Aesthetic Surgery Journal – Soft Tissue Contraction in Body Contouring With Radiofrequency-Assisted Liposuction: A Treatment Gap Solution

Abstract: Radiofrequency-assisted liposuction is a relatively new concept in energy-assisted body contouring techniques and has received instrument approval. This supplemental article reviews the clinical application of electromagnetic energy via the BodyTite (InMode Corporation, Toronto, Canada) device on soft tissues during suction lipectomy, its effect on soft tissue contraction, and its use in aesthetic body contouring in various clinical scenarios.

There is a large number of these “in between” patients in this “gap” category that their clinical picture presents as “not bad enough for an excisional procedure and not good enough for liposuction.” Specifically, areas of the body described as zones of nonadherence such as the arms, neck, and medial thighs may be amenable to radiofrequency-assisted liposuction (RFAL) for satisfactory contouring who otherwise would be turned away with liposuction alone by the judicious surgeon. The RFAL technology, being more effective and directed at fat resection, can be achieved with an increased margin of safety since the skin can be anticipated to retract more than with manual suction-assisted lipectomy (SAL) alone.