Medical Spas Review

Body Sculpting

By Dr. Sharon McQuillan

The desire for the perfect body has resulted in an explosion of products, devices, and procedures designed to eliminate cellulite, melt fat, and restore youthful body contours. The body contouring market, comprised of cellulite reduction, fat reduction, and skin tightening devices, was estimated at over $180 million in 2007.1   It is estimated that this market will continue to experience continued growth as Americans continue to struggle with weight and obesity.

The gold standard for fat reduction continues to be body sculpture. The general public recognizes the effect of invasive intervention. According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons 2007 Statistics on Cosmetic Surgery, lipoplasty was the #2 surgical procedure for women and the #1 surgical procedure for men. The fat reduction market currently offers many devices and methods including laser lipolysis, power-assisted liposuction, ultrasound-assisted liposuction, traditional (suction-assisted) lipoplasty, and syringe body sculpture.

Suction-assisted liposuction, better known as traditional liposuction in the US, is a procedure designed to remove unwanted fat deposits using a cannula attached to a suction device that “vacuums” the fat from the body.  At the onset of liposuction, general anesthesia was used, which accounted for most of the adverse events reported.  The procedure has since evolved from general anesthesia to the tumescent technique.

Power-assisted liposuction employs a motorized cannula, which allows the instrument to move in a back and forth vibration motion.  Some of the noted benefits of power-assisted liposuction over traditional liposuction is an increased rate of fat extraction, decreased bruising and swelling, and faster recovery.2

It also results in less control of the sculpting for the physcian. It is recommended that the basic technique of body sculpture is mastered before moving forward with a power-assisted device.

Laser assisted lipolysis utilizes a specific laser wavelength (1064 nm, 1319 nm, or 1320 nm Nd:YAG) that targets either the red blood cells or water in the fat cell.  The laser energy dissolves the fat, which may or may not be then suctioned out of the body using a cannula. Laser lipolysis is indicated for small, localized fatty deposits and is recommended as an adjunctive procedure to liposuction.  It is imperative that the physician be a skilled liposuction surgeon prior to utilizing laser lipolysis.

Ultrasound-assisted liposuction utilized ultrasonic energy to disrupt the fat cells and liquefy the fat, which is then suctioned out of the body. This technique has been associated with complications such as seroma, burns, and tissue necrosis.3 It is recommended that ultrasound assisted liposuction be used as an adjunct to liposuction for fibrous tissue areas or as a touch-up mechanism.4

The experts in the field agree that for the best results, these device driven techniques need to be utilized in combination and that before offering these procedures to patients, some of form of body sculpture technique must be mastered.  In order to better understand the evolution of body contouring, body sculpture should be examined in its purest form.

Back To Basics:  Body Sculpture in its Purest Form According to Pierre Fournier, MD, one of the founding fathers of body sculpture, ”Bodysculpture is a modeling of the contours, a real artistic job of architecture bound to restore the juvenile and harmonic forms of the face or body by working with the hypodermic fatty tissues.” Tumescent body-sculpture combines the local anesthetic infiltration of dilute lidocaine and epinephrine (developed by Jeffrey Klein, MD) with subcutaneous fat removal via a small cannula or syringe.  This technique is shown to be the safest method of BodySculpture with the fewest complications.  Dr. Fournier used the suction technique for a short time period but discovered that his results were better utilizing the syringe technique and has done so since 1985.

The safety and benefits of performing bodysculpture utilizing the tumescent technique include:  minimal blood loss, long-lasting anesthesia that allows the patient to remain awake during the procedure, fewer infections due to the antibacterial properties of the tumescent solution, and less risk of adverse events such as pulmonary embolism or hemorrhage.5

There are many benefits of utilizing syringe BodySculpture over procedures utilizing a device.  “The use of the syringe allows for more control and precision in sculpting the body,” said Dr. Sharon McQuillan, founder of the Ageless Aesthetic Institute, a company dedicated to the education of hands-on aesthetic procedures.  “The use of the syringe allows accurate measurement of the fat removed resulting in better aesthetic results.  Additionally, this technique results in less trauma to the adipose tissue, lessening the amount of bruising and recovery time than experienced with device assisted liposuction”.

BodySculpture can be performed safely performed on most areas of the body including the abdomen, thighs, hips, waist, flanks, arms, calves, ankles, neck and facial areas.  By utilizing the tumescent technique, patients are awake, but comfortable during the procedure.  BodySculpture is performed in a sterile, in-office operatory procedure room utilizing proper surgical protocols and precautions.  Patients undergo a physical examination, medical history, laboratory work, and photographs as part of the consultation process. The procedure itself takes approximately two hours. Post procedure, patients experience a short recovery period of 24-48 hours in which walking and light activity are encouraged.  Patients are seen 3-5 days post procedure.  After BodySculpture, patients receive a series of lymphatic drainage/suction treatments using the Synergie device in order to enhance results and promote tissue tightening.  Patient satisfaction is extremely high with this technique, as it offers a permanent solution to targeted fat reduction.

Learning BodySculpture: The mechanical technique of BodySculpture itself is not difficult to learn.  There is, however, a learning curve from simply learning the mechanics to mastering the results. BodySculpture is an artistic, three-dimensional body contouring technique requiring a thorough understanding and visualization of ideal body form.  It is not a technique that can be mastered by observation or at a weekend course.

It was these issues that caused Sharon McQuillan, MD, founder and medical director of The Ageless Aesthetic Institute, to search for a procedure and develop a program that would allow physicians the opportunity to master the technique. The Institute has been training medical professionals for over ten years in cosmetic procedures and is known for its commitment to educational excellence and competency certifications that the Institute provides for all the courses offered.  “In developing a BodySculpture course, it was very important that we utilize the safest techniques with the best aesthetic outcomes.  We also wanted a way for physicians to gain competency in the procedure with a qualified preceptor following initial training.”

Drs. McQuillan and Sant Antonio have accomplished this in the Ageless SA BodySculpture program. The program is a multi-faceted innovative program designed to address all areas of procedure implement-ation, including education, operations, and marketing.

The Ageless SA BodySculpture program is open to physicians of all specialties meeting specific selection criteria in the US and abroad  For more information regarding the Ageless SA BodySculpture program, please contact Janette Daher at 614-579-5530 or visit

www.purelipo.com or
www.agelessaestheticinstitute.com.  g

References

• US Markets for Body Contouring Devices 2008.
• Toronto; Millenium Research Group, 2008.
• Coleman WP et al.  The efficacy of powered lipo- suction. Dermatol Surg 2001;27:735-738.
• Gingrass M, Kenkel J. Comparing ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty with suction-assisted lipoplasty. Plast Reconstr Surg 1999; 26:283-287.
• Narins, RS editor. Safe Liposuction and Fat Transfer. Marcel Dekker AG, 2003.
• Housman TS et al. The safety of liposuction: results of a national survey. Dermatol Surg 2002;28:971-978. g