Abdominal Laser Lipolysis Using a Microprocessor-Controlled Robotic Arm With Noncontact Heating and Cooling.

Abstract

A novel FDA-cleared device uses a 1064-nm laser to noninvasively induce apoptosis for lipolysis of subcutaneous abdominal fat while maintaining comfortable skin temperatures with a proprietary jet cooling system (eon; Dominion Aesthetic Technologies, Inc., San Antonio, TX). A programmable articulated robotic arm moves the treatment head without any subject contact, maintaining an appropriate 3-dimensional treatment path, compensating for patient movement. The goal of this prospective, single center, open-label study was to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of this device for reducing subcutaneous abdominal fat when operated with an updated power delivery curve. Male and female subjects with Fitzpatrick skin types I to VI (N = 26) were treated. Four abdominal zones up to 150 cm2 each, customized in size and location for body habitus, were treated. Each zone underwent a single 20-minute treatment session. Follow-up visits occurred after 6 and 12 weeks. A standardized protocol was used to obtain ultrasound measurement of subcutaneous abdominal fat thickness, abdominal circumference, reported patient satisfaction and digital images. The mean treatment area was 378.5 cm2. At Week 12, there was a 21.6% or 6.3 mm mean reduction in abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness and a 4.1-cm (1.6-inch) mean reduction in abdominal circumference. Most subjects (84.6%) were satisfied or very satisfied with their results. The mean pain score was 2.5 on an 11-point ordinal scale. There were no nonresponders. Only 2 adverse events were noted: mild transient erythema (n = 1, 3.8%) and localized subcutaneous firmness (n = 1, 3.8%) which resolved without intervention within 12 weeks. This contact-free device is safe and effective for reducing subcutaneous abdominal fat and represents an improvement on the prior treatment protocol.