Plastic Surgery Articles

UltraShape is advertised as “…a clinically proven, non-surgical, body contouring treatment designed to eliminate undesirable excess fat without resorting to excessive dieting, a rigorous exercise regime or cosmetic surgery.”  At first glance, that reads like copy on the cover of a super market check-out magazine.  It is not, however, completely void of merit.  It is yet another technological approach to the targeted destruction of excess fat cells.

UltraShape uses targeted ultrasound to melt fat cells through the skin and avoid damaging adjacent muscle or non-fatty tissue.  The targeting seems to be effective, as does the ability of ultrasound to pass through the skin and be effective in the subcutaneous region.
The technology causes the destruction of fat cells into triglycerides and glycerol.  Glycerol is excreted naturally, while the triglycerides travel to the liver.  If the patient is involved in some physical activity and stays with the required post-session diet, the liver will get rid of the triglycerides.  The concept is described as a “non-thermal, acoustically based trans-dermal fat reduction treatment.”

One advantage of the ultrasound approach is that it is totally non-invasive and accordingly, minimizes pain.  From that standpoint, it has a substantial advantage over liposuction.  The procedure takes fewer sessions than alternative fat removal procedures and those sessions can be more closely grouped because the recovery is minimal.

“The new, non-lipo lipo” one satisfied customer calls it.  Not all customers have been satisfied, however.  Some have seen no results in terms of fat reduction; others have seen minimal results at what can be a fairly steep price.  The cost of a single session can be $1,000 or more.  It’s a relatively painless alternative to SmartLipo and for some people has proven to be effective with a loss of an inch or more around the hips after just one session.

The company itself is a mere eight years old and backed by private venture capital.  A group of doctors and medical technicians came up with the therapy system and have been successful with it in European nations and other countries. It has not, however, been approved by the FDA.

 In June of 2008 UltraShape announced the commencement of their initial clinical trial prior to application for approval by the FDA.  Currently, the treatment is available in Canada and approval in the United States is “pending.”  So is an IPO offering that will be predicated on the product’s success in other countries and capped by a green light from the FDA.

There are some physical limitations to the technology.  It cannot attack large fat deposits effectively; its best function is to selectively reduce the two or three inches from around the waist or the excess that has built up around the thighs.  The proponents describe UltraShape as “non-invasive body contouring” which is a polite way of saying that the ultrasound system can be used for minor but important fat reductions – and not for a massive weight loss program. 

While a limited survey of customers showed just a fifty percent satisfaction rate, it’s clear that the technology has some solid science behind it.  Of course after the fat has been removed, it’s up to the patient to keep it off.  Sooner or later, it all comes down to diet and exercise.  But for an interim first step, UltraShape sounds like a good prospect for the right person, looking for limited fat reductions in specific areas.