Apyx Medical has reported preliminary findings from a seven-patient prospective study of its Renuvion helium plasma radiofrequency technology in human tissue. The results offer insight into possible tissue remodelling but cannot establish long-term aesthetic efficacy.
The study, published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery–Global Open, examined patients undergoing lower facelift surgery. Researchers assessed treated and untreated tissue samples, with six participants completing the 180-day follow-up.
According to Apyx’s September announcement, treated tissue showed a 30% increase in elastin fibre density and a 55% increase in elastin staining intensity compared with control tissue. The company also reported lower inflammatory staining. These are histological measurements, not direct proof that the procedure produces superior or durable cosmetic results.
The study’s small sample and non-randomised design substantially limit interpretation. Treatment was performed in the context of facelift surgery, making it especially important not to extrapolate the findings to all procedures or patient populations.
The research nevertheless addresses a clinically relevant question: whether energy-based subdermal treatments are associated with measurable changes in the extracellular matrix. Larger, controlled and independently replicated studies will be needed to clarify the relationship between these tissue findings and patient outcomes.
