A decade ago, the introduction of the BodyTite technology into the plastic surgery marketplace changed liposuction forever.
Despite the evolution and popularization of non-surgical body contouring procedures in recent years, BodyTite still continues to produce the best outcomes, while allowing the plastic surgeon to showcase both the art and science of their techniques.
Overall, we have seen an increase in the demand for liposuction treatments over the last decade, with the total number of procedures growing by a third over the last 10 years. The numbers went from 198,251 procedures in 2009 to 265,209 procedures in 2019. We are also seeing more men getting this procedure.
BodyTite at a Glance
BodyTite® is a bipolar, radiofrequency-assisted lipocoagulation (RFAL) system that offers superior control on soft tissue contraction and the contours of the face, neck, and body when performing aspiration lipoplasty. The device is comprised of a workstation, or platform, which houses the RF Generator, software, and circuit boards of the system. The various clinic hand pieces attach to the workstation.
There are several different BodyTite® hand pieces that are designed for different clinical procedures and body contouring applications. Its various iterations include:
- BodyTite®
- NeckTite (BodyTite 2.4 mm)
- FaceTite
- CelluTite
- AccuTite®: Injectable RF and skin tightening
Patients can expect to see upwards of 25% soft tissue area contraction after BodyTite® and RFAL at 6 months, followed by contraction of 34% after 12 months. It has proven to be particularly effective on patients with more skin laxity and a larger BMI.
Safety Control
The technology also offers best-in-class safety controls. The following safety features will maximize results and prevent thermal injury:
- The silastic coating and cap
- Thermal containment
- Automated feedback control loops
- Impedance cut-offs
- Temperature surge protection
It also offers audible warnings as the temperature rises, as well as automated cut-off temperatures.
At the same time, data shows that the risk of thermal injury is well under 0.25% (1 in 400 cases) and falls even lower when the device is operated by a seasoned surgeon.
Recovery Period
The post-op recovery process for the patient is similar to non-thermal liposuction recovery. The initial surgery is typically followed by 6 weeks of compression garmenting, which includes 1 week of wearing silicone-coated foam compression, and the remaining 5 weeks wearing the garment alone. The first 3 weeks of garmenting sees the patient wearing it for 22 hours per day. Then cut back to 12 hours a day for the next 3 weeks, and it can be worn either during the day or night time.
Meanwhile, the patient’s drain is removed when the patient experiences 3 consecutive days with less than 20 ccs of drainage a day.
Recovery schedules will vary, but most patients can resume low-impact activities at the end of 3 weeks. This includes minimal impact cardio machines such as an elliptical, stair climber, or exercise bike. Many patients are able to return to high-impact activities such as running or spinning at the end of 6 weeks.
