How many times are we plagued by areas of fullness or sagging skin in our bodies that just don’t respond to diet and exercise? Whether it is due to genetics, weight shifts, childbirth or aging, most of us have at least one area of our body that we wish we could just make disappear with one sweep of a magic wand. Well, now that magic has arrived and the magic act is called Smart Lipo Triplex. This new advance, performed by board-certified plastic surgeon Robert J. Skalicky, M.D., at The Rinklefree Center of Bucks County Plastic Surgery, allows patients to reduce areas of unwanted fatty deposits, reduce cellulite and shrink skin, a combination result absent in all other forms of contour treatments.
According to Dr. Skalicky, “The advantages of Smart Lipo Triplex is that it gives superior results over all other fat removal modalities, including hospital procedures, through a simple, minimally invasive procedure performed with local anesthesia in the office setting. The procedure works by directing a laser beam into the areas of unwanted fatty tissue and literally melting the fat cells, resulting in contour corrections. The new design of the laser can also create new collagen growth and contract or shrink the surface skin at the same time.
Smart Lipo Triplex is comprised of three separate components that are used in body contouring. The first is the Smart Lipo component used to reduce areas of fullness on the abdomen, back, bra fat, arms, thighs and chest (men). The second is Cellulaze, a component using a side-firing laser to treat areas of cellulite on the legs and thighs. And the third is Precision TX, the best treatment for neck fullness and loose skin.
The beauty of this new treatment is that it is an office-based procedure performed under local anesthesia giving results that are as good as, if not better than, hospital-based procedures but without the hospital and anesthesia costs.
“I see this procedure as the long awaited answer for fat reduction and skin tightening in the office,” Dr. Skalicky says. “Many patients desire office-based procedures but want results superior to the present array of noninvasive fat removal treatments done through heating or freezing of the fat. This technique, while still performed in an office, has definite results that patients can clearly see in the mirror. It seems to be the missing piece to the body contouring puzzle. In addition, patients benefit from the skin contraction that the laser affords that is completely absent from all other fat removal options.”
The procedure is relatively simple to perform. The area of excess fat or loose skin is injected with a local anesthetic. Then a thin laser fiber is passed under the skin to literally melt and destroy the fat cells while contracting the skin. A short-term compression garment is then worn to enhance the result.
Along with contouring changes and skin contraction, perhaps one of the best uses for the Triplex laser is in cellulite reduction. Cellulite is caused by fibers attached to the undersurface of the skin causing dimpling and rippling present over time from skin slippage or weight gain. The side-firing laser of the Cellulaze fiber actually melts the fibers that cause the dimpling in the skin. This in turn allows release of the skin so normal contours can return. This procedure is most commonly used on the front and back of the thighs where cellulite is most visible. “Until now, cellulite was basically untreatable,” says Dr. Skalicky. “Now, with Cellulaze, women have an answer to smoothing out areas that are dimpled from cellulite.”
Perhaps the most difficult part of the process of body contouring procedures is navigating through the vast array of devices on the market, with new ones appearing monthly, all claiming to be the best at what they do. With so many differing treatment options being advertised in the media for fat reduction, how does a patient know which procedure is right for them? Dr. Skalicky sums up this problem in one word: education. He explains that body contouring procedures fall into three categories: noninvasive (Liposonix, CoolSculpting, etc.); minimally invasive (Smart Lipo Triplex); and anesthesia/hospital based (full tumescent liposuction).
“The most important thing for a patient to decide is what level result they will be happy with,” he says. “Too often, patients select the easy, noninvasive technique but want the minimally invasive or invasive result. It is extremely important for a patient to understand the expected result of a procedure without being ‘overpromised’ a result because the practitioner only has one device. I’m happy that I can offer all options to a patient so I am unaffected by biases based on economic gain.”
With the new Smart Lipo Triplex technology, maybe unwanted fat can finally be made to magically disappear and make beautiful body contours more than just an illusion.
Dr. Skalicky’s Rinklefree Center is based in Newtown, with other locations opening soon. Consultations can be made by calling the center at 215-702-8600. Procedures are performed daily, including Saturdays.
