Renaissance Plastic Surgery

The quest for a safe, pain-free, easy and non-surgical way to lose fat, the ultimate "quick fix", has becomes the 'Holy Grail' in the war against fat. The latest in a long line of candidates for this title is the technique known as Lipodissolve. The concept of Lipodissolve is that a mixture of chemicals can be injected into the fat and cause it to melt away. This technique is drawn from mesotherapy, an alternative form of medicine practiced mostly in Europe, in which chemicals are injected under the skin to treat a variety of diseases.

Lipodissolve certainly sounds attractive, but before you jump into the fray there are some things you should consider. First, just because something is available doesn't mean that it works, and even if it works, it may not work the way you want it to work. In other words, even assuming that Lipodissolve works, the amount of fat that dissolves may be too much, not enough, or it may not dissolve evenly throughout the area that is injected. This is quite different from liposuction or a tummy tuck, in which the plastic surgeon has the precision of knowing how much fat has been remove and how much remains.

A second consideration is that Lipodissolve has not been approved by the FDA regarding either its' safety or effectiveness, and it is essentially unregulated. There is also no consensus on what chemicals, and at what strength, should be in such a mixture. Depending on where you go, the chemical mixture and technique may vary quite a bit, and so may the outcome.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the leading organization representing cosmetic plastic surgeons, issued an advisory today "...warning against the use of injection fat loss treatments." The basis of this warning is both the absence of any studies showing that Lipodissolve works and numerous reports of complications, such as deforming scars and dangerous infections. Their biggest concern is that many mesotherapy centers are staffed by lay persons without any medical training.

The book is not yet closed on Lipodissolve or other fat loss injection treatments, and they may prove to have their place. But for now the potential risks are substantial and the benefits are unproven, exactly the opposite of what you should be looking for in any cosmetic procedure. Liposuction is still as the only time-tested safe and proven method to permanently remove fat.