Should BodyTite only be performed by a board certified plastic surgeon?

you do not have to be a "board certified plastic surgeon" to perform bodytite.  you have to go to a physician who is trained and an expert. I am a dermatologist and done some of the most bodytite in the country.  I suggest you see an expert with skill and experience, one that is "board certified" of course.
 You need a formal evaluation by an expert in body shaping and contouring to determine what is best.  Traditional liposuction awake and smart liposuction are old methods and do very poorly for tightening skin or significant skin tightening or contouring.  Small problem areas can be improved slightly by these methods.  The best in body contouring not only removes fat with energy devices like VASER ultrasound but also internally heat the skin with radio-frequency devices such as J PLASMA/RENUVION, InMode BodyTite, ThermiRF to heat the under surface of the skin and tighten it at the same time as fat removal. These combinations are called 4D HIDEF VASER contouring and can only be done by a well trained body contouring specialist. At the same time fat should be harvested, PRP and stem cells added and injected into muscles or indentations/cellulite to get body shaping and contouring.  This is known as a Brazilian butt lift when you inject the fat to the buttock for contouring and lifting, but fat can also be used in areas such as the chest/breast, arms/shoulders, calves and face.  Cellulite should also be treated with cellfina, sculptra, subcision and/or fillers such as bellafill, renuva synthetic fat, or sculptra.  If skin is very loose before surgery then it will need to be removed such as lower abdominal skin (tummy tuck/abdominoplasty), breast skin (breast lift), arm skin (brachioplasty).  Overall you need a full assessment, but simple liposuction alone will not tighten skin and needs a combination of various methods -- fat removal, skin tightening, defining, fat grafting, skin removal -- to get the best in body contouring and body sculpting.  Dr. Emer.

Most times you are getting Bodytite and liposuction together for best results. The melted fat from Bodytite needs to be sucked out anyway so the two together does great.  But as far as Board certifications go, Board Certified Dermatologic Surgeons invented tumescent liposuction with the micro canulas and probably do a much better job at liposuction than plastic surgeons. Non-plastic surgeons get the 20 watt Bodytite unit and plastic surgeons get the 40 watt BodyTite Pro unit which is more powerful and faster. I have the advantage of being both a Plastic Surgeon and a Board Certified Dermatologic Surgeon so I can tell you from both sides of the fence who i would recommend. Using the Bodytite pro is better and faster but the Derm surgeons understand the skin and fat layer so much better that they tend to know just how far and how much zapping the skin can take for the tightening to  be beneficial without burning the skin or causing dimples.  Bodytite and Bodytite Pro both have the fail-safe devices built into them to prevent severe burns or trauma which Vaser and Renuvion/J plasma don't have. Both Board certified Derm Surgeons and Plastic surgeons can do a good job though.

I do not believe that it is a requirement to be a board certified plastic surgeon to do Bodytite. However, a board certified plastic surgeon will be able to offer other procedures for you to accomplish you cosmetic goal (tummy tuck, lipo, fat grafting...) if you are not an ideal candidate for bodytite or if bodytite does not give you the results you wanted. Good luck.

Hello Mic1021,Great question. You are better off visiting a board certified plastic surgeon. Not every surgeon has been certified trained. Good luck with your procedure.

There are numerous practitioners of cosmetic surgery. However, only a select few are board certified by their national board of plastic surgery.
According to the ABPS, "the American Board of Plastic Surgery aims to produce safe, ethical plastic surgeons with an extensive knowledge of the entire spectrum of plastic surgery, who are able to represent our specialty in the highest standards. All patients seeking plastic surgery procedures should do their homework before choosing their surgeon. Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery is a qualification not easily obtained, which demonstrates a high level of training and education, necessary for optimal results and patient satisfaction."
More specifically...board certification ensures completion of a rigorous training program of at least 6 years (with at least 3 years of dedicated plastic surgery training. Board certified surgeons have also completed written and oral examinations to determine competency and participate in a continuing medical education programs as a prerequisite of maintaining certification. 
Ultimately, certification ensures a measure of certainty when comparing surgeons. You can be assured that your board certified plastic surgeon has seen and treated it all before and is uniquely qualified to manage you pre-operatively, intra-operatively, and most importantly post-operatively.With regards to your specific question, you do not need to be a baord certified plastic surgeon to operate a BodyTite device. The more appropriate question is whether or not you want a board certified plastic surgeon performing your plastic surgical procedure.
As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).Donovan Rosas MD
Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic
Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons
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Hello, and thank you for your question!

Yes-PLEASE only use board certified cosmetic surgeons to perform this procedure. Many people choose doctors, dentists, or even worse-random people-that are not board certified and they are unsatisfied with their results, or worse, develop complications because of the lack of experience of the person doing the procedure.

Some information on Bodytite:
BodyTite will tighten and tone wrinkly, fattening areas that don't go away with diet and exercise alone. Using fat coagulation and volumetric heating technology, BodyTite works in multiple ways to treat the affected areas. It is a minimally invasive device that many patients are very satisfied with. Recovery is usually 1-2 days but can be up to 10 days depending on the person. Patience is a must though, as it takes about 6 months to one year to see results. Prices range from $3,000 to $5,000 depending on how many areas you want done.

Please see my attached link which has more information on BodyTite, including a video at the bottom of the page. Please be sure to see a *board-certified plastic surgeon* you feel comfortable with. Best of luck!

James L. Fernau, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)
International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS)
American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ACLMS)
Fellow American College of Surgeons (FACS)
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS)
American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS)

The key to a successful plastic surgery is treatment selection. We have a saying in our office., "If all you have in your tool box is a hammer than everything begins to look like a nail." A board certified plastic surgeon has experience in different treatment options. Would you have a better result with a tummy tuck, liposuction, BODYtite or a combination of procedures?  This is a question for a board certified Plastic Surgeon. Best wishes!