Medical Spas Review

BodyTite™ – The New Revolution in Liposuction

BodyTite™ – The New Revolution in Liposuction

by Mariusz J.A. Sapijaszko, MD FRCPC (Dermatology)

North Americans’ waistlines continue to expand. At the same time, youthful appearance is characterized by proportional body dimensions. When diet, exercise or prescription medications do not adequately control our shape, there is always liposuction. Recently, a new liposuction technology has been introduced that allows both fat removal as well as skin tightening. This new technology, termed BodyTite™, is the focus of this article.

Liposuction is a very popular procedure. Its safety has improved tremendously in recent years, as safer liposuction methods have become available. Liposuction is designed to remove unwanted localized deposits of fat cells that are unresponsive to exercise or good diet. It is not designed for weight loss but rather for body shaping and contouring. In most cases, it is performed under local anaesthesia. Local anaesthesia allows patients to move or even stand up during the procedure resulting in more uniform and symmetrical contouring.

Contemporary liposuction is based on using diluted local anaesthesia (tumescent anaesthesia) to facilitate fat removal with low risk of bleeding or other complications. Although the fat cells can be removed very successfully, skin and tissue contraction and tightening is somewhat unpredictable. One way of dealing with this was the introduction of laser technologies. The objective of lasers was to heat up the fat and skin cells to promote tissue contraction. The challenge is that laser fibers are very small, allowing only small areas of tissue to be heated at any given time, resulting in less than uniform temperature distribution. Such uneven skin temperature distribution is not ideal for optimal skin tightening.

BodyTite™ was developed to improve on the laser based liposuction technologies. The major advantage of BodyTite™ over traditional or even laser assisted liposuction methods is its ability to uniformly heat both deeper as well as superficial tissue layers. It utilizes radiofrequency technology that has been proven reliable in a variety of medical and surgical devices.

How does BodyTite™ differ from other forms of liposuction? – Unlike previous liposuction technologies, BodyTite™ utilizes radiofrequency to heat fat cells, fibrous septae between them as well as all the layers of the skin. This is not just random heating as there are multiple controls and safety mechanisms that ensure this treatment is as safe as possible.

How does BodyTite™ tissue contraction compare to other liposuction methods? – Studies indicate that BodyTite™ results in greater tissue contraction than any other liposuction method available today. This tremendous skin tightening is a result of both sub-dermal (just underneath the skin) as well fibrous septae heating. Such uniform heating results in more three-dimensional tissue contracture.

Which body areas can be treated with BodyTite™ liposuction? – As with previous liposuction methods, multiple areas on the body can be successfully treated. These include neck, chin and jowls, male chest, abdominal regions, flanks, hips, back, thighs, knees and calves. The unique skin tightening advantage of BodyTite™ makes it very useful in areas where maximum skin tightening is desired.

How do side affects and risks of BodyTite™ compare to other forms of liposuction? – All surgical techniques carry a certain amount of risk. The risks of any given procedure depend on the inherent flaws of the technology as well as the skills and experience of the surgeon. In general, the greater the technical demands of the technology, the more experience the surgeon needs for optimal operation. BodyTite™, when performed by experienced surgeons, has a similar risk profile to traditional pure tumescent liposuction with the additional benefit of an enhanced skin tightening effect.

Now, once again, technology and innovation come to rescue. Not only can BodyTite™ safely remove fat cells but it can also improve skin tone and tightness. When administered by a surgeon with proper training and experience, it may be the most advanced liposuction technology available today..