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Can fat be frozen away with Zeltiq?

Fat is a huge (NPI) topic in the cosmetic world. The holy grail is finding a procedure that reduces fat without invasive procedures. Zerona attempted this with little success (but you can still find doctors that sell this procedure, with a trail of underwhelmed patients left behind).  Zeltiq works along the same lines as some ultrasound techniques, but it uses cold to injure fat cells, prompting your body's natural scavengers to take away the remnants. Does it work?  It appears to, but very minimally. It may be a good option for someone with a small area of unwanted fat, but that doesn't seem to be the norm stateside.  Save the so called "coolsculpting" for Cold Stone employees. 

Rachel Ray fat reduction

Velashape - what is it?

Velashape is a new machine from Syneron.  It is sucessor to the Velasmooth, and it works by radiofrequency (much like Thermage). It aims to reduce cellulite and reduce fat with bipolar radiofrequency heat, vacuum, and massage. Multiple treatments are required, and it may be used with other treatment modalities, such as liposuction.  Recently it was featured on Rachel Ray and Dr. Phil shows.

Does it work? It does likely give some improvement, and the fact that the company has come out with another machine means that cosmetic surgeons have been buying them. The newer machine is said to produce the same results with fewer treatments. But it doesn't brew espresso.

Waistline measurements

To address the pervasive problem of obesity, Canada has urged its healthcare workers to measure the waistlines of their patients. They have developed recommendations based on the fact that abdominal girth is related to cardiac disease and diabetes. Currently, 50% of Canadians are considered to be abdominally obese.
Suggested modifications include: diet changes, less TV time, dietary counselling, exercise regimens, and glucose monitoring.
Here's a link to this story from CTV.

Breast reduction by liposuction

The most common method of breast reduction in the United States is an incisional approach, which involves removing tissue under the breast and moving the nipple upward. This is a big surgery that works well, but often leaves patients with significant scars which can be undesirable, and there is a risk of wound infection and incisions pulling apart. A safer approach in select patients is via liposuction. If the breasts are not pendulous and the skin tone is good liposuction may be an excellent option which can not only decrease the breast size, but create some lift with contraction of the scars that are formed by the mechanical motion of the instruments. Best of all, it leaves almost no visible scars and has minimal downtime.
This is not a new procedure, but it has become more prevalent as of late, in part due to a recent publication. Here is a link to a brief description of the procedure.

 

Lipodissolve video

Lipodissolve: better than liposuction??

Lipodissolve is a relatively new procedure that consists of injections meant to 'melt away' fat. It is essentially the same as mesotherapy. The injections include a substance named phosphatidylcholine dexoycholate. There is an initial inflammatory reaction, followed by a shrinkage of fat. This is the theory behind the procedure. Does it work? There is some evidence that it does produce a modest reduction in localized fat, but it is clearly not a replacement for surgical liposuction. Its role in cosmetic surgery is not yet well defined, but its possible that this procedure will find a place alongside the other 'non-invasive' technologies that have swamped the market as of late.