HOUSTON – The Baylor College of Medicine says it might be able to help shrink fat on waistlines for people with specific problem areas.
Officials say Baylor is the only Houston hospital offering the non-invasive fat removal option called UltraShape. It's described as an ultrasound to "pop" fat cells.
"It uses ultrasonic waves that break up the fat cells," registered nurse Elaine Wells said.
She tried the device in order to better serve her patients, and she immediately started to lose inches around her midsection.
"I've lost 2 inches," Wells said.
"These treatments are used to target subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin), and I typically see patients wanting the treatments on their stomach, inner thighs and love handles," Dr. Ramsey Markus said.
It's no surprise that this time of year, patients crave fat loss as a side order to holiday gorging, but don't go too crazy with the calories. Wells said it still requires regular exercise, good diet and a healthy lifestyle since it isn't intended for a tremendous amount of weight loss but for sculpting and thinning of specific areas.
The professionals say studies indicate that this is a promising, pain-free process.
The procedure requires three treatments on each area, and sessions usually last less than an hour. The bigger the area, the longer it takes. All three sessions total about $3,000.