Santa Clara, CA: Ultrashape is facing a consumer fraud class action lawsuit brought by a plastic surgeon who alleges the Ultrashape Power System fails to perform as advertised.
According to the suit, Ultrashape: claims the device “uses pulsed, highly focused ultrasound energy to target and permanently destroy unwanted fat cells.” Further, the claims are that patients “would ‘lose two dress sizes in just three treatments’ and that ‘clinical studies showed an average 3.3-6.3 cm reduction.’”
The suit cites the UltraShape website, which promotes the system as being the only non-invasive “body sculpting” treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to target fat cells. The company lists the product as a “comfortable,” non-surgical alternative to liposuction and other surgical techniques to reduce body fat deposits that are “resistant to diet and exercise.”
The complaint was filed by Renee Burke, who operates a private plastic surgery practice in Illinois, against Candela Corporation. Burke claims in the complaint that she has been using the system since May 2015 to treat dozens of patients. However, “the representations were not true” and the patients she treated with UltraShape “did not realize the results promised by” UltraShape.
Burke alleges she no longer uses the system, despite having a dedicated page to the product displayed on her practice website. Her office is not, however, listed on UltraShape’s website, as a practice using the device.
Burke wants to expand the class to include “numerous persons and businesses” who purchased the UltraShape system, and “did not realize the results” allegedly represented by UltraShape in its marketing campaign.
The lawsuit is seeking reimbursement of the purchase price of the UltraShape system to all plaintiffs class members, and unspecified compensatory and punitive damages to Burke and the class members.
Burke is represented by attorney Arnold H. Landis, of Chicago.
