Clinical Study to Assess the 1,060 nm Diode Laser for the Treatment of Post-Liposuction Deformities.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Liposuction has become increasingly popular in the past decade due to advances in technique and technology. Despite the demand, there exists a significant population of patients who have contour deformities post-liposuction. The 1,060 nm diode laser has been Food and Drug Administration cleared for the removal of unwanted fat, so it was theorized that this noninvasive laser system could be efficacious to smooth these areas of post-liposuction contour deformities. This study was designed to retrospectively study the clinical changes induced by a 1,060 nm diode laser system to treat contour deformities in tissue post-liposuction. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with contour deformities post-liposuction (minimally six months post-surgery) were treated in the area of the deformity with the noninvasive hyperthermic 1,060 nm diode laser system. Each patient received two treatments at a 6-week interval in the anatomical area of their contour deformity. RESULTS: Fifteen subjects had completed two treatments and the necessary follow-up needs to be included in these results. Two blinded evaluators could correctly identify the pre-treatment image compared to the post-treatment image in an average of 85% of subjects. So, 100% of the patients were graded to be at least "Improved" with an average of 40% of subjects being "Very Much Improved". Patient satisfaction was "High" in all subjects who have completed the treatment protocol. The physician satisfaction was rated as "Much Improved" in 33% of the patient results and "Improved" in 66% of the patient results. CONCLUSIONS: The noninvasive hyperthermic 1,060 nm diode system is highly effective and safe for the treatment of contour deformities post-liposuction. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2019 The Authors. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Laser cellulite treatment and laser-assisted lipoplasty of the thighs and buttocks: Combined modalities for single stage contouring of the lower body.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cellulite and lipodystrophy are often found together, especially in areas of the buttocks and thighs, causing skin surface irregularities. Each of these conditions is currently treated independently as two separate surgical procedures. In our practice, we developed a novel combined approach for the simultaneous treatment of cellulite and lipodystrophy, as a single stage procedure in the same anatomic area. For the treatment of cellulite, we used the Nd:YAG laser at a wavelength of 1,440-nm, along with an innovative 1,000-micron directional side-firing fiber optic laser system. For the treatment of lipodystrophy, the Nd:YAG laser with a 1,440 nm wavelength, along with a fiber optic laser system was used. The objective of this study is to determine the efficacy and safety of a combined approach for the simultaneous treatment of cellulite and lipodystrophy. STUDY DESIGN, PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 2012, 16 subjects with noticeable cellulite, Grade II and Grade III, accompanied by mild-to-moderate lipodystrophy of the lower body received single treatments of the Nd:YAG laser at a wavelength of 1,440-nm along with the 1,000-micron side-firing fiber optic laser system for simultaneous treatments of both cellulite and lipodystrophy. Patients were assessed at baseline and 3-6 months post-treatment by a modified Nurnberger-Muller scale utilized to quantify the cellulite severity. Additionally, patient satisfaction and a global aesthetic improvement scale were used to measure the improvement in lipodystrophy. RESULTS: Blinded reviewers identified the correct baseline photographs 97% of the time when presented with a set of photographs. The median modified Nurnberger-Muller scale score at baseline was 4.75 ± 1.2 and the average improvement was 2.0 ± 1.2. Global aesthetic improvement scores ranged from 1 to 3 with an average of 1.58 indicating a much-improved overall appearance. Satisfaction was high for both physicians and patients with scores corresponding to extremely satisfied/satisfied. CONCLUSION: Precise, effective delivery of laser energy to the dermal-adipose tissue, as well as the deep adipose lipodystrophy is feasible as a safe modality for the simultaneous treatment of cellulite and lipodystrophy in the buttocks and thighs, as a single stage procedure.

A Multicenter Study for Cellulite Treatment Using a 1440-nm Nd:YAG Wavelength Laser with Side-Firing Fiber.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of cellulite using a 1440-nm YAG wavelength laser with side-firing fiber has proven safe and effective, lasting at least 6 months. OBJECTIVES: The authors evaluate the safety and efficacy of a single, subdermal procedure to treat the underlying structure of cellulite for at least 1 year. METHODS: Fifty-seven patients underwent a 3-step cellulite treatment with a 1440-nm Nd:YAG laser with a side-firing fiber and temperature-sensing cannula. Efficacy was measured by the blinded evaluators to distinguish baseline photos from those taken at 12 months posttreatment, with results on a 5-point, 2-category ordinal photonumeric scale when comparing baseline photos to 12 months posttreatment. Subject and physician satisfaction was assessed based on completion of a satisfaction survey. Adverse events (AE) were recorded throughout the study. Twelve month data were analyzed and compared to 6 month data. RESULTS: Evaluators chose baseline photographs 97% on average from 6 (-1, +2) months and 91% from the 12 (-3, +2) months posttreatment photographs. At 6 (-1, +2) months, the average improvement score was 1.7 for dimples and 1.1 for contour irregularities. At 12 (-3, +2) months, the average improvement score was 1.4 for dimples and 1.0 for contour irregularities. The average satisfaction score for the physician was 5.6 and the patient was 5.3 on a 6-point scale. CONCLUSIONS: A single, 3-step, minimally invasive laser treatment using a 1440-nm Nd:YAG laser, side-firing fiber, and temperature-sensing cannula to treat the underlying structure of cellulite proved to be safe and maintained effectiveness at least 1 year post treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2: Therapeutic.

A multicenter study for a single, three-step laser treatment for cellulite using a 1440-nm Nd:YAG laser, a novel side-firing fiber, and a temperature-sensing cannula.

BACKGROUND: Historically, treatments for cellulite have not been able to address all of its physiological components and require multiple sessions. OBJECTIVE: The authors evaluate the safety and efficacy of a single, subdermal procedure to treat the underlying structure of cellulite. METHODS: Fifty-seven patients underwent a 3-step cellulite treatment with a 1440-nm Nd:YAG laser with a side-firing fiber and temperature-sensing cannula. Efficacy was measured by the ability of blinded evaluators to distinguish baseline photos from those taken at 3 and 6 months posttreatment, as well as their rating of the results on a 5-point, 2-category ordinal photonumeric scale when comparing baseline photos to those taken at 2, 3, and 6 months posttreatment. Patient and physician satisfaction was assessed based on completion of a satisfaction survey at 2, 3, and 6 months posttreatment. Adverse events (AE) were recorded throughout the study. RESULTS: At 6 months posttreatment, blinded evaluators rated at least a 1-point improvement in the appearance of cellulite in 96% of treated sites. Blinded evaluators were also able to correctly identify baseline versus posttreatment photos in 95% of cases. At least 90% of patients and physicians reported satisfaction with the results of treatment throughout 6 months. AE were mild in intensity and transient to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A single, 3-step, minimally invasive laser treatment using a 1440-nm Nd:YAG laser, side-firing fiber, and temperature-sensing cannula to treat the underlying structure of cellulite proved to be safe and maintained effectiveness at least 6 months posttreatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2.