Should I try coolsculpting on love handles or is it too risky in my case? Am I a good candidate? Concerned of developing PAH

Hi ninphacall. Thank you for the great questions. You are well versed in your body and your current condition, and this is definitely something you'd want to talk to your CoolSculpting provider about during a consultation regarding candidacy. With doing CoolSculpting, you may have a slower healing response or possible issues with scar tissue. As per PAH, Allergan released statistics in 2017 regarding the newer CoolAdvantage applicator series (circa 2016) stating that risks of PAH had decreased from 0.029% to 0.0036%, nearly 10 times lower than with the previous generations of applicators. Thankfully our office has not seen anyone with PAH. I hope this helps!

The risk for PAH is low and you may still be a candidate for Coolsculpting. For best results with Coolsculpting, a combination approach is needed. I recommend adding radiofrequency treatments like Vanquish, Venus Legacy, Exilis Ultra for skin tightening and with Z wave/Cellutone for skin smoothing. VASER with ThermiRF is a great alternative. Best, Dr. Emer

Thank you for your question! Please ensure that you have a one to one consultation with a certified provider in a clinic with Medical/Doctor supervision. Immunosuppressive treatments are not contraindications but should be considered seriously, post-inflammatory response may lead to the formation of scar tissue. As to PAH, the risk of developing this complication is 0.02%, very rare! As to lipomas, Coolsculpting doesn’t cause lipomas but may expose preexisting ones! Best of luck!

Dear Ninphacall, thank you so much for your question, good one! Please ensure that you have a one to one consultation with a certified provider in a clinic with Medical/Doctor supervision. Immunosuppressive treatments are not contraindications but should be considered seriously, post-inflammatory response may lead to the formation of scar tissue. As to PAH, the risk of developing this complication is 0.02%, very rare! As to lipomas, Coolsculpting doesn’t cause lipomas but may expose preexisting ones! Hence good examination of the area pretreatment is needed! Good luck, Dr. G x  

PAH (Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia) after Coolsculpting is a rare phenomenon. It is actually not fat but fibrous tissue - scar. I think that you are at an increase risk for this given the fact that you have Scleroderma, a collagen problem with your skin. I still think the chances are low though. In general, CS is a great way to fix minor problems after liposuction. It is a no downtime, noninvasive procedure to permanently reduce fat pockets. I always use the Zimmer Z Wave afterwards to maximize the benefits of the procedure.

Thank you for your question.  You are still an excellent candidate for Coolsculpting! The risk of PAH is minimal with the new applicators.  We would be happy to evaluate you as we are the only office in Broward with a Coolsculpting University Masters level trained expert and one of the only Masters experts in South Florida. Interestingly, she herself has had issues with lipo and done Coolsculpting.

Thank you for the great question.  The risk of PAH after coolsculpting is low.  That being said, in your specific case with Scleroderma, I would say that you are at a higher risk for abnormal healing and formation of scar tissue.  Overall the chances are low, but it is good that you are well educated before proceeding with Coolsculpting.  
Repor

Dear Ninphacall,Hello and thank you for your excellent question. You may want to look into a body contouring procedure that combines both liposuction with laser, radiofrequency (RF), or acoustic therapy to produce the best balance of fat reduction and skin tightening and smoothing for your body type and anatomy. We use a proprietary technique that we call IDEAL Liposuction. First off, all devices and instruments used are FDA-approved. These procedures are usually performed in the office, with only local anesthesia. We typically use Smart / Laser Liposuction or ultrasound to reduce dense, fibrous fat, and stimulate collagen formation; Radiofrequency-based skin tightening to maximize skin contraction; and Ultrasound, RF, or subcision (Z Wave, Venus, Cellfina) to treat cellulite. Patients go home the same day as surgery, do not need any narcotics postop for pain control, and can return to light exercise and work two days after their procedure. In my practice, we select the appropriate treatment for each patient based on their skin quality, amount of fat and surgical goals. It is best to answer your question during a face-to-face evaluation, when you can discuss your goals and expectations for the procedure, and you can have a physical examination to evaluate for that procedure. I recommend that you find a board-certified, or board-eligible plastic surgeon with whom you are comfortable. Be sure to have all of your questions answered during a face-to-face meeting with your surgeon, and review before and after pictures of similar patients whom have had this procedure. If you have any questions, call our office for assistance. Good luck!

Best,

Jon Ver Halen, MD FACS

Harvard educated plastic surgeon

Texas “Top Doc” 2017, 2018

RealSelf100

America’s Top Plastic Surgeons, Consumer’s Research Council, 2010 – 2018

BeautyAdvisor Top Contributor