Zeltiq® Coolsculpting comes to The Sloane Clinic

My colleague Dr Kenneth Lee is all smiles as he freezes his fat cells away with CoolSculpting by Zeltiq®

When it comes to body contouring treatments, doctors have tried everything - burning, blasting, vibrating, heating, dissolving, massaging, etc etc.

It was only a matter of time before someone came up with the idea of Freezing the bloody fat cells. Which is precisely what scientists in Havard did. They invented a process they termed Cryolipolysis, where they use a machine to apply freezing temperatures to an area of fat tissue. The cold causes triglycerides in the fat cells to crystallize, triggering cell death known as apoptosis.

CoolSculpting by Zeltiq®, which uses the process of Cryolipolysis, has received FDA approval, and has since taken the world of non-invasive body contouring by storm. The new kid on the block has proven itself to not only to have minimal downtime, but also to be effective as well.

For years, non- invasive body contouring has had the bad reputation of being unpredictable - the same procedure may work well for some, but not for others. Many factors other than the treatment play a part, such as age (younger patients respond better), sex (men usually see better results), activity level, and of course the diet following the procedure.

The great thing about CoolSculpting is that the results are more consistent - the advanced technology causes about 20 - 25% of the fat cells in the treatment area to break apart after each session - which is a really impressive feat as far as non- invasive body contouring treatments go. Who would have thought that cold works better than heat for this purpose??

The treatment also has no downtime and minimal discomfort. A suction device is placed onto the treatment area, commonly the abdomen. Some discomfort occurs at the beginning, but this fades away very soon as the area is anesthetized by the cold. Common side effects are very mild - temporary swelling lasting a few hours, redness, and mild bruising. Compared to many other treatments out that such as injection lipolysis, this procedure is really a walk in the park..

The Sloane Clinic introduced CoolSculpting by Zeltiq® 2 months ago, and it is fast becoming one of the most popular procedures in our clinic. My patients (and fellow colleagues) simply love it, and I expect the procedure to be even more sought after now as the party season comes to an end, and people start to battle the festive bulge!

Liposuction May Have Health Benefits on Top of Cosmetic Improvements

Family Guy's Peter Griffin may be reaping health benefits in addition to becoming a hunk after his Liposuction procedure!

(Picture from www.tbs.com)

Traditionally, liposuction has always been thought to confer only cosmetic benefits, as it is only able to remove subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin) and not visceral fat (organ fat). For years, experts have assumed that visceral fat surrounding the internal organs has greater metabolic importance and is more directly linked to cardiovascular disease.

However, an interesting study led by Dr Eric Swanson, a plastic surgeon in Kansas, presented at the recent annual meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons suggests that liposuction has legitimate health benefits as well - by reducing harmful fat circulating in the bloodstream and lower the risk of cardiovascular problems.

The study measured the triglyceride (fat circulating in the blood) levels in 229 people who had undergone liposuction. The results made people sit up and take notice - people who had started out with high triglyceride levels (150mg/dL or more) had a 43% decrease in blood levels 3 months after surgery. This was nearly twice the reduction one would usually experience by taking medication that lowers blood lipids.

However liposuction made no difference to people whose triglyceride levels were normal to begin with. Other types of lipids, such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and fasting glucose was also unchanged.

Triglyceride levels of 150 mg/dL or greater are known to be associated with an increased cardiovascular risk and metabolic syndrome. Hence, a decrease in triglyceride levels after liposuction may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Also significant from the study was the effect of Liposuction on white blood cell levels. White blood cell counts of the 229 also fell by 11% after their liposuction. White blood cells are linked to inflammation within the body and therefore cardiovascular disease.

More and more, studies are beginning to suggest that subcutaneous fat may be just as metabolically important as visceral fat in determining risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. These new findings seem to suggest that even more, although more larger scale and longer term studies are needed to confirm these possible health benefits of liposuction.

Before you run to your Plastic Surgeon for a liposuction appointment, however, remember that liposuction is not a cure all. You need to supplement your weight loss/ body contouring program with a sensible diet and exercise. Speak to your doctor for more information about liposuction, and what it can do for you.

Reference:
Plast Reconstr Surg. 2011 Sep;128(3):182e-197e. Prospective clinical study reveals significant reduction in triglyceride level and white blood cell count after liposuction and abdominoplasty and no change in cholesterol levels. Swanson E.