Southwest Plastic Surgery has added QuantumRF, a radiofrequency skin-tightening device from InMode, to the operating room. It joins BodyTite and Renuvion J-Plasma, which Dr. Frank Agullo has used for years. Here, in his words, is why a practice that already had three skin-tightening devices wanted a fourth.

The Problem Liposuction Leaves Behind

“Body contouring is not just about removing fat. It is about shaping and tightening the skin for better overall 360-degree contours, and even muscle enhancement.”

That is the principle behind every liposuction plan at the practice. Dr. Agullo puts the mechanics plainly:

“Overall, I always recommend skin tightening after liposuction, because liposuction itself is emptying out the tissue, but leaving the skin envelope looser than before, since the volume is not there to stretch it out. Delivering radiofrequency will create contracture, which will give us smoother results.”

Before radiofrequency, the practice had no reliable way to make the skin follow. “Before radiofrequency, the only skin tightening we would see was from some fibrosis created after liposuction or VASER treatments, but it wasn’t truly skin tightening.”

What Each Device Does

Dr. Agullo now runs four radiofrequency devices, each working at a different depth. His own description of each:

• Morpheus8 treats “the superior layers of the skin, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue.”
• BodyTite “treats the external skin and the internal fat as a bipolar radiofrequency device.”
• Renuvion J-Plasma “treats the subcutaneous tissue, the tissue below the skin, with radiofrequency and helium plasma.”
• QuantumRF “treats the deep subcutaneous tissue and skin, creating contracture using higher delivery powers in a safe fashion.”

The first three are not being retired. “So far, I have been very happy with BodyTite and Renuvion J-Plasma.” But asked which one he would keep if he could keep only one, the answer is new:

“If I had to pick just one, I would pick QuantumRF over all the other devices, mainly because it delivers more power, and does so much faster, in a safe and controlled fashion.”

“So far, we’ve seen far greater contracture with QuantumRF than with any other device.”

The full four-device comparison, with the layer each one reaches, is in Dr. Agullo’s post on agulloplasticsurgery.com.

Who It Helps

Patients whose skin has lost its fill. “With QuantumRF, we see far greater tightening of the skin, which will provide better results in many patients after weight loss and pregnancy.”

And patients having liposuction who want the smoothest possible result, which at this practice is nearly everyone having body contouring.

Who It Does Not Help

Dr. Agullo is direct about the limit. “Massive weight loss patients may not be candidates. If we see a lot of stretch marks on the skin, or large folds with loss of collagen and dermal tears, the likelihood that the skin will contract is lower, and this would require excisional plastic surgery procedures.”

Damaged skin needs to be removed, not heated. The practice’s guide to body contouring after weight loss explains when a tummy tuck or lift is the right operation instead.

What a Treatment Involves

“It is performed through a small incision, about four millimeters, the same incision we use for liposuction. The probe is inserted through the incision on a long cannula, and the radiofrequency treats the tissues under the skin.”

“More often than not, we’re performing it with liposuction, if we want to remove some excess volume in those areas.”

The effect is audible in the operating room. “As we’re delivering the energy during the surgery, we actually hear the fat and the connective tissue crackle, which translates into contraction we can visualize immediately.”

When Results Show

“About 30% of the contracture is seen right away during the procedure. Another 30% occurs in the first one to two weeks, and the final third occurs toward the two-month mark.”

Recovery

“Recovery is the same as with traditional liposuction without radiofrequency. It’s usually five days to get back to normal, easygoing activity, and as soon as two weeks to return to exercise. Lymphatic massages are still recommended, as are compression garments.”

Post-surgical lymphatic massage is available at the practice. The treatment is done in one outpatient session, under IV sedation or general anesthesia, and “it can be repeated in future procedures if further skin tightening is wanted.”

Pricing

As of this writing, Dr. Agullo prices radiofrequency skin tightening by body area, and the figure is the same whichever device is used: large areas such as the abdomen or back start at $2,000, intermediate areas such as the arms, thighs or lateral chest start at $1,500, and small areas such as the mons or axilla start at $1,000. It is added to the liposuction fee when both are done, or stands alone when only the skin is treated. Current figures are on the fees page, and the lipo and tummy tuck cost guide covers the rest. An exact quote can only be provided after a consultation.

Why Choose Dr. Agullo

Double board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery. Mayo Clinic plastic surgery fellowship. Clinical Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Castle Connolly Top Doctor for 13 consecutive years. An early Renuvion J-Plasma adopter since 2019 and, according to Apyx Medical, among its ten highest-volume users worldwide. With all four devices in one office, the device is chosen for the patient’s skin, not the other way around.

Ready to Talk?

If you are planning liposuction and want to know what your skin will do afterward, book a consultation at Southwest Plastic Surgery.

Call the office at (915) 590-7900, text us at 1-866-814-0038, or book a consultation at agulloplasticsurgery.com/appointments. #StayBeautiful

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