Sunday, February 21, 2010

All Hail the Body Jet! The latest in a long line of over-promising, under-delivering liposuction devices

Because I have been fielding a lot of questions about the Body Jet at my Orlando Plastic Surgery and Skin Care Center lately, I thought I would post my opinion of this "amazing new technology" (sarcasm intended).

Interestingly, the primary reason so many people are asking me about it is because of an Orlando EYE DOCTOR who advertises himself aggressively as a liposuction expert. Hmmm...

It is very interesting to me that this particular eye doctor is now touting the Body Jet as the next revolution in body contouring, because it was only a few months ago that he was still claiming Smart Lipo was the answer to all of our prayers.

I wonder if the very large number of women my colleagues and I have seen with poor outcomes caused by his so called liposuction expertise and their low opinions of him had anything to do with his jumping onto a new bandwagon... I'm not otherwise sure why someone so convinced that Smart lipo would change the world just a few months ago is now touting something else.

Regular readers will know that my favorite advice to patients is that if someone is offering to do liposuction on you, and you notice that they are spending a lot of time telling you about their fancy new machine, and use a lot of hyperbole explaining its benefits, and NO time explaining their training in plastic surgery, you should leave their office immediately.

The Body Jet (like Smart lipo before it) is a gimmicky new device being used by unscrupulous eye doctors, gynecologists, and other non-plastic surgeons to attract patients and draw media attention. 

They are largely successful in doing so because many people, and almost all of the media seem more interested in "New" than in "Safe" or "Better".

These unscrupulous  non-plastic surgeons hope to distract otherwise smart people from the fact that they did not complete residency training in plastic surgery or liposuction by making you think that the machine is more important than who is using it on you.

Beware snake oil salesmen. There are now many of them offering liposuction.

I do not know a SINGLE plastic surgeon certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery who believes in, or uses this device.

When liposuction was first described and then refined, there was a reason that saline solution was used to wet the tissues before suctioning the fat. The body is mostly saline solution, and this is more physiologic than using water. Using water is actually a knuckle-headed step back in the refinement of this procedure!

Indeed, with administration of larger volumes of water under the skin, I would be concerned that electrolyte disturbances may arise, and that sooner or later we are reading about someone dying as a result.

It is my hope that the local media will realize that the only way the overall quality of health care in any community will improve is if we insist on the highest quality possible- not on the latest gimmick. Ratings and sales should not compromise the safety of the community which the journalist or publication serves.

The bottom line remains the same though... If you or someone you know is interested in improving their body contour, please, please, PLEASE make sure to find a surgeon certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery.

This will make a great deal more difference in your safety and outcome than any of the machines being touted by your local eye doctor.


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