These data suggest that low-level laser therapy can reduce overall circumference measurements of specifically treated regions.

These data reveal that the circumferential reduction exhibited following LLLT is not attributable to fluid or fat relocation as all measurement points, including nontreated regions, reported an inch loss.

Low-level laser therapy using green 532 nm diodes is safe and effective for improving the appearance of cellulite in the thighs and buttocks. In contrast with other technologies, LLLT is effective as a stand-alone procedure without requiring massage or mechanical manipulation. Future studies will assess the long-term benefits of LLLT for the treatment of cellulite.

No abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved, placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blinded parallel-grouped, multicenter trial was to determine the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in decreasing patients' postoperative pain 24 hours post breast augmentation surgery. Materials and Methods: The Erchonia EML, 630–640 nm, (Erchonia Medicial, Inc., McKinney, Texas) with 2 7-mw laser-emitting diodes was used within 10 minutes of the start of the procedure over each breast for 4 minutes at a distance of 6 inches. This was repeated within 10 minutes of completion of the procedure with the same methodology. One hundred and four (104) patients participated in the study, 50 test subjects and 54 controls. Primary investigator and patient were blinded with respect to treatment group. Results: The success criteria for this study using the standardized Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was a self-reported degree-of-pain rating of less than 30 at 24 hours after the implant procedure. At this time the patient had not taken pain medication for 4 hours. Overall study success criteria were defined as at least 30% difference between treatment groups with respect to proportion of successes. At the 24-hour time interval 37 (74%) of the test subjects and 20 (37%) of the control subjects met the success criteria, a difference of 37% (p<.0002). The amount of pain medication used over the first 7 days post operatively was measured as a covariant. The test subjects used less medication 848 versus 932 total doses (p<.01). Conclusion: Low-level laser therapy is effective at significantly decreasing postoperative pain and the amount of pain medication needed after breast augmentation at 1 day and 1 week respectfully. All other covariants studied including, implant type, implant size, incision size, implant location, test site location, amount of swelling measurements, hydration level, and adverse events were found to be neglible.

The use of frozen fat as an adjunct to fat transplantation following liposuction has been used by the author for the past 4 years with relatively good results. The background of this procedure, its evolution, and the technique for use will be described. My experience with three rather unusual patients in whom frozen fat was used to augment will be presented and the results obtained will be discussed.

This paper is the result of the organized efforts of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery's Liposuction Practices Task Force, the primary organization providing information, research and training in liposuction. The task force commissioned the world's largest professional services firm, Arthur Andersen, to conduct an independent survey of AACS membership during the summer of 1998. The survey's focus includes liposuction practitioners, their training, practice standards, and complications. Collaborative preparation,

Introduction: The purpose of this IRB approved, multicenter, partially double-blind study was to determine the effectiveness of low-level laser-assisted liposuction in decreasing the patients' degree of postoperative discomfort, reducing swelling, enhancing wound healing at surgical entry points, decreasing the use of recovery medications for pain management, facilitating fat extraction for the surgeon, enhancing the emulsification of extracted fat, and decreasing surgical time spent to obtain optimal results. Materials and Methods: The Erchonia EML, 635-nm, 14-mW dual-diode low-level laser was used to irradiate the target tissue for 12 minutes after infiltration of tumescent fluid. Results: Of the 36 test-group patients who received laser treatment, 75% met their major success criteria compared with 32% of the 34 placebo-group patients who received “fake” treatment. Success criteria were defined as at least a 30% difference between groups. Forty-three percent more of the test subjects than placebo subjects met success criteria, exceeding the target by 13%. Discussion: The Erchonia EML Laser is an effective device for assisting liposuction procedures with low-level laser therapy. It significantly enhances the ease of performing liposuction procedures; reduces the time in surgery; enhances the ease of facilitating fat extraction; enhances the emulsification of extracted fat; facilitates the recovery process; decreases the patients' degree of postoperative discomfort, decreases swelling; and decreases the use of recovery medications for pain management for patients undergoing body contouring in the areas of the thighs, hips, and stomach.