How many people have had an appendix burst after SculpSure?

It is unlikely that Sculpsure caused your appendix to burst. A Sculpsure treatment doesn't penetrate deep enough to disturb the intestines. If you remain concerned, I recommend following up with your Doctor. Keep in mind, it takes a combination approach to get the best, smoothest result with Sculpsure. I recommend combining Sculpsure with Vanquish and Venus Legacy/Exilis Ultra treatments to get the smoothest results.  Best, Dr. Emer

Thank you for your question. SculpSure is incredibly safe, and we have not seen any complications other than minor swelling. I suggest that you move forward and consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon.
Best wishes,

When a SculpSure treatment is done to the abdomen, the laser only reaches to the fat that is just under the skin.  The laser would not reach far enough to enter anywhere in the abdominal cavity, which is where the appendix is.  I understand your frustration, but I cannot imagine any way that your SculpSure treatment would have caused an appendix to burst.  In regards to the lumps, these can occur in some people and do tend to go away over time.  Sometimes, this can take several months.  It is difficult to know if the pain you were feeling after the treatment on your right side was due to your appendix or the SculpSure treatment.  

Aloha, 
I am very sorry that this happened to you. Many of my patients have "nodules", these subside after a few weeks to months. I had several treatments myself and also had small lumps, massaging the area is a great way to prevent or break down those lumps. The laser only targets subcutaneous fatty tissue and can't penetrate organs, it is therefore unlikely that your laser procedure caused inflammation to your appendix resulting it to rupture. Again, I am sorry you had to have a surgical procedure and hope you recovered fully. Mahalo, Dr. Rudy

Hi AnnB3677. What an awful experience to have during a procedure that normally cause minimal discomfort and great results.  SculpSure is a laser with a specific wavelength that targets only subcutaneous fat and does not go any further. In fact it spares the other tissues around, which makes it different than cool sculpting.  It will  destroy about 24% of fat with each session.  The appendix is located deep in the abdomen and not accessible to the laser. Often times, appendicitis will start with inflammation and the slowly develop more pain caused by an infection in the appendix itself.  It is an internal infection and not caused by outside forces. 
I hope you recovered well. Always seek your primary care's advise when faced with pain like that. 
Dr. Eros

I'm sorry to hear about your painful experience with SculpSure.  I have personally performed over 3000 SculpSure procedures to date and personally have had the treatment on my abdomen and flanks twice.  The treatment may feel like pressure, pinching or burning, but it should definitely not be painful and I have never had a patient scream as you describe.  SculpSure technology simply cannot penetrate deep enough under the muscle to cause any intestinal issue.  The nodule formation you have is an indication of your body's appropriate response to the treatment.  They go away with gentle massage and increased fluid intake, it can take weeks to months, but it will go away. It is advised to have 2 treatment sessions for each area in order to achieve results.  I am sure your doctor will be seeing you soon for another treatment and they will examine you accordingly.  If you have had the surgery to remove the appendix, then, it is best to wait about 6 months before next treatment for abdomen to heal.  It is also good to be cautious as not to have any applicators go over the scar tissue directly.  I'm sorry your experience wasn't great but I hope that you will get the results you were hoping for.  Wishing you speedy recovery .  Best, Dr.Avaliani

Sculpsure is associated with discomfort and, ideally, patients should get into the fat destruction zone of discomfort including sensations like pinching, pressure or cramping. Sculpsure hand-pieces can be adjusted individually to provide relief in areas that seem more sensitive. Some patients do also form nodules (lumps) after the procedure which usually resolve with massage and increased fluid intake. It is unlikely that Sculpsure caused your appendix to rupture (burst) because the laser does not penetrate deep enough to affect the appendix. Best wishes.

We are very sorry for your difficult experience!  It's unlikely your ruptured appendix was caused by Sculpsure.  The Sculpsure laser targets only the subcutaneous fat cells and does not effect your internal organs.  
Your extreme discomfort on the right side during your treatment, however, likely could have been caused by inflammation in your appendix (which lead to the rupture a few months later) which was likely present.  Patients should not experience pain during the Sculpsure treatment to the point of "feeling like screaming" as you describe in your question.
The lumps you describe are caused by the inflammation and fat destruction from the treatment.  We consider these lumps to be a sign of a good treatment.  Most of the time these lumps resolve on their own in 2-16 weeks, but we have seen it take several months.  Drinking lots of water, exercising, massaging the area and activities to assist your lymphatic system should speed their resolution.  
We encourage you to make an appointment with your provider and discuss all of your concerns.    
Best Wishes,
Marco Lopez, M.D.
Sculpt Away body shaping + beauty lounge
San Antonio, Texas

   

SculpSure, the world's first FDA indicated laser for non surgical fat reduction uses a laser that targets subcutaneous fat cells only.  It does not penetrate muscle and certainly does not enter into the abdomen to cause intestinal problems.Appendicitis, the inflammation of the appendix, usually does not occur suddenly.  It is a gradual process and may take weeks before it becomes an acute process with the possibility of the appendix rupturing (bursting from inflammation).  My guess is that you had appendicitis all along and that is why the SculpSure session was so uncomfortable.  Eventually your appendix ruptured.As for the lumps, these are areas of inflammation caused by the destruction of the fat cells, and are actually a good sign.  Keep massaging the areas for 5-10 minutes 2-3 times/day and they will eventually resolve.Good Luck!

i have had the Sculpsure treatment myself twice and i have had a hip replacement. it definitely can be somewhat uncomfortable but i have never had a patient screaming. People can have very small lumps after Sculpsure but they almost always go away with time. Clearly no one can know what you experienced but it is very, very unusual. The Sculpsure treatment does not penetrate beyond the subcutaneous fat. Just like one in 8 will women will get breast cancer. if a women has sculpsure and then a month later finds a cancerous lump in her breast, the Sculpsure did not cause it!!!! it is human nature to look for a cause but that does not mean our suppositions are correct.david berman md