FDA approves machine that burns fat cells away

Source: Len Cannon , KHOU.com staff8:38 p.m. EDT August 25, 2015

HOUSTON (KHOU) -- Lindsay Neely is young and active but still fighting the battle of the bulge.

"I have a couple of stubborn areas that won't go away, even though I work out, and I have a great diet," Neely said.

Now she's trying out a new FDA-approved fat-burning machine called Vanquish.

Dr. Suneel Chilikuri, founder of Refresh Dermatology, has one of 2 Vanquish machines in the Houston area.

"It basically heats up the fat cell, heats up the water in the fat cell, it boils over, your body comes and eats it away permanently," Dr. Chilikuri explained.

Lindsay lies in a chair, while Chilakuri puts the Vanquish arm just above her stubborn love handles.

When it's turned on, the machine emits radio frequency waves that go through the skin and burn away the fat cells underneath.

"It just feels a little bit warm like the sun," Neely said. "It just feels like you are relaxing like you are laying out."

Each session lasts just 45 minutes and Chilikuri recommends four treatments.

After just one treatment, Lindsay said she lost about an inch of fat.

The results were even more impressive for a patient who had four sessions.

"This young lady, she lost 2.5 inches, didn't change her diet, and you can see that her abs are ripped up," Dr. Chilikuri said.

Paola Idrobo had a problem many mothers can relate to.

"Well, I really wanted to get the weight off my mid-section," Idrobo said. "I had two kids and once I got in my 30s, it was harder to get it off."

Dr. Chilikuri said it's an easy, safe option that gets rid of stubborn fat permanently.

"That fat is gone," he said. "It's like doing liposuction without going under the knife, without any downtime whatsoever."