Mesotherapy / Lipodissolve

Updated 3/2017-- photos and all links removed as many are no longer active and it was easier than checking each one.

Sandy over at Junkfood Science recently wrote a post on liplysis, Quest for "thinner-ness" . It is a very well written article and links to another well written article on the same subject by Marnell Jameson in the LA Times, "Weighing in on lipolysis". Both are worth the time spent reading them, especially if you or someone you know are considering the procedure.

"Basically, mesotherapy involves a series of injections that can contain a multiplicity of ingredients, from vasodilators to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, depending on the medications, enzymes, or hormones that are injected into the fat layer of the skin. ........ It is being used more often now for body contouring and to treat cellulite to reduce body fat. A common injectable is lecithin, which is phosphatidylcholine isoproterenol, a lipolytic agent that actually stimulates beta-adrenergic receptors. Lecithin is common in human bile and is needed for the digestion of dietary fat. The true mechanism of mesotherapy remains unknown, even though it has been widely used in Europe for years to treat cellulite, amid unsubstantiated claims. To my knowledge, no clinical scientific studies have been published in the literature to substantiate mesotherapy. It is conjectured that it starts to increase blood flow as well as lymphatic flow in the mesoderm. This causes shrinkage of fat cells, which dissolve themselves and are then excreted. The problem is the lack of randomized, double-blind studies through institutional review board–approved mechanisms to ensure patient safety. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved the subcutaneous use of the medications commonly used in mesotherapy. The available reports indicate that the medications may potentially cause immediate or delayed allergic reactions, including urticaria pigmentosa problems at the injection sites. It is inconceivable that plastic surgeons in the United States would embrace any treatment that has not had prior institutional review board approval where patient trials have been performed in approved clinical settings. Clinical trials must be performed in medical institutions to evaluate and validate that mesotherapy does or does not work. Perhaps scientific evidence will bear out that the amount of cellulite and fat removal is valid, but these facts must be substantiated before we can use the medications or perform therapy based on the theory of mesotherapy injections. It is mindboggling to think that a physician would inject patients— or that patients would allow physicians to inject them—with unknown, unproved substances based on hearsay and unsubstantiated clinical findings."--Rod Rohrich, MD (the first article listed below)

There remains a lack of clinical scientific studies.

Remember the adage--"If it seems to good to be true, it probably is." That's what I think of this "lunch-time lipo". Hiring a personal trainer makes more sense and is much better in the long run.
References
Mesotherapy: What Is It? Does It Work?; Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 115(5):1425, April 15, 2005; Rohrich, Rod J. M.D.
Mesotherapy for Body Contouring; Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 115(5):1420-1424, April 15, 2005; Matarasso, Alan M.D.; Pfeifer, Tracy M. M.D.; Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation DATA Committee
The Science of Mesotherapy: Chemical Anarchy; Spencer A. Brown; Aesthetic Surgery Journal, January 2006 (Vol. 26, Issue 1, Pages 95-98)
Lipodissolve for Subcutaneous Fat Reduction and Skin Retraction;
Diane Irvine Duncan, Franz Hasengschwandtner; Aesthetic Surgery Journal, September 2005, Vol. 25, Issue 5, Pages 530-543
Clinical Safety Data and Standards of Practice for Injection Lipolysis: A Retrospective Study; Diane Irvine Duncan, Roman Chubaty; Aesthetic Surgery Journal, September 2006, Vol. 26, Issue 5, Pages 575-585