or

Sun, February 1, 2004

Fat loss a needle away

Mesotherapy quicker and cheaper than liposuction

By KATIE CHALMERS, STAFF REPORTER
The battle is the same but the arsenal is changing. There's a new cosmetic procedure in town to tackle upper arms that flap, inner thighs that jiggle and those love handles that everybody hates.

Instead of going under the knife, a growing number of Winnipeggers are taking on fat with a series of needle injections.

Mesotherapy, a less invasive and less expensive alternative to liposuction, melts away cellulite and unwanted inches but doesn't require patients to take months off work to recover, said plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Lockwood.

"It's a higher precision technique. It's shaping the body in a softer, more controlled way," Lockwood said.

The veteran surgeon said he's happy to do less liposuction since 15 years of performing the very physical operation has left him with tennis elbow and carpal-tunnel syndrome. He's accustomed to doing liposuction on up to five Winnipeggers per week.

"When this came up, I said, 'Wow,' " Lockwood told The Sun.

Since mesotherapy became available at Lockwood's clinic in December, more than 40 Winnipeggers have shelled out $1,200 for four procedures targeting one area of the body, compared with $2,000 to $6,000 for liposuction. Fat is zapped from the body, including double chins and under the eyelids.

Liposuction removes fat cells whereas mesotherapy involves injections into the mesoderm -- or middle layer of skin -- to open the fat cell membranes and let the fat out, said Dr. Roman Chubaty, who trained in France where the technique was pioneered 50 years ago.

Some critics have questioned where the fat goes once it's released, citing a danger of it reaching arteries or other tissues.

BURNED OFF AS ENERGY

Chubaty said the fat ends up in the bloodstream where it's burned off as energy.

Controversy also surrounds one of the ingredients in the injection. Phosphatidylcholine is banned in Brazil, an investigation by the television show 60 Minutes found.

Chubaty said the restriction arose when citizens were injecting themselves, but the medicine is safe and still available to doctors.

All ingredients are approved by Canada's Health Protection Branch, Lockwood said. There are seven injections per site, per visit. Possible side-effects include bruising and swelling.

"For 20 minutes, it will feel like fire ants under your skin," said Chubaty while forcing needles into the fat on a patient's back.

Results can be seen within 72 hours, compared with up to the eight months it takes for liposuction to come down, which can also leave already-damaged skin stretched and wrinkled.

"People's expectations are always higher than what's delivered," Lockwood said.

Patients get better results if they add exercise into the mix. Chubaty cited an 85% to 90% success rate

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/WinnipegSun/News/2004/02/01/332035.html