Biological effects of non-ablative monopolar radiofrequency on epithelial, connective and adipose tissues

Resumen

Introduction: Non-ablative radiofrequency (RF) therapy is a non-invasive treatment that promotes vasodilation, improves local oxygenation and tissue trophism. Objective: to analyze the biological effects of the application of monopolar non-ablative RF in epithelial, connective and adipose tissues. Method: A case report of analytical, experimental and qualitative nature was carried out in which RF was applied to a specific area demarcated in the infra-umbilical and right inguinal region, before abdominoplasty with collection of the control sample (CS) and experimental sample (ES), for subsequent histological study. Results: In the tissue analysis on the epithelial, there was an increase of 2.86 μm in the ES when compared to the control, but it did not characterize an inflammatory process. In the connective tissue, a statistically significant mean difference of 1.17% and 1.89% of CS with ES, respectively, was observed, with p<0.05 for type I collagen and p<0.01 for type III collagen. Regarding the mean diameter of adipocytes, a statistically significant difference was observed in the value of p<0.05 for ES when comparing the samples. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that in the epithelial tissue, no relevant differences were observed, but in the connective tissue, an increase in type I and III collagen was observed. In the adipose tissue, a reduction in the size of the adipocyte diameter was observed with probable rupture in their interconnections, demonstrating the ability of monopolar non-ablative RF to boost the remodeling of collagen fibers and deposition of new fibers, also suggesting the hypothesis that it can induce adipocytolysis, which can contribute to the treatment of localized fat.