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YOUR HEALTH: Laser sculpting the fat away

New advances in technology are making cosmetic procedures, like fat reduction, safer and less painful

ORLANDO, Fla. — A shaft of light may be the answer for weight loss for those who found no other way to shed the extra pounds.

Plastic surgeons may have found a safer and more efficient option, switching out the scalpel for a beam of light. 

31-year-old Holden Marable and his plastic surgeon decided to give it a try.

"For me, my flanks were definitely something I noticed of working out, playing golf, doing stuff like that and anything I did to isolate it never seemed to work."

Dr. Thomas Fiala introduced Holden to a new option using an Eon laser and a robotic arm to melt away fat, rather than cutting it out.

"It essentially uses some laser energy to heat the fat that's immediately underneath the skin and cause a process called apoptosis," Dr. Fiala explained.

Apoptosis refers to the natural cell death that occurs as organisms grow.

"We're just sort of speeding up that process."

That means patients can go about their lives while the science works from within.

"That's definitely why I decided to do the study because I thought 'Hey this could be a way to achieve that which, no matter how much work I put into it, has been seemingly really hard to achieve'," said Holden.

Of the more than 1.8 million cosmetic surgical procedures performed in 2018, the second most popular was liposuction with more than 240,000 surgeries.

Patients, with a BMI of 30 or lower, are turning to these options to get rid of fat that they otherwise cannot, whether it be from lifestyle or health restrictions.

"What really is novel about this machine is the robotic arm," said Dr. Fiala.

"There isn't any other body sculpting machine out there that combines a laser of this kind with a robotic arm."

While robotic units like Eon can operate on their own, it is imperative that a laser trained professional is always supervising these procedures. 

Dr. Fiala says, that although the laser is invisible, it can severely damage the naked eye and protection must be worn at all times by everyone in the room including the doctor, medical staff, and patient.

For Holden, he lost 40% fat over 13 weeks and said he felt no pain during the treatment or recovery.

"It feels like someone's kind of rolling a round brush. Pain is not even the word I would use it was just a feeling."

The Eon body contouring laser treatment is not available in Iowa or Illinois with the nearest provider in Indiana.

The robotic arm feature of the machine is vital because it sits above the skin, allowing cool air to be blasted onto the skin while in use, making the procedure much more comfortable and maintaining the skin's temperature.

After six to 12 weeks, patients will experience a 20% to 25% reduction of fat.

There is less scarring and no need extra care is needed after the procedure.

Patients also do not have to change their diet or exercise in order to receive these results. 

If this story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Jim Mertens at jim.mertens@wqad.com or Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ivanhoe.com.

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