Cryolipolysis: Fat Removal Without Surgery?

As cosmetic surgery has become more more sophisticated, there has been a movement toward less invasive procedures. Many of the initial attempts were marginally effective, but with time the effectiveness and specificity of these procedures has improved. Fat removal has so far not been affected by this trend. The supposed, but still unproven, advances of laser assisted liposuction still required surgery. The use of mesotherapy, which involved the injections of solutions of varying composition, proved to be problematical for treating fatty areas of significant volume, and had problems that resulted in a number of lawsuits and the bankruptcy of a chain of facilities that were formed to capitalize on the treatment. Now, an article in the most recent "Dermatologic Surgery" journal reports on the use of external cooling to reduce fat.

It has been observed that fat cells appear to be more sensitive to cold than the cells of the skin. However, as seen in frostbite and other conditions, it is certainly quite possible to seriously injure the skin through cold exposure. The authors of the study used pigs whose skin was cooled using a rectangular probe, which at times was moved in a massaging motion. The treatment sessions were 15 to 60 minutes each, and there were one to several sessions per area. The cooling device monitored the skin temperature and continuously adjusted the amount of cooling to keep the skin temperature at a safe level. After the treatment the skin felt cold but it was not hard or frozen. The skin appeared pink for about thirty minutes after the chilling was stopped, but otherwise appeared normal.

About 60 days later there were noticeable indentations where the cold had been applied. Examination of the tissue showed inflammation and reduction in the thickness of superficial fat.

It's obviously a long way from preliminary studies on pigs to the final development of a device that can safely be used on humans. Nevertheless, these initial results show promise for less invasive fat reduction . Cryolipolysis is not the only non-invasive method for fat removal that is being studied. There are also studies underway using focused sound waves to achieve a similar result.

Gerald N. Bock MD

California Skin & Laser Center

Stockton & Lodi, CA

Comments

[drlorrieklein]

I really wish there was a safe, non-invasive way for fat to be removed. After reading your aritcle, I feel a little more comfortable that the plastic surgery community is really trying to promote safe ways to help us people who are prone to fat to live a more comfortable life.

[SkinCare]

Nice blog.. source of getting extensive knowledge...

[Bacroat]

Non invasive procedures are always needed in cosmetic surgery. Hope that this one will come in practical condition on human.