Blood lipid profiles following nonfocused ultrasonic treatment for noninvasive body contouring

Aim:Blood lipid profiles changed following nonfocused ultrasound treatments for body contouring.The present study elucidates clinical effects of these devices on adipose tissue.Methods:Ultrasound treatments for 5 males and 5 females in a supine position,ages 37-67 years,were applied at 20 KHz and 3.0 W/cm2 in modulated emission.Whole abdomen was treated by an ultrasound handpiece for 30 min followed by a 6-min lymphatic drainage.Waist circumferences at the level of the umbilicus and body weight were measured before and immediately after treatment.Blood lipid profiles including total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein,high-density lipoprotein,triglyceride(TG),nonesterified fatty acid(NEFA)and lipoprotein-a were measured at baseline,every 10 min during treatment,and 15,30,45,60,75,and 90 min after treatment completion.Results:NEFA showed statistically higher values after 10 min following treatment initiation.Subsequent values remained high despite some fluctuation,reaching a maximum at 90 min.In contrast,TG gradually decreased in concentration until the last measurement,especially for the first 30 min,with statistically significant reduction.Changes in other lipid profiles and lipoprotein-a were not significant.Conclusion:Changes in NEFA concentration were significant following ultrasound treatment,and suggest that metabolism of TGs stored within the adipocytes occurred immediately after treatment initiation.

Dosimetric Evaluation of Body Contour Changes to Target Volumes and Organs at Risk for Cervix and Head and Neck Radiotherapy Plans

Purpose: To investigate how much dose discrepancy would be caused by the anatomy changes during the radiotherapy (RT) course. Methods: Ten cervical cancer and ten nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) CT datasets from RT patients were enrolled. The body contour from different directions changed to simulate the weight loss or gain for cervical cancer patients, who had been treated with external-beam RT using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Moreover, the body contour from facial and shoulder superior-inferior positional change had been also assessed for NPC patients using IMRT or VMAT. The new CT (n-CT) was generated by the body contour changes with different directions based on original CT datasets. The dosimetric parameters to target volumes and organs at risk (OARs) were evaluated in Eclipse based on n-CT. Results: The target volumes and OARs were influenced by the body contour changes. Body contour expansion resulted in coverage loss, whereas body contour shrinkage increased the dose to the OARs. These findings were generally consistent for both IMRT and VMAT plans. Over a course of research, the dose to 95% of the target volumes for cervical cancer decreased by up to 2.83% per cm for IMRT and 2.87% per cm for VMAT (P < 0.05). And the influence on H&N plans was that the dose to 95% of the target volumes (low risk regions) decreased by up to 4.45% per cm. Conclusions: The RT staff could determine whether resimulation and replaning or not according to which body contour directions were changed.

From Simulation to Reality: A Comprehensive Study on the Efficacy of a Rotating Monopolar and Bipolar Radiofrequency System through In-Silico Modeling and Pre-Clinical and Clinical Validation

Background: Skin aging is an unavoidable process aggravated by environmental agents. Among other energy devices, non-invasive radiofrequency (RF) technology is widely used for skin tightening and body contouring as it is simpler and more affordable than other technologies that also minimize pain and side-effects. However, most of the current RF devices do not provide automatic skin temperature control and it is difficult to achieve controlled, deep, and harmless thermal increase, so treatment performance and safety is dependent on the operator’s movements and expertise. Objective: To show the potential of numerical simulations for optimizing the design of monopolar and bipolar RF electrodes that are capable of providing homogeneous, deep and controlled heating. Materials and methods: In-silico models were developed and analyzed using Comsol Multiphysics software to simulate the RF effect produced in tissue by rotating monopolar and bipolar electrodes with different geometries from the Sculpt & Shape RF device (Sinclair, Spain), operating at frequencies of 0.5 and 1 MHz. Ex-vivo and in-vivo proof-of-concept tests were carried out to validate the simulations. Finally, treatments were performed on 16 subjects and a total of 78 body areas to assess the clinical results generated by the RF electrodes for skin tightening and body contouring. Results: In-silico studies emulated the superficial and deep dispersion of heat due to the release of RF energy into human skin tissue. The rotating electrodes (monopolar and bipolar) and the selected RF frequency (0.5 and 1 MHz) determined the homogeneity of the thermal distribution, the penetration depth (between 4.37 mm and 25.0 mm) and the heating dynamics (between 30 and 100 seconds to reach the target skin temperature), which were confirmed by ex-vivo and in-vivo tests. In addition, real treatments on facial and body areas using skin temperatures of between 43˚C and 44˚C showed consistent results with good clinical efficacy for skin tightening, circumference reduction and cellulite reduction, with no adverse effects and high subject satisfaction. Conclusions: New monopolar and bipolar RF electrodes with rotating technology have been designed and optimized using numerical simulations. The use of in-silico studies and accurate models that reproduce the thermal behavior of human biological tissues can be used to better understand RF devices and to develop superior, efficient, and safer products more quickly.

Surgical circumferential contouring:lower body,upper body,and in-between

Deformities in the body contouring population are rarely isolated to one area,and procedures can be combined to achieve more substantial results.While there is no formula for optimal surgical sequencing and timing,there are certain principles which-when applied appropriately-can yield results that are reliable,aesthetically pleasing,and aligned with the patient’s desires and preferences.In this article,we outline our latest thinking in circumferential body contouring and how to integrate the lower body lift with procedures of the abdomen,upper body,breasts,back,and arms to achieve the complete 360°look.

Surgical solutions to the problem of massive weight loss

In response to the global rise in obesity, bariatric surgery has become increasingly more popular and successful As a result, the demand for body contouring following massive weight loss is rapidly growing. Although bariatric procedures may produce impressive weight loss, people who achieve massive weight loss are often unhappy with the hanging folds of skin and subcutaneous tissue that remain. This review examines the nature of the post-bariatric deformity in each body region and briefly reviews common approaches to their treatment.

Non-invasive focused ultrasound for abdominal circumference reduction:does it really work?

Aim:Non-invasive body contouring is a promising modality.However,due to a lack of good evidence-based data,the mechanism by which contouring occurs remains unclear.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of treatment with the Contour I™ultrasound system(Ultrashape®,Syneron®,Israel)on abdominal circumference and to compare 2 power levels for efficacy and safety.Methods:A prospective,self-controlled double-blind design was used.Thirty-six women,aged 30-45 years,were randomized to receive treatment with the Contour I at high or low acoustic outputs in 3 successive sessions,1 month apart.Safety was evaluated by adverse events,local skin reaction,and pain.Efficacy was evaluated by the change in abdominal circumference relative to baseline and to the untreated thigh area(internal control).Patients were followed for 28 days after the last treatment session.Results:At 1 month after the first session,the mean reductions in abdominal circumference measured 1.65 cm(P<0.001)and 0.87 cm(P<0.019)in the high and low-power groups,respectively.At 1 month after the last session,the cumulative reductions in circumference were 2.56 cm(P<0.001)and 1.49 cm(P<0.012),respectively.There was no change in the internal-control circumference throughout treatment.There were no treatment-induced severe adverse events.Conclusion:Multiple successive treatments of the abdominal area with the Contour I lead to a significant progressive reduction in circumference.The magnitude of the reduction is directly correlated to the acoustic power output which suggests that the technology itself is the main cause for the contouring effect.