Can Zerona Laser Treatments Be Done If I Have An Umbilical Hernia?

Q:  I am going to undergo Zerona body contouring treatments. I wanted to check with you first to make sure it is safe to do Zerona treatments with my inguinal hernia that protudes over my belly button area. I know the hernia is made up of fat, and I want to know if I should cover it with something to keep the Zerona from affecting it. Thanks so much for the help.

A: Zerona is a body contouring device that uses cold laser technology. This a low frequency low power laser light that should not be thought in the conventional laser sense. It is not a focused high energy beam which would normally burn anything in its path including skin and eventually fat. Rather it works by a different light principle known as a photochemical effect which will not injure or burn any tissues. This photochemical effect makes fat cells temporarily leaky by opening up channels or pores on the cell walls. This is not harmful to the fat cell per se, it just makes it lose some of its lipid volume. Thus, it is perfectly safe even if it would coincidentally be directed onto an abdominal area in which a hernia would be present. It would also be unlikely that the penetration of the Zerona energy would pass more than 5 cms below the skin, which is too superficial for many hernia locations.  

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana