| "Beauty sometimes demands toughness, as many women discover, but Suzanne Thomas had never imagined she would agree to have 72 injections of a fat-burning chemical cocktail in her neck and chin." "Yet that is the treatment called lipo-dissolve that the 35-year-old teacher underwent ? twice ? several months ago to eradicate jowls and a double chin. Thomas said the discomfort was worth it because "I absolutely love my results." The procedures, which cost a total of $1,000, were performed at MedSculpt, a six-month-old center in Rockville, Md., that specializes in the controversial fat-loss technique." "Marketed as a safer and less invasive alternative to liposuction, proponents say lipo-dissolve is useful for treating small "problem areas" such as love handles, bra fat and a softening jaw line. A growing number of doctors, nurses and even spa personnel are offering the procedure known in medical circles as injection lipolysis ? and colloquially as the "flab jab."" "But critics, among them officials of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) say there is no convincing evidence that lipo-dissolve is effective ? or safe ? and they warn patients to stay away from fat-loss shots." "The procedure is similar to mesotherapy, an older treatment that involves injections of various drugs, vitamins or herbs to banish cellulite. Lipo-dissolve injections typically contain two ingredients believed to work synergistically. As with mesotherapy, the formula, which is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, is prepared by compounding pharmacies, which are subject to little regulation." "Lipo-dissolve "is catching on because it works," said Robert Adrian, a dermatologist, who says he has treated 400 patients in the past three years. Adrian, whose Web site says the procedure "literally melts away fat in just a few short treatment sessions," maintains that most of his patients have achieved good results." "Officials of ASAPS, whose membership includes cosmetic dermatologists and plastic surgeons, disagree. Fat-loss injections, the group cautioned recently, are "scientifically unproven," lack approval from the FDA and use "poorly defined ingredients." The group cited "numerous reports of complications ... including bacterial infection, granulomas (disfiguring masses of chronically inflamed tissue) and localized necrosis (tissue death)." To assess its safety and efficacy, the society is sponsoring a small placebo-controlled study of the procedure under the supervision of the FDA." "Medical experts aren't the only ones who have reservations. Kansas recently became the first state to regulate the treatment,
... read the whole article |