Liposuction and Plastic Surgery Information - Controversy continues over Mesotherapy component

Controversy continues over Mesotherapy component

Wednesday, 23 August 2006

While women seeking a cure for cellulite are keen to avail of the latest treatments to rid themselves of the condition, doctors warn that these treatments include a broad range of injections, including phosphatidylcholine and deoxycholate, the effects of which remain largely unknown.

"I try to warn people that we don't have a lot of data regarding these types of treatments," says Glynis R. Ablon, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and director of the Ablon Skin Institute, Manhattan Beach, Calif. "For people to be randomly using these injections and putting them basically anywhere on the body without any studies behind them is going to create complications.

There is a risk, she says, of increased swelling in treated areas such as the abdomen. "Because we don't have the studies to back the use of these medicines in certain areas," she says, "I believe we are going to see more backlash from the community."

Dr. Ablon undertook and completed the first U.S.-based study of phosphatidylcholine after reading what she calls an intriguing prior publication on the subject. "I understand that phosphatidylcholine is now banned in Brazil, which is where the original study took place."

In the United States, phosphatidylcholine is classified as a supplement in the Physician's Desk Reference and by the Food and Drug Administration. Accordingly, she says, "We're not having the kind of regulations we should have on this substance being injected into the skin."

As part of a soon-to-be-published study, she excised one lipoma that had been directly injected with deoxycholate and found the medicine had caused necrosis in the lipoma. She says, "The question is, how do we ensure that this is localized necrosis? How does one make sure that if one injects (phosphatidylcholine) anywhere, it's only going to hit the fat and not the muscle underneath? That's the concern for physicians who are considering using this compound to treat lower eyelids and other areas of the body. If the injection were to cause digestion of some of the underlying muscle tissue, one could have serious complications," Dr. Ablon notes.

With patients showing increasing interest in nonsurgical treatments to improve their appearance, excitement over mesotherapy is building, she says.
"The question is, does it work? Thousands of physicians are performing these treatments, many of whom aren't dermatologists but gynecologists, family practitioners and other physicians who aren't familiar with subjects including fatty deposits and liposuction. And they're making money," Dr. Ablon says. {mosgoogle)

Tags: cellulite, mesotherapy, skin treatment,