Procedure Freezes Fat Cells To Flush Fat!

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EL PASO- Most of us have that annoying area of fat we can't seem to get rid of no matter how much we diet or exercise. While liposuction is an expensive and sometimes painful solution, a new technique has helped dozens of people in the Borderland at a fraction of the price and in an hour's time. It's called "cool sculpting" and the way it works is by freezing your fat cells.

“I'm going to Hawaii in June, so that's why I started kind of early to fit into that bikini for Hawaii,” says Alicia Revelez.

Even though she diets and works out, Revelez said she could not get rid of some bulgy areas like her love handles and stomach. The mother of two didn't want to get liposuction because of the down time and recovery involved, but then she heard of a new procedure.

“This machine is the Zeltiq apparatus. It performs a procedure called cool sculpting,” says Dr. Lyle Weeks.

Dr. Weeks, with Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center in West El Paso says the procedure has become increasingly popular since his office first started doing "cool sculpting" in December.

“The technology is based on the fact that fat freezes at a higher level than water. This enables us to freeze fat, without freezing the skin where there's a lot of water,” says Weeks.

The frozen fat cells are broken up in the body and flushed out. “Fat is then disposed of by the body, just like a normal fat cell that's outlived its usefulness in the body. It's absorbed and carried away,” says Weeks.

The procedure takes about an hour. First, patients are weighed, marked and photographed. Then, a gel to protect the skin is placed on the area to be treated. The technician then places the Zeltiq applicator, which is about the size of a shoe over the area to be treated.

“It's a little suction. Like you know, the vacuum cleaner, like when it gets you,” says Revelez after the Zeltiq applicator was placed around her abdomen.

So how cold is it? “Cool, not cold cold, just cool,” says Revelez.

After an hour, the patient gets a vigorous massage to help the fat cells break up. Dr. Weeks asks patients to lose one pound over the next three months. “That seems to, for some reason, greatly enhance the results of the treatment,” says Weeks.

Dr. Weeks say there are many advantages to cool sculpting over liposuction. “The advantage of this is, it's extremely effective for small areas. It's very safe. It's essentially painless for most people and it's cost-effective.”

It does take one to two months to see the results following treatment. Reveles had her love handles treated in March and says her friends have taken notice.

“They've noticed a difference and they ask me if I’m on a diet and I’m like, "No.” And I told them about this procedure,” says Revelez. “My pants fit different. My clothes fit totally different.”

Reveles says she loved the results so much she came back to do her stomach.

“It's amazing. It's great. You won't see immediate results but you'll start seeing results in about a month and you drop the fat. You won't see the little bulges anymore.”

The procedure is not effective with obese patients. The ideal candidate is someone who is 20 lbs. or less overweight.

By Oralia Ortega - Main Anchor

Two Topicals Boost Botox Treatment

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Omaha, Neb. — Botox users looking to enhance their skin appearance may want to try a new combination of two topical skin treatments, Medical News Today reports. 

A new study, co-authored by Omaha dermatologist Joel Schlessinger, M.D., suggests that a specifically designed 4 percent hydroquinone skincare system in combination with tretinoin (Retin-A) further enhances improvements in skin appearance attained with onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox, Allergan). Applying the hydroquinone system plus tretinoin may offer multiple clinical benefits over standard skincare, including significantly milder fine lines/wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, according to the research. 

In the multicenter, randomized study, 61 patients who had received upper facial Botox treatment were randomly assigned to use either the hydroquinone system (cleanser, toner, proprietary 4 percent hydroquinone, exfoliant and sunscreen) plus 0.05 percent tretinoin cream, or a standard regimen (cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen) for 120 days. Outcomes were assessed by investigators and through a patient questionnaire. 

Compared with standard skincare, the hydroquinone system plus tretinoin resulted in significantly milder fine lines/wrinkles and hyperpigmentation at days 30, 90 and 120 and in significantly superior overall ratings for each of nine patient assessments at days 90 and 120. More than 85 percent of the patients in the hydroquinone system plus tretinoin group said their treatment had further enhanced Botox-attained improvements, as compared with 8 percent of the standard skincare group. Both regimens were generally well tolerated. 

Medical News Today quotes Dr. Schlessinger as saying, “The new hydroquinone system is not only effective, it is also easy for patients to use, increasing the likelihood that they will be able to get maximum benefits. Most importantly, using the system in combination with tretinoin significantly improved how patients perceived themselves, which is the ultimate goal of any aesthetic treatment.” 

By: Bill Gillette

Appeals Court Voids Lower-Court Ruling Against Individual Mandate

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September 8, 2011 — Citing technical grounds, a federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia, today tossed out a lower-court decision that declared the healthcare reform requirement to obtain insurance coverage unconstitutional.

Today's decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth District in Richmond vacated a ruling by US District Court Judge Henry Hudson, also in Richmond, who said that the individual mandate "would invite unbridled exercise of federal police powers." In a unanimous decision by a 3-judge panel, the appeals court stated that the state of Virginia, which was the plaintiff in the case, lacked legal standing to bring its suit. The appeals court did not rule on whether the individual mandate was constitutional or not.

The appellate judges today also rendered a split decision on another lower-court decision involving the embattled Affordable Care Act. In November 2010, US District Judge Norman Moon in Lynchburg, Virginia, declared that the individual mandate lies within the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce under the Constitution's Commerce clause. The requirement, Moon stated, is a proper corrective to the healthcare marketplace problem of cost-shifting caused by the uninsured.

Writing a majority opinion, 2 of the 3 appellate judges vacated Moon's ruling on the grounds that the suit brought against the Affordable Care Act by Liberty University should be dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

The appellate decision follows a ruling on August 12 by an US appeals court in Atlanta, Georgia, that declared the individual mandate unconstitutional. The opposite conclusion was reached by an appeals court in Cincinnati, Ohio, in June.

There is plenty of legal ball left to play on the controversy. More rulings on the provision's constitutionality are forthcoming from the US appeals court in the District of Columbia, as well as a number of US district courts. Legal experts and lower-court judges alike predict the US Supreme Court will eventually take up the case to settle conflicting decisions at the appellate and district levels.

By: Robert Lowes

Study: Under-Eye Fat Transfer Lasts a Few Years

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Fat transferred under the eyes to create a younger-looking face can last for at least three years, suggests a new study of people who had the surgery. 

The procedure involves liposuction from the abdominal area or thighs and then injection of the fat below the lower eyelid, to puff up an area that surgeons say generally begins to lose its shape by the time people are in their 30s. 

Doctors say it's more "natural" and lasts longer than injecting commercially-made wrinkle fillers, but there's also a risk of complications and a higher price tag that comes along with the fat-transfer surgery.

"It's becoming a very common procedure and a way to naturally rejuvenate especially the lower eyelid area," said study author Dr. Cory Yeh, a plastic surgeon from Laguna Woods, California. 

"The vast majority of patients are seeing results up to three years," Dr. Yeh told Reuters Health. "The question is always, are we going to be seeing results past that point?"

Surgeons said the procedure typically takes an hour or more, and costs $3,500 to $4,000. 

For the new study, published in Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, online July 18, Dr. Yeh and Dr. Edwin Williams, from the Albany Medical Center in New York, tracked photos of 99 people who had the fat-transfer surgery between 2004 and 2008. 

Patients were between 35 and 71 years old, and almost all were women.

Those patients came back to the office for photos of their eye area every few months for up to four years following the surgery. Without knowing when the photos were taken, other members of the study team rated how much improvement, if any, they saw in patients' faces from their original, pre-surgery photos.

In pictures taken a year or less after the surgery, 5% of patients showed no improvement, 51% had mild improvement, and 44% had marked improvement.

By two to three years post-surgery, 14% of patients had no improvement from their original photos, 68% had mild improvement and 18% had marked improvement -- but the researchers only had data on 22 patients that far out. 

The most common complication of the surgery was swelling lasting more than a couple of weeks. Some patients also had bruising under the eyes or minor asymmetries. Patients can also get small lumps under their eyes post-surgery, researchers said.

Dr. Yeh said the findings "matched our expectations" in terms of how long the results would hold up after surgery.

"We know that the person's going to continue to age, and that they're going to continue to lose volume" under the eyes, he said. "I would have been shocked if we'd said, 'No, everybody remains perfect.'"

Dr. Jason Meier, a plastic surgeon from Jacksonville, Florida, said the procedure is a few times more expensive than typical commercial injections, but that those injections need to be repeated about every year. 

The current study didn't look at any results from patients who got those injections. 

"Fat transfer is an excellent, permanent option for patients who want a natural, rejuvenated look in the under-eye area," Dr. Meier, who wasn't involved in the new research, told Reuters Health. 

"Some things don't end up perfectly precise," but that can be corrected with follow-up procedures, he added. "Uniformly, everyone is very satisfied."

Dr. Yeh said the extra volume may not last as long in elderly patients, or those that smoke or exercise a lot.

But he said the fat-transfer procedure is becoming more common, and that it's "appealing to many patients because this is a natural way of using their own body fat."

By Genevra Pittman

Stem Cells - Revolutionizing Cosmetic Surgery!

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Experts Meet at ICAS Conference in Istanbul

Esthetic therapies with stem cells from autologous fat are revolutionizing cosmetic surgery: Ever more women prefer breast augmentations with autologous stem cells over silicone implants. The world's leading experts recently met at the ICAS (International Cell Assisted Surgery) Conference in Istanbul to discuss the therapeutic potential of stem cells from fat tissue.

"Stem cell-enriched autologous fat is a safe and sustainable bioimplant ideally suited for local anesthesia natural, scarless breast augmentation and body shaping," says Viennese esthetic and regenerative stem cell therapy expert DDr. Karl-Georg Heinrich, Europe's first doctor offering this therapy. At Clinic DDr. Heinrich® he helps women from all around the world gain larger breasts, harmonious body contours, and a more youthful face with stem cell-enriched autologous fat.

Along with presentations by researchers on the latest findings on adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) and their esthetic applications, the conference provided experts with ample opportunities for professional interaction. Thus DDr. Heinrich discussed his experiences with adipose-derived stem cells and potential future applications with Japan's Prof. Dr. Yoshimura, Prof. Dr. Illouz, and Dr. Berman.

Doctors all agreed that stem cell enrichment substantially improves long-term sustainability of tissue implanted in autologous fat transfers. Also discussed was the greater safety of esthetic therapies with autologous stem cells over procedures under general anesthesia thanks to gentle local anesthesia.

In addition to stem cell-assisted breast augmentation, stem cells obtained from autologous fat deposits form the foundation for other future-oriented esthetic treatments. For instance, Dr. Heinrich also uses stem cell-enriched autologous fat for sustainable body shaping (e.g., buttocks augmentation), correcting tissue defects, skin rejuvenation over the whole body, and stem-cell facelifts.

NFL Player Injuries Linked to Low Vitamin D

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Berkeley Heights, N.J. — Vitamin D deficiency may be unusually high among American football players, with black players and those with muscle injuries showing significantly lower levels, Medscape Today reports. 

Berkeley Heights orthopedic surgeon Michael K. Shindle, M.D., led a research team that tested the vitamin D levels of 89 players from the National Football League’s New York Giants in the spring of 2010. 

Investigators found that 27 players — about 30 percent — had deficient total 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels (below 20 ng/mL) and as many as 45 players — just over half — had levels consistent with vitamin D insufficiency (between 20 and 31.9 ng/mL). 

Meanwhile, only 17 players — about 19 percent — had vitamin D levels that were within normal limits.

The percentage of players with abnormal vitamin D levels was “alarming,” according to Dr. Shindle.

Researchers also found that all players who had suffered injuries that caused them to miss at least one practice or game had vitamin D levels significantly lower than players with no muscle injury. 

Of the players tested, 31 were white and 58 black. Noting that blacks generally tend to have lower vitamin D levels than whites, Medscape Today quotes Dr. Shindle as saying, “Up to 93 percent of African-American players had abnormal vitamin D levels, compared with 31 percent of white players.” 

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, held recently in San Diego.

This article can also be viewed at: http://bit.ly/nfWCvt

By: Bill Gillette
Dermatology Times E-News

FDA OKs Study of ReCell for Scars

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Northridge, Calif. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved Avita Medical’s investigational device exemption feasibility study for the use of ReCell Spray-On-Skin in the treatment of hypertrophic dyspigmented scars.

The FDA protocol permits Avita to treat 20 patients with pre-existing scars at as many as four U.S. study sites. The treated scars will be assessed for healing and pain on a weekly basis during the initial four weeks post-treatment, and at weeks 12 and 24 the treatment site will be assessed for healing and aesthetic outcomes by both the patient and the surgeon.

In a company news release, Avita CEO William Dolphin, M.D., said, “We believe that ReCell offers the potential to deliver significant benefits over currently available options in the treatment of acute and chronic wounds and skin defects. This study will allow us to demonstrate the use of ReCell in the corrective treatment of existing scars with application to the very large cosmetic markets.”

The study is designed to assess the effectiveness of using ReCell for the treatment of existing scars in a single treatment session, compared to the current standard of care, which involves dermabrasion and often requires multiple sessions.

Data obtained from this feasibility study will be used to design a larger clinical investigation. Once the 12-week follow-up with the 20th patient is completed, Avita will submit the feasibility data to the FDA and will seek approval for the pivotal trial protocol.

Avita Medical is currently conducting an FDA-approved study for the use of ReCell in the treatment of acute burn wounds.

By Bill Gillette, Staff Correspondent