LipoDissolve

Billed as a non-surgical alternative to liposuction*, LipoDissolve is a medical procedure developed in Europe that thousands of North Americans are turning to in order to rid themselves of excess fatty tissue when diet and exercise alone are not producing the desired results.

In the United States LipoDissolve sessions have been nicknamed “the lipo lunch” because of a current fad for booking treatments during lunch breaks. Unlike liposuction, LipoDissolve is an experimental procedure that has yet to be approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States or by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in Canada. 

What is LipoDissolve

Sometimes known as lipo sculpture, injection lipolysis or mesotherapy, the LipoDissolve procedure, done by a plastic surgeon, consists of a series of treatments where micro injections of a chemical cocktail are shot into small localized pockets of fat. For example double chins, love handles, bags under the eyes, flabby upper arms etc.

These injections cause a chemical reaction in the body that essentially ‘melts’ the fat away. No anesthesia is required, either general or localized, but several treatment sessions are needed (2 to 6 times), four to six weeks apart. Results will be noticed after even only one treatment, with the greatest changes occurring in the three to eight week window as the fatty tissue dissolves. As far as cost, each treatment can cost between about $400 and $1500 per session. The good news is that there is very minimal or no down time after this type of non-surgical event. 

How Does it Work?

So where does this fat go when it melts away? That is a very good question that unfortunately science has so far not been able to answer. Nobody knows what happens to the dissolved fatty tissue or the chemicals used to reduce it.

Some concerns held by the medical community (as yet unproven) are that the fat will be disposed of through the liver causing ‘fatty liver’ or that it will go into the blood vessels causing fatty plaque build up, nor have there been any studies conducted to show the effect these chemical cocktails have on the organs or what side effects, whether short or long term that may develop.

Each LipoDissolve Procedure is Unique

Each doctor, depending on the site and size of the fatty pocket, designs his or her own chemical mixture which may include antibiotics and hormones, or not. There is no approved list of ingredients and in fact many of the ingredients used have not been approved by the FDA on their own strengths let alone for their use combined with other drugs and injected into the human body. Some reported side effects are infections, tissue death in some cases pocking or denting of the skin where fat has been removed. 

Is This Fat Loss Procedure Safe?

Further research and testing is currently being done on this experimental procedure by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). Please contact them for the latest up to date information and never consider taking LipoDissolve for weight loss unless under the immediate supervision of a credible plastic surgeon. Even then with so little research undertaken on this subject, you are at best a lab rat. LipoDissolve does work to melt the pounds away, but at what price?

Is This Procedure for You?

If you want to know LipoDissolve is right for you, it’s a good idea to speak with your doctor as well as a doctor who is experienced in this type of procedure.  This will help you to know if it will allow you to achieve the fat loss goals you want, as well as if it is safe and appropriate for you.

As much as this is a common procedure, this still doesn’t mean that it is right for you.  Your own unique medical needs and body shape need to be taken into consideration.  There are also other factors such as medications and supplements you’re taking that must be factored in.

There have been cases when patients have suffered adverse health effects after having gone through the LipoDissolve procedure. For instance, a 2013 report published in the Journal of Clinical Toxicology discussed the case of a 63 year old woman who had her first LipoDissolve therapy at a home spa and shortly afterward suffered acute liver injury, pancreatitis, and acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis. This doesn’t mean that it will be dangerous for you, but it does illustrate the fact that there are risks involved.

*Note: Liposuction is a fat removal surgery where small incisions are made into the skin surrounding a pocket of fat through which the fatty tissue underneath is sucked up a hollow tube and removed. Liposuction is FDA approved and is considered the most safe and effective form of body sculpting.