Sculpsure - intense pain. Can you explain why?

Question

I had sculpsure done recently on my lower abdomen only and it was very painful. Coming from someone that delivered 2 kids with no pain relief, I consider myself to have a high threshold. I was told there would be very little pain but it was quite the opposite..like a scorching iron on my skin. I was told I have been the only patient to have that type of reaction. Can you explain why? I have one more treatment left but am frightened...

Ross A. Clevens, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. SculpSure has Contact Cooling technology to prevent damage to the skin and keep the patient comfortable. Your technician can work with you to change the settings to a more comfortable and bearable level. Always work with a board certified facial plastic surgeon.
Best wishes,

Jaime S. Schwartz, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question.

Sculpsure is a noninvasive 1060nm diode laser treatment that removes up to 25% of stubborn fat in the treated area in 25 minutes.It is FDA approved for the abdomen and flanks. It is safe if you get pregnant in the future.
The body contouring effects are seen in as quick as six weeks with final results at 12 weeks. 
The results are permanent as long as you maintain your weight and health.
The laser targets and destroys the fat cells only which are then naturally removed from the body. Since the laser does not affect the skin or muscle it can be used on all skin colors and there has been no reported incidents of burns when treated by a properly trained physician. It is protective since it alternates heating and cooling. 
It has four applicators that can be customized to treat the areas of stubborn fat. 
If a second treatment is needed we wait at least six weeks and usually closer to 12.

If you notice lumps after (which I've never seen) I would recommend massage. You should also alert your surgeon.

There is no downtime and you can resume your normal activities right after the treatment. There may be some soreness in the area for a few days for which you can take ibuprofen or tylenol. A cold compress can also be used.

Sculpsure is not used for skin tightening however some of our patients have seen this. If more skin tightening is needed we have combined this with thermi or Ulthera for a complete treatment. Sculpsure is recommended for stubborn areas of fat that are not being lost by diet and exercise. It is not a weight loss treatment

Since I have both a coolsculpting and sculpsure I am working on protocols of utilizing both of these depending upon what areas need to be treated and the response to the treatment. 
I have used sculpsure on other areas other than the abdomen with very good results.

I also use a Vectra 3D imaging system to try and show people what their treatment areas could look like.

Since Sculpsure outcomes can be based on technique and experience, please see a board certified plastic surgeon that specializes body contouring to see if Sculpsure or other treatments are available to meet your goals.

Take care,

Dr. Schwartz 
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Jeffrey Umansky, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question and sorry to hear about your discomfort.  This reaction is very uncommon, but one possibility is that the energy has temporarily injured a sensory nerve in your abdomen.  I suggest you massage the area to try and desensitize the nerve.  I would anticipate that the pain will resolve in a few weeks.  Best of luck!

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

I myself have had this treatment on my stomach, back and buttock roll without any pain.  Actually it feels good.  It is likely they didn't use the machine properly.  There should not be pain this great from this device.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Dennis Gross, MD · Answer

Most patients feel a tingling sensation intermittently throughout the treatment which is generally well-tolerated. Most people experience no pain with SculpSure. If you do feel any discomfort then adjustments are made to make the treatment comfortable.

Sean Doherty, MD, FACS · Answer

Given the fact that you've had kids, my guess is that you had some scarring in the treatment area. Patients are experiencing a higher pain level with SculpSure when there is a scar involved. Try taking an anti-inflammatory before your next treatment. This should help. Best of luck.

Travis L. Shaw, MD · Answer

Sorry to hear about your experiencePatients who have scarring or stretch marks in the treated area can experience more pain than normal during treatments. It seems that the laser energy may be dispersed differently due to these changes in the dermis. We have sued Cool Blasts and changing the energy settings for specific areas with good success.

Julio Clavijo-Alvarez, MD, MPH, FACS · Answer

I am sorry that you are having issues about your procedure and
thanks for sharing your question. I can appreciate your
concern.

In most of the cases I have found that stria or scars capture more energy and for some reason are more sensitive to the action of the laser. Usually coolblasting and antiinflamatories before the treatment should help. Also decreasing the energy to the specific area should help.

Wishing you the best in your journey

David Finkle, MD · Answer

It is rare to have extreme pain with SculpSure.  The machinery is very sophisticated and can allow for adjusting during the procedure to adjust for the discomfort.  It is possible that you are not a candidate for SculpSure, anyone with a Body Mass Index of 30 or more has too much target tissue to treat and the treatment would be very painful.  I would ask for a refund and try a different fat reduction technique.Good Luck!

Lawrence Eisenhauer, MD · Answer

Something was wrong. If you are miserable, the power is turned down, if no discomfort it is turned up. When slight to moderate discomfort is achieved the results for different power settings are the same. What adjustments were made? Check with your MD to see what was done/not done so a better experience can be had.  Tylenol 1000mg 30-60 minutes before would be a good idea.  Wait the 6-10 weeks to be able to assess the success before another treatment. The settings start at 1.10 and can go down to .90 or up to 1.40.

Sculpsure - intense pain. Can you explain why?

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