Synergistic effect of radiofrequency and vacuum for body contouring: a retrospective study with 40 patients.

Body contouring procedures are defined as modification of the body's appearance through changes in size or shape. RF energy applied to a specific skin layer leads to either dermal remodeling or fat reduction. The multi-polar RF handpiece was used once a week for a treatment course of 3-8 sessions. The clinical evaluation of 40 patients showed no significant adverse and some degree of circumferential reduction with moderate positive correlation to BMI in 100% of patients. The blinded evaluation demonstrated a 35% improvement in "skin laxity grade" with an average rate of "moderate improvement." The in-vivo histopathological analysis showed no acute heat injury as well as power-related progressive increase of fibroblasts proliferation and neocollagenesis. The device represents an effective treatment for skin laxity with a 100% response rate and long-term safety profile.