Discovering Medical Benefits From A New Cosmetic Procedure
BY KIMBERLY MOSKOWITZ, MS, MD
SMARTLIPO NON-SURGICAL NECK REDUCTION TIGHTENS NECK AND REDUCES SNORING PERMANENTLY
If you feel like your bedroom is Bedlam when the lights go out and snoring fills the room like the shrill of a freight train, there is a life-changing, non-surgical treatment on the horizon that may help restore silence and restfulness to your life. Snoring is a common problem among all ages and both genders. It affects approximately 90 million American adults — 37 million on a regular basis. It plagues men more often than women and increases with age and in people who are at least slightly overweight.
Snoring is more than just annoying, it causes sleep deprivation in snorers and those around them, which translates into poor daytime functioning, irritability, lack of focus and decreased libido. It has also been shown to contribute to hypertension, heart disease, metabolic syndrome and stroke in most population studies.1
While you sleep, the muscles of your throat relax, your tongue falls backward, and your throat becomes narrow and “floppy.” The narrower your airway becomes, the greater the vibration and the louder your snoring. Sometimes the walls of the throat collapse causing complete occlusion, creating a condition called apnea (cessation of breathing). Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a serious condition that requires medical attention. About half of the people who snore loudly have obstructive sleep apnea.
More than 300 devices are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as treatments for snoring but nightly wearing a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) mask is the current standard of care. The pressure generated by CPAP overrides the weight and bulk of the neck tissue, forcing the airway open while sleeping. CPAP is effective but compliance is problematic and most studies show the actual usage of CPAP is only approximately fifty percent as patients have difficulty wearing a tight mask throughout the night and dealing with high air pressure blown into their nose.2 Most people who are unable to tolerate the CPAP must turn to surgical treatments, which cost large sums of money and extensive downtime without guaranteed benefit. Knowing that there are so many treatments and devices for snoring, OSA is evidence that most of them don’t work very well or consistently for everybody.
Over the past 18 months, selective cases of Smartlipo laser liposuction have been performed for excess fat removal from the necks of men and women with both snoring and heavy necks. The results surprisingly show that all treated patients who snored improved dramatically following Smartlipo neck reduction. Several of the treated patients were diagnosed with OSA by a sleep study and wore nightly CPAP before their treatment. All of the patients with OSA and their spouses reported that snoring was dramatically reduced after the Smartlipo neck reduction procedure. These patients reported improvement in their sleep quality, daytime functioning, mood, and a reduction in the need for their CPAP.
It is no coincidence that striking improvements in both sleep apnea and snoring have been observed in people who lose weight. In fact, most causes of obstructive sleep apnea are related to extra weight in the neck and/or throat that compresses the airway during sleep. Because many people genetically carry a few extra pounds in their necks, the ideal first step in treating OSA should focus on weight loss. Unfortunately, it often requires a disproportionate amount of weight loss in the neck to completely eliminate snoring and obstruction.
These extra pounds or ounces can be easily and permanently removed from the neck using the Smartlipo laser in about an hour under local anesthesia. The Smartlipo Triplex™ harnesses three specific laser wavelengths that gently and safely liquefy unwanted fat and stimulate collagen to tighten and lift overlying skin. This creates a slimmer neck, softer jowls, and a contoured jawline that make the face and neck appear healthier and more youthful. The results are permanent because the liquefied cells are gently suctioned out of the area and the body never regenerates them. Downtime is minimal and most patients return to work in few days with only mild bruising and soreness that lasts less than a week . Smartlipo is also designed to tighten and contour the abdomen, arms, thighs, knees and back as well as the neck.
Smartlipo is the new cutting edge of medicine where we learn to accept and enjoy and the symbiosis between medical and cosmetic benefits. It is life-changing…that a simple one hour procedure may reduce or eliminate snoring permanently. Don’t let snoring take your breath away!
[author image=”https://www.panamacityliving.com/media/2014/03/Dr.-Mosko-Author.jpg” ]Kimberly D Moskowitz, MS, MD, Board Certified, Internal Medicine & Vein & Lymphatic disorders; Medical School: Georgetown University; Residency: Georgetown University Hospital; Fellow: American Board of Phlebology; American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery; National Society of Cosmetic physicians.
Cosmetic Vein & Laser Center
651 Grand Panama BLVD Panama City Beach, FL 32407
VISIT OUR NEW LOCATION NEAR BONEFISH GRILL ON THE BEACH
(850) 233-0264
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