CoolSculpting^™ – Not the Same Everywhere

Early in 2014 I became aware of a new technology that can achieve the long-sought goal of reducing unsatisfactory body contours caused by fat under the skin without an invasive operation. Technically called “cryolipolysis,” literally cold fat destruction, CoolSculpting^™ from our St. Peters plastic surgery practice is able, in appropriately selected patients, to make a real reduction in those fat deposits while leaving the overlying skin intact and healthy.

This technology is technically non-invasive because it does not require anesthesia or an incision. That means that it may be available in a variety of locations, often without a plastic surgeon in attendance. As we have used the technology for several months it has become a regular part of our repertoire for body contouring, but not the only tool.  Here I would like to point out that our patients benefit from evaluation, which takes into consideration not just CoolSculpting^™ therapy but all the other options for optimal body contouring as well. That means that if someone comes in seeking body contouring but has physical characteristics (lax skin, fat in the wrong location) that do not lend themselves to treatment with CoolSculpting^™ therapy, we still have other treatments to offer to help achieve improvement in appearance.

It can be easy to be tempted to use the cold therapy for fat reduction on almost anyone, but it really does work better on patients with the fat in the right locations and with good skin elasticity. I would suggest that not only does the patient get a broader evaluation of the appropriateness of their candidacy for CoolSculpting^™ therapy in a plastic surgery office, but they also receive the important information about when it might not produce good results for them.

As my mentor said many times, “if you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”

At Copeland Cosmetic Surgery, we have a lot of tools.

For more information about CoolSculpting^™, or if you wish to schedule a consultation, please contact us today.