventional Radiology. Presented at: Society of Interventional Radiology 2013 Annual Scientific Meeting; April 13-18, New Orleans.