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Nov 17, 2008 11:59 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: Laser Liposuction
Heat Generated By Lipotherme Laser Melts Fat Away During Painless Procedure Done Under Local Anesthetic
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Hitting the gym but still can't get rid of those extra pounds? You're not alone. But a new procedure promises to help you literally "burn" off unwanted fat.
Two months ago Megan Hilton didn't like her chin.
"I didn't like pictures of myself," Hilton said.
But now after having a new liposuction procedure, she said she likes her photos.
Hilton was so pleased with her neck she's now doing her waist. And she's not going under the knife -- but rather, the laser.
"With this procedure, there is much less bruising, there is much less pain, and a much quicker recovery period," said Dr. Briant Z. Herzog.
Herzog routinely marks off his plan of attack on the body before performing the laser surgery.
"The area that we want to take care of is we want to get this right here, a little bit here we want to thin out, and take that off," Herzog said demonstrating.
The whole procedure is done under local anesthesia.
"It's called 'tunneling,' and what we do is just break up, helps break up the fat so the laser goes in easier," Herzog said.
Next, the goggles go on, the lights go out and the laser goes to work.
"This is underneath the skin," Herzog said. "This is in the fatty layer."
The heat generated by the Lipotherme laser causes the skin to contract, resulting in a firmer, smoother look.
"And it actually hits the bottom side of the skin and will cause the fibroblast or the connective tissue in there to proliferate and tighten the skin," Dr. Herzog said.
The energy from the laser destroys fat cells.
"I can feel movement but it doesn't hurt at all," patient Hilton said.
Six weeks later her results are apparent.
"Anyone that has kids knows, you have like a little belly that you can't get rid of and so I'm just looking forward to not having to worry about that and trying to hide that with clothes," Hilton said.
The procedure is FDA approved. It can be done in one session on a number of areas, including the hips, thighs and arms. Patients usually return to normal activities within two days.
The laser liposuction procedure costs anywhere from $3,000-$6,000.
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