Dr. Clemons Prefers Z Wave for Erectile Dysfunction, Post-Cryolipolysis, and Other Non-Invasive Treatments
– A to Z News Video + Bonus Interview with Dr. Donald Clemons of Renovus Medical Spa
“I’ve been using [Z Wave] now for about four years and I absolutely love it. Now there are other shockwave machines out there. The beauty of this one is that it’s relatively pain-free… The other shockwave machines do create a lot more discomfort.”
Read the Q&A and then scroll below for the video featuring Dr. Donald Clemons
May 1, 2023
Scroll down for video.
Board-certified Dermatologist, Dr. Donald Clemons, speaks to A to Z News about several applications he’s found for the Z Wave device by Zimmer MedizinSystems. He has a reputation as a medical innovator and has aided in making it possible for multiple medical devices to obtain FDA clearance. So, he is selective with his choices in medical devices for Renovus Medical Spa, one of the leading MedSpas in Tennessee. In the below video, Dr. Clemons discusses how pleased he is with the ease of use and treatment results obtained with Z Wave.
Z Wave is a device that delivers high energy radial sound waves to the body’s tissue around the treatment area. The body responds to these pulses with increased metabolic activity through lymphatic drainage and blood circulation. For Dr. Clemons, this increased metabolic activity has brought excellent results for his patients, delivering both physical and aesthetic benefits.
Z Wave by Zimmer MedizinSystems is FDA-cleared to improve the appearance of cellulite and to increase blood circulation in the treatment area. Practitioners find that improving blood circulation can be successfully used to treat or manage Erectile Dysfunction (ED). After first investing in the Z Wave to treat ED and to use in conjunction with Cryolipolysis™ (Coolsculpting™), Dr. Clemons says he discovered that it also works well in cases with problematic fibrotic scar tissue. He recommends Z Wave as an outstanding choice for clinics offering these treatments.
Shockwave therapy systems are increasingly used for ED, but Dr. Clemons feels that the Z Wave stands out as superior. He notes that the benefits of using Z Wave to treat ED are threefold:
- The powerful sound waves help to break up plaque buildup in the vessels.
- The Z Wave encourages neovascularization (vascular regrowth).
- Z Wave is relatively pain-free and doesn’t even require topical numbing cream.
In a follow-up interview with A to Z News (below), he expands. “Probably 90% of patients with Erectile Dysfunction are going to have plaque in the vessels as a major contributing factor to their Erectile Dysfunction. So, we know that we are probably breaking apart some of that and allowing better blood flow into the penis… We know we are getting new blood vessels and new nerves moving into the area.”
He also points out that Z Wave’s SoftShot comfort sets the device apart from other shockwave therapy devices. He says, “If you take the courses on treating ED, they’ll talk about having to use topical numbing. So we did, we started using topical numbing cream with this and realized we didn’t need it for this machine.”
Relative comfort and patient compliance are important factors in treatment success. Dr. Clemons acknowledges that patients are usually worried about discomfort when coming in for their first ED treatment, but that they relax very quickly. Since treatment for Erectile Dysfunction requires more than one visit, it’s important that the patient returns to complete all treatments. In our discussion, Dr. Clemons mentions, “If the Z Wave were as painful as some of the other devices which would require topical numbing, [patients would] be less inclined to do more treatments or come back for follow up treatments… Zimmer is not an uncomfortable procedure.” He notes that the treatment presents “no problems with getting them to continue the full course of treatment that we recommend.” Having a device that helps to encourage (rather than deter) future visits is key.
The issue of comfort also plays a part in Coolsculpting procedures. Dr. Clemons’ Renovus Medical Spa has been practicing Coolsculpting for about ten years. In fact, they were one of the first offices in the region to offer the procedure. Initially, the staff practiced manual massage to break up the frozen fat cells at the end of treatment. He recalls, “We were doing what we were supposed to do: break apart the frozen fat with massaging. That was a problem for the staff and the patients because it hurt.” Dr. Clemons explains that manipulating tissue with Z Wave shockwave therapy instead of manual massage results in more effective treatments. The machine remains steady, treating with consistency every time, and gets the job done without causing discomfort. Clinical studies back these findings. One study found that using Z Wave after Coolsculpting resulted in twice the rate of fat reduction compared to manual massage. (Prime North America; Cryolipolysis and Radial Pulse Therapy; Jeffrey A. Hunt, D.O., R.V.S.) Similar results are documented in a case study by Jen Wasilenchuk, Body Contouring Technician and Study Coordinator at Arbutus Laser Center. Dr. Clemons says that adding shockwave therapy after a Coolsculpting treatment makes it easier for everyone involved. The staff love it because they don’t need to be aggressive, saving their hands and providing much more comfort to the patient.
Regarding other applications, Dr. Clemons has also successfully used the Z Wave to loosen fibrotic scarring to achieve facial reconstruction. He recounts a case where a patient had nasty facial scarring from a former surgical procedure. “I wanted to put some Bellafill™ in… to lift it out, but it was so fibrotic, so thick, that I couldn’t really get any movement. So I used my Zimmer [Z Wave] and did a number of treatments on her.” He noted that this protocol softened the scar tissue enough for him to inject the Bellafill and successfully reconstruct her face.
In another case, he recalls that he had used a significant amount of Bellafill because there was serious scarring, and the area developed thickening. Dr. Clemons used the Z Wave to treat some developing hypertrophic tissue, and successfully softened it.
These powerful results are made possible thanks to the Z Wave’s SoftShot technology. Zimmer MedizinSystems’s electromagnetic technology uses a projectile that is 5 times greater in mass than pneumatic systems. While delivering equal force, the Z Wave uses 5 times less acceleration, resulting in a softer pulse on the skin.
In terms of ease of use, Dr. Clemons adds that he appreciates how portable the Z Wave machine is. He mentions the added benefit that the unit is lightweight and can be moved around from room to room.
Dr. Donald Clemons provided this video and comments about Zimmer MedizinSystems’ Z Wave without receiving compensation of any kind.
A to Z News Interview with Dr. Donald Clemons of Renovus Medical Spa
A to Z News: In the video, you say that other shockwave machines create discomfort, and you had to use numbing for the patients, whereas the Zimmer MedizinSystems Z Wave doesn’t cause pain. That’s great for the patients! Do you find that the more pleasant experience with Z Wave makes patients more likely to comply with treatments and return for more?
DC: Because Z Wave is not at all painful, the patient has no problems on their return. They’re usually a bit concerned with their first treatment because they think it will hurt, but they very quickly relax. And once the patient relaxes it makes it much easier for us to go ahead and treat them.
A to Z News: In Erectile Dysfunction (ED) treatment, how do men typically react to the sensation of Z Wave treatment?
DC: With the penis being very sensitive, if the Z Wave were as painful as some of the other devices which would require topical numbing, they’d be less inclined to do more treatments or come back for follow-up treatments. So, we find that the Zimmer [Z Wave] is not an uncomfortable procedure, and that there are no problems with getting them to continue the full course of treatment that we recommend.
A to Z News: What has been your experience as a practitioner holding the device during treatment? Any difference in ergonomics, hand stress, or other benefits of the Z Wave device’s mechanism over standard air compressor systems?
DC: As far as holding the device, it’s not been a problem at all. It really fits in the hand very comfortably. I have my aesthetician do many – if not most of the treatments – and she has a much smaller hand. She’s had no problems at all using the handpiece for the treatment. So it’s very easy to maneuver around in the areas that we need to treat during the treatment for Erectile Dysfunction, and it doesn’t create a problem.
A to Z News: In treating ED, it sounds like you’re focused on breaking up the plaque from scar tissue, and then neovascularization. What kind of results have you seen for both goals?
DC: When we treat Erectile Dysfunction with Z Wave we know that we are getting new blood vessels and new nerves moving into the area. This is one of the effects of shockwave therapy. We also think that there might be breaking down some of the plaque because probably 90% of patients with Erectile Dysfunction are going to have plaque in the vessels as a major contributing factor to their Erectile Dysfunction. So, we know that we are probably breaking apart some of that and allowing better blood flow into the penis. We see that therapeutically we are getting a better blood supply. So, neovascularization is important, but the nerve improvement in the area is also very important. Because that does allow the blood vessels to dilate better – as better nerve supply – because we do lose some of that in patients with Erectile Dysfunction. And it’s probably also a contributing factor in patients with diabetes, so any improvement in blood supply and nerve supply in the penis on a diabetic patient is absolutely vital.
A to Z News: You mentioned that you have been doing CoolSculpting (Cryolipolysis) for about ten years. You also said that four years ago, when you began integrating the Z Wave device into the treatment to replace manual massage, it became more comfortable for both patient and your staff. Can you talk more about how Z Wave helps improve fat reduction results?
DC: Using our Z Wave machine with our Cryolipolysis patients has been very effective. We used to have to manually massage the frozen areas, and speaking from experience, it was a very uncomfortable procedure. And because it was so uncomfortable, we would find that very often, our aesthetician wouldn’t massage as deep or as hard as she maybe should have because of the discomfort expressed by the patient. Z Wave takes that out of the equation because they are able to use the machine and set it at the level they want, and everyone gets the same uniform treatment. Studies have shown by using a Zimmer [MedizinSystems] type machine on these patients, you probably improve by 20-25% on the fat destruction. It’s important to have the device there and ready because you’d like to use the machine while the fat is still frozen or semi-frozen. So having it available as soon as you take the Cryolipolysis machine off of the patient – you then do your Z Wave treatment on the frozen or semi-frozen tissue, and it’s just a smooth transition.
About Dr. Donald Clemons & Renovus Medical Spa
Renovus Medical Spa was founded in 2011 by Dr. Donald Clemons, board-certified Dermatologist, and Kathy Beard-Adkins, LME. Renovus has become one of the leading MedSpas in the state of Tennessee, and Dr. Clemons and Kathy Beard-Adkins are trusted for their expertise in aesthetic procedures. Dr. Clemons has lectured and taught across the country and internationally. Before opening Renovus Medical Spa, Dr. Clemons was an OB-GYN and spent 20 years in the US Army Medical Corps.
After shuttering his traditional dermatology office, he dedicated himself to cosmetic dermatology, and finds it incredibly rewarding. Clients come to Renovus Medical Spa for many different services, such as, hair restoration, chemical peels, fat reduction, body contouring, injectables, and laser hair removal. The practice also has its own line of Renovus skincare products, which are formulated for healthy and beautiful skin.
To learn more about the services and products offered by Tennessee’s premiere MedSpa, visit renovusbeauty.com.
About Z Wave by Zimmer MedizinSystems
The Z Wave by Zimmer MedizinSystems transmits powerful sound waves into the tissue. The energy then spreads out radially to enhance the treatment effect (Radial Pulse Therapy). The body responds to these sound waves with increased metabolic activity in the form of lymphatic drainage and increased blood circulation. This results in a reduction of the appearance of cellulite, for which Z Wave is FDA-cleared. Additionally, studies and practitioners have found that Z Wave enables improved results when used with other body contouring procedures and devices. Z Wave was shown to accelerate tattoo clearance when used in conjunction with laser tattoo removal treatments. For more information about the Z Wave, visit a web overview of the product. You may also contact Zimmer MedizinSystems any time by phone or email.
