Safety and Efficacy of a Non-Invasive 1060 nm Diode Laser for Fat Reduction of the Abdomen

January 2018 | Volume 17 | Issue 1 | Original Article | 106 | Copyright © January 2018


Lawrence S. Bass MD FACSa and Sean T. Doherty MD FACSb

aDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, New York, NY bDivision of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Emerson Hospital, Concord, MA

keloids, among others. Subjects were instructed to maintain a stable diet and exercise routine throughout the study. Weight was recorded at all visits. Photographs were taken in a studio at each site with fixed positioning for the camera, lights, and subject, as well as fixed manual exposures.Treatment area was determined by the investigator in all subjects based on the area of greatest need for contour reduction, which was then marked with a template (Figure 1). Similar templates were used to identify and mark the area for ultrasound imaging, which were retained for accurate identification of the correct location for imaging at subsequent visits. A Sonosite Micromaxx ultrasound system was used with a HFL38-13-6 MHz transducer. The same technician performed the ultrasound and used a validated technique to assure consistency. This included identification and matching of template position, matching of subcutaneous connective tissue architecture, and pressure/ultrasound gel thickness during imaging.A single treatment session was performed for all subjects. The laser head was applied to adjacent areas within the marked treatment area for a single exposure until the entire marked area was treated. Exposure time was 25 minutes. Patient discomfort was assessed periodically during the treatment using a graded scale (0=none -10=worst) and energy density was adjusted to maintain a score of 3-4 (Table 1). Aftercare included cool compresses or acetaminophen if needed.Patients returned for follow up at 6 and 12 weeks where photography and ultrasound were repeated. A visit took place at 1 week (n=30) to assess the incidence of early post-treatment adverse events and to record the ultrasound appearance of exposed fat during early healing. At 12 weeks, subjects graded their satisfaction with the results using a 6-point balanced Likert scale (1=extremely satisfied, 2=satisfied, 3=slightly satisfied, 4= slightly dissatisfied, 5=dissatisfied, 6= extremely dissatisfied).Assessments and EndpointsPhotographs were evaluated in randomized pairs of baseline and 12 week photographs for each subject. Three blindedFigure1Table1Table2