Within-Subject Comparison of Adipose Tissue Viability Following Liposuction

September 9, 2026 updated by: Apyx Medical

A Prospective Within-Subject Comparison of Adipose Tissue Viability and Cellular Characteristics Following Ultrasound- and Power-Assisted Liposuction and Aspiration Modalities

This study will evaluate and compare the quality of adipose (fat) tissue harvested using different liposuction technologies and aspiration methods. Each participant will serve as their own control, with paired fat samples collected from anatomically matched treatment areas. The study will evaluate adipocyte viability and other characteristics of the harvested tissue, including viable adipocyte density, stromal vascular fraction, metabolic activity, and fat composition. The goal of the study is to better understand how different liposuction technologies and aspiration methods affect the quality and characteristics of harvested adipose tissue.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study will compare the quality of fat tissue collected using different liposuction technologies and aspiration methods. Participants will have paired samples of fat tissue collected from similar areas of the body during their planned liposuction procedure. Each participant will serve as their own comparison.

The study will evaluate the viability and characteristics of the collected fat tissue, including the number of viable fat cells, the types and number of cells present in the tissue, metabolic activity, and the composition of the collected tissue. The study will compare these characteristics between the different liposuction technologies and aspiration methods.

The goal of this study is to better understand how different liposuction technologies and aspiration methods affect the quality and characteristics of harvested fat tissue. Participants are not expected to receive any direct clinical benefit from participating in the study beyond that associated with their planned liposuction procedure.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

30

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Ohio
      • Concord, Ohio, United States, 44077
        • Recruiting
        • Mentor Plastic Surgery
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Paul Vanek, MD
    • Washington
      • Olympia, Washington, United States, 98506
        • Recruiting
        • Pearl Plastic Surgery
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Chris Nichols, MD
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Dan Albershardt, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Owen Johnson, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male or female aged 30 to 65 years, inclusive.
  • Planned elective liposuction/body contouring procedure involving two or more anatomical areas (e.g., arms, abdomen, flanks, thighs, and/or back) with sufficient distribution to permit collection of paired adipose tissue samples from contralateral or anatomically matched treatment areas.
  • Investigator determines the subject is an appropriate candidate for the planned procedure and study participation.
  • Adequate adipose tissue is present to permit collection of required paired fat samples without impacting the planned surgical outcome.
  • Able to understand and sign the informed consent form.
  • Willing and able to comply with study requirements.
  • If applicable, female subjects of childbearing potential must have a negative urine pregnancy test on the day of procedure.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior liposuction or surgical intervention in the planned treatment areas that, in the opinion of the investigator, may affect adipose tissue characteristics or study assessments.
  • Prior treatment of the planned treatment areas with energy-based devices (e.g., ultrasound, radiofrequency, laser) that, in the opinion of the investigator, may affect adipose tissue characteristics or study assessments.
  • Significant skin laxity, fibrosis, scarring, or other abnormal tissue characteristics in the planned treatment areas that could impact fat harvest quality or comparability between sites.
  • Current smoker or use of nicotine-containing products within 4 weeks prior to the procedure.

  • Known metabolic or systemic conditions that may affect adipose tissue biology or wound healing, including but not limited to:

    • uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
    • significant vascular disease
    • connective tissue disorders

  • Use of medications known to significantly affect fat metabolism, tissue healing, or inflammatory response, including:

    • chronic systemic corticosteroids
    • immunosuppressive therapies
    • GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide, tirzepatide) within 4 weeks prior to the procedure
  • Active local or systemic infection at the time of the procedure.
  • Known coagulopathy or use of anticoagulant therapy that cannot be safely discontinued prior to surgery.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding subjects.
  • Body mass index (BMI) outside the range of 20-35 kg/m², inclusive.
  • Inadequate adipose tissue volume or distribution to permit paired sample collection from contralateral or anatomically matched areas.
  • Participation in another interventional clinical study that, in the opinion of the investigator, could interfere with study endpoints.
  • Any condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would make the subject unsuitable for participation or could confound study results.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction Comparison
AYON ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL) is compared with VASER ultrasound-assisted liposuction using paired adipose tissue samples collected from anatomically matched treatment areas. The primary outcome is the paired difference in adipocyte viability, with additional evaluation of adipose tissue characteristics.
Device: AYON Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction System
Ultrasound-assisted liposuction using the AYON UAL system. In this arm, AYON UAL is compared with VASER ultrasound-assisted liposuction using paired adipose tissue samples collected from anatomically matched treatment areas. Study-specific UAL settings and treatment parameters are defined by the protocol.
Other Names:
  • AYON UAL System
  • AYON
Device: VASER Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction System
Ultrasound-assisted liposuction using the VASER system. In this arm, VASER is compared with AYON ultrasound-assisted liposuction using paired adipose tissue samples collected from anatomically matched treatment areas. Study-specific UAL settings and treatment parameters are defined by the protocol.
Other Names:
  • VASER
Active Comparator: Aspiration Modality Comparison
AYON power-assisted liposuction (PL) using a peristaltic pump is compared with vacuum aspiration using paired adipose tissue samples collected from anatomically matched treatment areas. The primary outcome is the paired difference in adipocyte viability, with additional exploratory evaluation of adipose tissue characteristics.
Device: AYON Power-Assisted Liposuction System
Power-assisted liposuction using the AYON PL system with a peristaltic pump. In this arm, the peristaltic pump aspiration modality is compared with vacuum aspiration using paired adipose tissue samples collected from anatomically matched treatment areas.
Other Names:
  • AYON PL
  • AYON PL System
Device: Vacuum Aspiration
Vacuum aspiration used for adipose tissue harvest in the power-assisted liposuction comparison. In this arm, vacuum aspiration is compared with AYON power-assisted liposuction using a peristaltic pump through paired adipose tissue samples collected from anatomically matched treatment areas.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Paired Difference in Adipocyte Viability Between AYON and VASER
Time Frame: Day 1
Adipocyte viability (%) will be assessed using membrane integrity (live/dead) analysis by Trypan Blue exclusion. The primary analysis will evaluate the paired difference in adipocyte viability between AYON ultrasound-assisted liposuction and VASER across paired adipose tissue samples.
Day 1
Paired Difference in Adipocyte Viability Between Vacuum and Peristaltic Pump Aspiration
Time Frame: Day 1
Adipocyte viability (%) will be assessed using membrane integrity (live/dead) analysis by Trypan Blue exclusion. The primary analysis will evaluate the paired difference in adipocyte viability between vacuum and peristaltic pump aspiration across paired adipose tissue samples in the power-assisted liposuction arm.
Day 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Viable adipocyte density (cells/mL)
Time Frame: Day 1
Determined by adipocyte counting combined with membrane integrity (live-dead) assessment using Trypan Blue exclusion
Day 1
Fat composition analysis
Time Frame: Day 1
Quantification of oil, fluid, and viable adipose fractions, as well as free oil fraction
Day 1
SVF yield (cells/g fat)
Time Frame: Day 1
Determined by enzymatic digestion (e.g., collagenase) of a measured mass of processed adipose tissue, recovery of the stromal vascular fraction pellet by centrifugation, and viable total nucleated cell (TNC) counting
Day 1
Metabolic activity
Time Frame: Day 1
Resazurin/Alamar Blue assay results
Day 1
Aspiration rate (mL/min) (Arm 2 only)
Time Frame: Day 1
Calculated as total aspirate volume divided by active aspiration time
Day 1
Intraoperative adverse events
Time Frame: Day 1
Adverse events occurring during collection of paired adipose tissue samples
Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Apyx Medical

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Paul Vanek, MD, Mentor Plastic Surgery

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

August 6, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 15, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 15, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 9, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • APX-AY-26-02

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared with other researchers. Study results will be reported in aggregate.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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