Sponsored by Fotona
Combining both 1064 nm Nd:YAG and 2940 Er:YAG lasers, the SP Dynamis by Fotona (Ljubljana, Slovenia and Dallas, Texas, U.S.), reduces fat and tightens skin anywhere on the body. The TightSculpting® procedure achieves adipolysis and collagen remodeling through the deep heating from super-long Nd:YAG pulses and controlled surface heating using Er:YAG pulses.
“SP Dynamis is a modern laser system with two wavelengths and many functions, ranging from skin and vaginal rejuvenation, to fat reduction and treatment of vascular anomalies,” said Pham Huu Nghi, M.D., Ph.D., a plastic surgeon based in Hanoi, Vietnam, who has been using the SP Dynamis since December 2015.
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“The fat reduction function of the SP Dynamis is similar to that of some other energy-based devices that produce hyperthermia of adipocytes, but without consumable materials, which lowers treatment costs,” Dr. Nghi explained.
Through experience, Dr. Nghi learned that he could apply TightSculpting to any localized subcutaneous adiposities regardless of fat thickness. His patients typically want to treat submental fat, abdominal fat and fat in the thighs or biceps.
Before treatment, Dr. Nghi thoroughly counsels patients about the procedure’s mechanism and protocol, as well as pros and cons. Because TightSculpting works through adipolysis, “it provides gradual fat reduction. These facts have to be properly communicated to patients.”
Marking larger treatment zones requires dividing them into multiple smaller zones – nine zones for the abdomen, for instance.
For the first TightSculpting step, Dr. Nghi uses the 1064 nm laser in Fotona PIANO® pulse mode, with continuous motion for even heating.
With pulses measured in seconds, Fotona PIANO mode provides full-thickness bulk heating quickly, safely and comfortably. Concentrating energy delivery subcutaneously stimulates the metabolism of fat cells while leaving the epidermis intact, he added. Dr. Nghi typically uses 1.5 second pulses at 1.2 W/cm2, delivered by Fotona’s L-Runner scanning handpiece, which can cover up to a 64 cm2 exposure area.
The L-Runner’s MatrixView monitor allows for precise temperature control. For the abdomen and thighs, Dr. Nghi uses a maximum temperature of 40° C, with four to five minutes of exposure time per zone. The maximum temperature for other zones is 38° C, with exposure times of three to five minutes each. Surface air cooling helps keep patients comfortable.
The procedure’s second step involves applying the 2940 nm laser with the Fotona SMOOTH® mode. Here, Dr. Nghi uses Fotona’s R11 handpiece with a 7 mm spot, operating at 2 J/cm2 and 3.3 Hz.
Immediately after treatment he massages the treated areas for 20 minutes with a vacuum therapy device to improve lymphatic drainage. Additionally, patients ride a stationary bicycle for 20 minutes to help metabolize the fatty acids that TightSculpting releases.
For the first month post-procedure, patients wear compression garments over the treated areas for 12 hours daily, then for six hours daily the second month. His patients receive a maximum of six treatments total, separated by three to four weeks.
Dr. Nghi has observed results that last for at least one year. In a 32-patient study that he conducted, TightSculpting resulted in reductions of up to 9 mm at the waist and up to 14 mm in the skin folds near the belly button.
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