I had SculpSure for flanks/hips recently. There were problems with 1 applicator pad after the first few minutes of treatment?

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.  No compression garment required.





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

Thank you for your question. The slight interruption should not influence your results. The procedure itself is very simple. A technician clips the device into place on the areas to be treated, and the laser begins to disrupt the subcutaneous fat cells, heating them, and prompting the body to dispose of them. I suggest that you move forward and consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon. 

Best wishes,

As long as the applicator had contact, you had an adequate treatment. Keep in mind it will take several months for your final results and with Sculpsure a combination of treatments is needed. I recommend combining Sculpsure with Vanquish and Venus Legacy/Exilis Ultra treatments. We currently use a fire and ice treatment with Coolsculpting and Vanquish for good results in fat removal. However, a VASER hi definition procedure would give you the best results with fat removal, contouring and definition. See an expert for a formal evaluation. Best, Dr. Emer

The change in position should not adversely affect your results and you were definitely on a high enough setting so I don't think there should be any issue. Keep in mind, however, that it often takes 2 treatments to get your ideal results. 

Hi,  you have definitely been treated properly and handled quite high settings, actually the highest on the machine. Change in the position does not affect the outcome of your result as long as during the treatment you felt that "deep warmth" followed by cooling sensation. The machine is pretty smart in terms of the duration of time needed to achieve the desired result and during clinical trials, all these minor adjustments are calculated into the successful treatment formula.  You did great and your provider did everything right as well. Hope this helps. Best. Dr.Avaliani

Hello and thank you for your question. SculpSure will alert the provider if an applicator loses contact. The provider will then adjust the applicator so it regains contact. Your provider changing your position will not interfere with your treatment or your treatment time. As for feeling less pain when sitting upright, this is quite normal since when you are laying the applicators push down against bone can cause more heat sensation to the area. So no worries, sounds like your provider did everything correctly.
Best to you,
Dr Faraz

While the slight interruption in treatment should not be a problem, it is worthwhile to follow the results over the next few weeks. Sculpsure is an extremely successful modality at treating stubborn fatty areas. Often times, various areas may require two treatments which we generally include in the pricing structure. It is important that a certified Sculpsure expert perform the treatment. While it is relatively easy to do, there are various strategies that can improve outcomes. 

Hi glijo01 - it sounds like you had an excellent clinician/technician doing your treatment!  The machine will alert us if there is not good contact, so it's pretty fool-proof.  However, even if the repositioning took longer than 30 seconds, the machine "backs up" and does your "intro" 4-minutes again - then picks up where it left off in the real treatment.  So - it adds time to make up for the lack of connection for longer than 30 seconds.  Bottom line - you always get your time, even if some repositioning has to occur.  If the interruption is less than 30 seconds, there is no treatment effect lost.  

The machine does have an alarm which lets the technician know if there is not good contact. So no worries there. At 1.4 you had a good dose of laser. 

Regarding the interruption to change position, the important thing is the total dose of laser administered. The laser cycles in and off  throughout the procedure, and so there are many interruptions in the delivery of the laser energy. So again no worries. It sounds like you received a treatment which should produce results!

As indicated in Dr. Gross' answer, you should be fine--this happens. I like the sitting position for the flanks, but the thighs would need an adjustment to position. Sitting does put pressure sometimes on the iliac creat by gravity and cause slightly more discomfort for 1-2 days (SLIGHT).