Medical Fat Freezing: A New Way to Shed Body Fat?

[Math Is Hard]

I couldn't sleep last night and was watching some news special at 2 AM on "fat freezing", a new way to shed body fat.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/freezing-fat-fda-green-lights-weight-loss-treatment/story?id=11641994

I don't know if this is the same video, but it was wild! They took this big vacuum hose and placed it over a lady's stomach. They sucked her flabby gut up into it and cooled it down for about an hour until it froze.

The freaky part is that the fat is frozen in a big solid lump after the device is removed. It takes a few minutes to melt down.

It is supposed to work by killing fat cells and the results show up about 5 weeks later. I wonder how the freezing kills the fat cells, why it takes 5 weeks, and also, how these people don't get frost bite from the procedure.

 

[Proton Soup]

huh. winter jogging with bare middrift?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20123423

Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2009 Dec;28(4):244-9.
Cryolipolysis for reduction of excess adipose tissue.

Nelson AA, Wasserman D, Avram MM.

Division of Dermatology, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Abstract

Controlled cold exposure has long been reported to be a cause of panniculitis in cases such as popsicle panniculitis. Cryolipolysis is a new technology that uses cold exposure, or energy extraction, to result in localized panniculitis and modulation of fat. Presently, the Zeltiq cryolipolysis device is FDA cleared for skin cooling, as well as various other indications, but not for lipolysis. There is, however, a pending premarket notification for noninvasive fat layer reduction. Initial animal and human studies have demonstrated significant reductions in the superficial fat layer thickness, ranging from 20% to 80%, following a single cryolipolysis treatment. The decrease in fat thickness occurs gradually over the first 3 months following treatment, and is most pronounced in patients with limited, discrete fat bulges. Erythema of the skin, bruising, and temporary numbness at the treatment site are commonly observed following treatment with the device, though these effects largely resolve in approximately 1 week. To date, there have been no reports of scarring, ulceration, or alterations in blood lipid or liver function profiles. Cryolipolysis is a new, noninvasive treatment option that may be of benefit in the treatment of excess adipose tissue.

PMID: 20123423 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

[Math Is Hard]

Gives a whole new meaning to "freezing my butt off". heh heh

 

[turbo]

Gives a whole new meaning to "freezing my butt off". heh heh

Then you'd lose the whole Kardashian effect. What will you do?

 

[AlephZero]

Removing small unwanted bits from humans (e.g. warts, polyps, piles, etc) by freezing them with liquid nitrogen under local anesthetic is a standard procedure. It is pretty much equivalent to "controlled frostbite". The dead bits fall off naturally once new skin tissue has grown underneath them. One benefit is a much reduced risk of infection, compared with surgery.

I guess these guys just decided to try it on something a bit bigger than a wart.

 

[nismaratwork]

Removing small unwanted bits from humans (e.g. warts, polyps, piles, etc) by freezing them with liquid nitrogen under local anesthetic is a standard procedure. It is pretty much equivalent to "controlled frostbite". The dead bits fall off naturally once new skin tissue has grown underneath them. One benefit is a much reduced risk of infection, compared with surgery.

I guess these guys just decided to try it on something a bit bigger than a wart.

The concern that leaps to mind is: accidental destruction of nerves or vascular bodies. I'm also unclear on just what the effects of so much apoptosis and general cell-death due to "rupture" is exactly great for you either. In addition, if you take certain liposoluble medications I could see that as a problem. Yes, so far they've seen to issues, but presumably amongst a relatively limited cohort.

Oh... and clotting. I really don't like this idea, as cosmetic procedures go.