Aesthetic Contouring of Calf Hypertrophy with Radiofrequency Volume Reduction

Abstract

Introduction: Asians tend to have short and thick calves. Therefore, a chubby and muscular shape of the legs is of particular concern. Many methods have been performed frequently for calf contouring. In this study, we describe our experience in percutaneous induction of coagulation necrosis with radiofrequency (RF) energy for the reduction of the volume of gastrocnemius muscles (GCMs). Materials and Methods: A total of 360 patients were enrolled in this study from 2009 to 2013. The operations were performed with the patients in a prone position under both local and intravenous anesthesia. The RF energy was delivered along each treatment line, and the total amount of energy applied to each calf was approximately 9.5 kJ to 13.3 kJ. Results: The average reduction in calf circumference was 1.7 cm (5%), and the average change of GCM thickness was 4.11 mm (20%). The difference between the reduction rates was significant (P = .002), which means the rate of reduction in GCM thickness is significantly higher than that of calf circumference reduction. Conclusions: Calf reduction using RF could be used to treat hypertrophic calf muscles with minor improvement and relatively low risk. However, the reduction rate of calf circumference was significantly lower than that of the GCM thickness. This could be explained by the fact that the improvement could be masked by leg edema associated with daily physical activities and substantial compensatory hypertrophy of the soleus muscle. This fact should be clearly communicated to the patients before RF reduction of the calf.