(Feb. 12) - A relatively new medical treatment has the potential to minimize some of those unsightly bulges -- without surgery. It's not approved in the U.S., but it may be in the future. So how much promise does the technology hold?
The UltraShape system uses a noninvasive ultrasound device designed to target and destroy fat cells only and leave surrounding tissue unaffected. The patient's body then naturally metabolizes the fat released from the cells, studies have found.
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More than 100,000 treatments have been performed in 57 countries. Still, at least one U.S. expert said he is reserving judgment on the treatment's effectiveness until it can be used widely here.
An advocate of the treatment is Dr. Arie Benchetrit of Montreal, who has been using UltraShape since 2007. The plastic surgeon of 19 years, who was the first in Canada to adopt the technology, calls it "the first real device" to eliminate fat and contour the body without surgery.
"Along the way there were a few machines with a lot of hype and promise," Benchetrit said. "But they only provided minor improvement by massaging or manipulating the fat," temporary fixes that would ultimately end in patient disappointment, he said.
UltraShape can target excess fat in the mid- and lower torso and outer thighs. Software guides the physician in the process, which takes three treatments of 40 to 60 minutes each.
Benchetrit said he has found surprisingly few side effects. "We've treated 150 patients and had one blister" as the sole complication, he said.
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Michael McGuire, president-elect of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said there is "definite" interest in UltraShape among U.S. doctors, and that word among those involved in preliminary U.S. studies has been fairly positive.
Still, there is wariness. "I think we're going to reserve judgment until it gets much wider exposure in this country," McGuire said.
McGuire reviewed the before-and-after photos accompanying this article. He said he thought before photos seemed underexposed and after photos overexposed, which can be misleading as to total effect. McGuire also said he's not convinced the treatment would offer more than a minor change for many patients, a potential issue considering the likely cost that would be required for the three treatments.
"Is this a good procedure?" McGuire asked. "I would say the main risk to this procedure is disappointment and spending a lot of money for very little gain."
UltraShape, which has offices in the U.S. and Israel, is seeking Food and Drug Administration approval. Several doctors have published scientific research and clinical studies on their results with the treatment, and the technology is undergoing clinical trials in the U.S.
According to the company, an ideal candidate for the procedure would have a normal to overweight body mass index with local fat deposits of at least 1.5 centimeters thick. The treatment should not be considered a weight loss or obesity treatment, UltraShape says.
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"What people have to understand is none of these procedures -- UltraShape, tummy tuck, lipo, -- are weight-loss procedures." Benchetrit said. "A lot of people want to sit under machine and lose 50 pounds."
So is UltraShape a potential substitution for liposuction? Not according to Benchetrit.
"Liposuction remains the gold standard for removal of excess fat," he said. "I do as much liposuction as I ever did."
First, liposuction, an invasive procedure, is more aggressive. UltraShape requires three treatments to achieve desired results. Liposuction is also more predictable -- "the fat is in the jar at the end of the procedure," Benchetrit said. And liposuction can be used in areas that are too small for the UltraShape device, such as the neck, arms and calves.
UltraShape is instead a nonsurgical option for removing pockets of excess fat that create "an aesthetic contour deformity," Benchetrit said -- or in simpler terms, "basically, a bulge."
