Getting the skinny on Lipodissolve

A judge in Kansas ruled Thursday to allow doctors in the state to continue the practice of injecting patients with a fat-melting chemical that takes up to an inch of unwanted fat off of the treated area.

The lawsuit was brought against the State Board of Healing Arts, which regulates doctors in Kansas, by a St. Louis-based company that trains physicians in Lipodissolve -- the injection procedure.

The board passed a regulation last month that would require doctors practicing Lipodissolve to be involved in a clinical trial, citing patient complaints and a lack of approval by the Food and Drug Administration as grounds for the regulation.

Lipodissolve has not been approved by the FDA, but is currently in testing -- a fact that does not bother area patients and doctors experienced in Lipodissolve.

"There's a lot of things that aren't FDA approved that [doctors] use," said Dr. Michael Jessup at Heartland Women's Specialists. He has been offering Lipodissolve since February.

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Physicians often use "off label" drugs for a purpose other than the original, like using Terbutaline -- an asthma drug -- to stop contractions.

Pam Land, of Anna, Ill., began getting the Lipodissolve treatments in July in preparation for her son's wedding. She said she was OK with the pending FDA approval because she researched the procedure heavily before committing to it.

"The main thing that I wanted to make sure of was what type of side effects and long-term side effects [it has]," she said.

Lipodissolve is an injection of two main ingredients: phophatidylcholine (PPC) and deoxycholate (DC), which are both found naturally in the body, according to Jessup. Lipodissolve injects these chemicals into the problem area, and the fat cells absorb them until they are so bloated with PCDC, a combination of PPC and DC, that they basically explode and are passed through the body and expelled through urine and feces.

"It's basically just force feeding [a fat cell] until it blows up," Jessup said.

Bruising, slight swelling and nausea are the most commonly listed side effects.

"It's not a black and blue bruise," Land said. "Your skin just looks a little darker."

Land said the first time she got the treatment she didn't take the nausea pill prescribed by the doctor and got sick and started sweating.

"It lasted for a short period of time and it was over," she said. The same thing happened the second time, so the third time she took the pill.

"I didn't have any problems at all," Land said. "The only thing that you have ... is that the injection sites, you have bruising for a few days, swelling and you get really sore." She said none of the side effects lasted long and she recommends the procedure to both men and women.

"Everything is temporary and when the fat dissolves, it's gone for good," Land said.

Land had Lipodissolve on her chin and under her arms, among other places. Jessup said the stomach is by far the most requested area for work, but a patient must be within 25 percent of their ideal body weight before he considers performing the procedure.

"You don't want to be injecting these drugs onto people you won't see any affect on," he said.

Lipodissolve will only smooth out and tighten areas and should not be used as a form of weight loss, he said.

"We're not talking about 10 or 15 pounds. We're talking a pound or two that makes a bulge in a dress you like," Jessup said.

None of his patients have complained of long-term or severe short-term side effects. He said the procedure has been done in Europe since the 1980s, but he along with other doctors have been skeptical.

"I've got news for them, it's pretty amazing," he said.

Both Jessup and Land tout Lipodissolve as a non-invasive alternative to liposuction. The procedure, which runs $275 for the first visit and $200 each visit after, is cheaper as well.

charris@semissouiran.com

335-6611 extension 246

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