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The Le a ding A e s thetic P ractice Resou rce ™
Photos courtesy of Robert Weiss, M.D.
FDA Approves Thermage
Body Shaping Treatments
Body contouring treatment options recently underwent a dramatic
upgrade via an expanded FDA approval. In January 2006, the Thermage
radiofrequency technology received marketing clearance from the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration for the non-invasive treatment of wrinkles
and rhytides off the face. Up until this time, Thermage’s FDA clearance
was for the non-invasive treatment of facial
wrinkles and rhytides only, and training and
education focused exclusively on the treatment of the face.
Based on this new clearance, Thermage
(Hayward, Calif.) is now training and educating clinicians on how to safely perform
Thermage treatments on various parts of the
body, including arms, thighs, abdomens and
buttocks. Additionally, the company is conBefore Tx
ducting ongoing clinical studies and establishing treatment guidelines for the safe and
efficacious use of the procedure on the body.
For instance, Thermage is currently conducting clinical studies for the treatment of arms
under an investigational device exemption
(IDE) in the U.S.
As part of the training process, Thermage
is hosting a series of global peer-to-peer educational symposia. At these global Body by
Thermage symposia panels, Thermage cliniOne month after Body by
Thermage Tx
cal researchers and users share their off-face
treatment, clinical experience with invited
physicians.
Recent symposia panels were hosted at the American Society for Laser
Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) annual meeting held in Boston, Mass.,
April 7, 2006 and at the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
(ASAPS) annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., April 22, 2006. During these
educational forums, pioneer practitioners from around the world shared
their techniques for successfully performing Thermage procedures on various parts of the body and presented individual patient case studies.
An internal survey of attendees showed that about three-fourths (76
percent) said they had treated the body with Thermage prior to the ASAPS
continued on page 4
May / June 2006
Circulation: 18,000
Pigmented Lesion Tx...................8
Fraxel Patient Survey................12
WaveLight IDAS Laser ..............14
Vectra 3D Imaging.....................16
Emerging Technologies .............20
Sybaritic Corporate Profile ........23
Alma Pixel Handpiece ...............24
Cosmeceutical Design...............46
South Beach Show Report........90
Body
Contouring
Review
..................
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Bruce Katz, M.D.
w w w. m i i n e w s . c o m
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO. 1269
LONG BEACH, CA
Photos courtesy of Tinny Ho, M.D.
continued from page 1
meeting, compared to 46 percent of attendee users at
the ASLMS meeting. Furthermore, nearly all of the
ASAPS doctors (97 percent) indicated that the number
of body procedures they perform will increase following
the meeting. Nearly 500 physicians attended the presentations at ASLMS and ASAPS. Physician attendance at these educational symposia, and the results of
the survey, suggest an avid interest in treating various
areas of the body with Thermage.
“After learning that Thermage has been used with
good effect in combination with various surgical procedures, I’m going to use Thermage more often with liposuction and other treatments,” said Ben Hugo, M.D., a
board certified plastic surgeon from Virginia Beach, Va.
who attended the ASAPS meeting in Orlando.
“Excellent presentation and discussion,” said Johnny
L. Farrow, M.D., (Manteo, N.C.) who attended the
ASLMS meeting in Boston. “I plan to contact my
Thermage representative for further education and
assistance to begin performing Thermage procedures
on the body.”
Jeffrey S. Dover, M.D., FRCPC
Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology
Department of Dermatology
Yale University School of Medicine
Boston, MA
The ASLMS panel consisted of moderator Jeffrey
S. Dover, M.D., FRCPC, clinical associate professor of
dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine in
Boston, Mass.; panelists Tinny Ho, M.D., (Hong Kong,
China); Hector Leal Silva, M.D., (Monterrey, Mexico);
Virginia Stevens, M.D., (Seattle, Wash.) and Robert
Weiss, M.D., associate professor of dermatology at
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in
Maryland.
According to Dr. Dover — moderator of the ASLMS
panel — Thermage treatment on the body (branded
Body by Thermage by the company) is a “good value
proposition because it is a non-surgical modality.
There’s high demand from patients for non-invasive
procedures.” Dr. Dover also added, “These patients are
looking for alternatives to tighten loose skin on various
areas of their bodies without undergoing surgery.”
Dr. Ho mostly treats the abdomen area and finds
that concentrating on the central area of the abdomen
is most effective. “Thermage works well on flabby
stomachs, stomachs with some sagging skin and stomachs with wrinkled or empty skin. I treat until I see a
difference in skin tightening.” One of the patients she
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Aesthetic Buyers Guide May/June 2006 www.miinews.com
Before Tx
Immediately after Body by
Thermage Tx
treated in this manner is a 44 year old female who had
two previous pregnancies and whose waistline was 29
inches before the treatment. Immediately after the
treatment, her waistline measured 28.5”, and further
tightening occurred two months after the treatment.
Dr. Ho added, “Whereas those patients with thin
wrinkly skin would probably not yield as much immediate results.”
Dr. Weiss mostly uses Thermage procedures on
arms and legs, as well as on post-liposuction patients.
He performs these procedures using the 3.0 cm2 TC
ThermaTipTM, which allows for treatment of larger
areas. “Thermage works well for people with good skin
tone, no major weight fluctuations and those who exercise regularly. It is always good to treat with the grid,
so you don’t lose track of the treatment area,” he said.
One of the case studies presented by Dr. Weiss involved
treating the inner thighs and knees of a 50 year old
female. The patient had good skin tone and there were
visible results with less wrinkling in the knees one
month post treatment.
“Education increases the patient’s comfort level
and allows for realistic expectations. I tell patients
that Thermage can tighten and brighten skin
appearance, but it is not a replacement for surgery.”
- Ava Shamban, M.D.
Ava Shamban, M.D., owner of the Laser Institute
for Dermatology and European Skin Care in Santa
Monica, Calif., shared her technique for successfully
treating the abdomen, legs and buttocks in addition to
her work on the face. She treats patients who want a
tighter look, without needing to address discoloration
issues. When treating patients, she looks for the presence of loose skin and notes that thinner skin will see
a slightly better result. In her experience with the
Thermage procedure, Dr. Shamban has found that
educating patients prior to the treatment has many
benefits. “Education increases the patient’s comfort
level and allows for realistic expectations. I tell
Heidi Williams, M.D.
Plastic Surgeon
Charleston, SC
Photos courtesy of Charles
Hughes, III, M.D., F.A.C.S.
The Thermage ASAPS panel discussion was moderated by James R. Koch, M.D., a cosmetic plastic surgeon in Palo Alto, Calif., and panelists included plastic
surgeons: Dennis Hammond, M.D., from Grand Rapids,
Mich.; Charles Hughes III, M.D., F.A.C.S., from
Indianapolis, Ind.; Ivor Lim, M.D., from Singapore and
Heidi Williams, M.D., from Charleston, S.C.
Dr. Williams, who has been using Thermage on the
face since 2004, is now successfully performing these
procedures on other areas of the body. To date, she has
seen improvement in skin texture and contouring on
most of her patients treated with Thermage. She often
cautions her patients that the treatment “is not a
tummy tuck, is not liposuction and is not a weight
reduction program.”
Before Tx
One month after Body by
Thermage Tx
On the other hand, Dr. Hughes uses Thermage in
conjunction with lipoplasty, abdominoplasty and brachioplasty. He believes that the tissue tightening and
contouring technology of Thermage readily lends
itself as an able adjunct to body sculpting procedures. “Thermage can be used in the operating room,
or even many months post-operatively to improve
Photos courtesy of
Dennis Hammond, M.D.
patients that Thermage can tighten and brighten skin
appearance, but it is not a replacement for surgery.”
According to Dr. Shamban, typical body results are a
tightening of one to three centimeters.
Dr. Leal Silva focuses on the legs and abdomen. “I
select patients of both genders who are optimum
weight, that is, no more than ten percent overweight,”
he said. “I look for mild to moderate skin laxity, with
cellulite at a one to two grade.” Dr. Leal Silva presented a case study of a 54 year old female with laxity in
the leg area and the abdomen. He treated both regions
with the Thermage procedure and saw immediate visible results.
As an internal medicine/emergency medicine
physician who has used Thermage on the abdomen, Dr.
Stevens, with Hypatia Aesthetic and Laser Treatment
Clinic in Seattle, Wash., prefers to treat patients with
less laxity. “Thermage procedures can be good for
stretch marks because the tightening makes them less
apparent,” she said.
Before Tx
Two months after Body by
Thermage Tx
surgical results,” he said. One of the case studies Dr.
Hughes presented involved the use of Thermage in
conjunction with lipoplasty, abdominoplasty and
upper arm liposuction.
Clinicians are now performing Body by Thermage
procedures in the U.S. and abroad. Interest has been so
strong that some physicians have expressed a need for
additional resources to help them develop effective
marketing campaigns to reach a broader base of potential patients. As part of the company’s continued commitment to partner with physicians and drive practice
and procedure interest, Thermage has introduced an
online, practice marketing tool that allows Thermage
users to effectively reach existing and new patients,
expanding their practices and leveraging their marketing dollars. This sophisticated online marketing
resource is called Thermage PatientBuilder.com
(www.thermage.com/patientbuilder).
Thermage PatientBuilder.com is a dynamic, realtime system filled with marketing materials and
advertising campaigns. It utilizes an easy point and
click technology that practitioners can use to develop
customized marketing material and also media campaigns to fit their practice needs. These materials are
based on extensive consumer research and include
information about advertising, media placement and
media analysis. Dr. Stevens has used the system and
calls it “a powerful marketing tool that allows me to
maximize my marketing spend.”
Thermage plans to continue to offer clinicians education and training on Body by Thermage procedures.
The company will host two additional international
symposia later this year and will continue to host educational forums, webinars and workshops that support
physicians interested in offering this unique body
n
shaping procedure to their patients.
Aesthetic Buyers Guide May/June 2006 www.miinews.com
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