Traditional liposuction involves loosening, sculpting and removing fat with a cannula and vacuum suctioning. The process doesn’t address slack skin, which may be an issue for women who’ve experienced the stretching that comes with weight fluctuation or pregnancy, or the loss of elasticity with age.
A new procedure called BodyTite promises to address both fat and skin using a technology called RFAL, or Radio Frequency Assisted Liposuction. In addition to fat reduction, which is purportedly gentler due a pre-heating process, BodyTite employs the oscillation of radio frequency to essentially “shrink” skin into a tighter state.
The device includes a sensor that provides the plastic surgeon with a real-time skin temperature reading, which can be maintained at an ideal, pre-programmed level to ensure uniform energy delivery throughout the treatment area.
Currently in FDA trials, BodyTite can be used on most of the areas that traditional liposuction can be performed, such as the hips, buttocks, thighs, arms and neck. The procedure is touted as minimally invasive, giving patients the option of local or general anesthesia, and when appropriate, light sedation.
