University Health System Blog

Dr. Shawn Tsuda answers the question: “Is the new way of using ultrasound to blast fat without surgery looking promising?”

Methods of reducing areas of fat in the body without the use of incisions, but instead with ultrasonic energy through the skin, holds promise as a cosmetic procedure for patients concerned with “probem areas” on their body.

This procedure, now starting to see use in the U.S., is akin to liposuction, but minus the incisions. Doctors are quick to note that this is not a weight-loss procedure, but purely a cosmetic one.

It’s important for patients to recognize when obesity is better served by methods of weight reduction rathar than targeted fat reduction, for which liposuction or ultrasonic methods may be useful.

Occasionally, obesity can be accompanied by serious health problems—morbid obesity—that has more to do with extra fat on conspicuous areas on your body.

Your physician can identify the relationship between your height and body surface area known as the body mass index, or BMI, which tells doctors whether you are overweight, obese, or severely obese.

In some cases, lifestyle changes and a tailored diet and activity plan may be warranted to help reduce your risks for heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and numerous other obesity-related health problems.

In cases of severe obesity, surgical management options such as laparoscopic gastric bypass or gastric banding may be the best option for weight reduction.

Shawn Tsuda, M.D. is vice chief for bariatric surgery at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dr. Tsuda completed his fellowship training in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery at Harvard Medical School. He is board certified in general surgery.

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