New York, NY (December 14, 2007) — Responding to recent reports of the Fig LipoDissolve Centers going into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) offers the following advice to patients currently in treatment there or suffering from unwanted outcomes. Although neither Society recommends the use of injection lipolysis for fat reduction until appropriate research has documented the safety and efficacy of this non-FDA-approved treatment information is available for those patients needing help.

• If you are in the middle of lipolysis treatment and have concerns:
  Contact ASAPS

• If you are in pain, have a complication such as swelling or bleeding or need immediate attention; please contact your nearest hospital emergency room.

• If you are seeking body contouring or are considering your various options please remember the following:

  All procedures involving injecting pharmaceutical or other agents into the body are medical procedures and need to be conducted in an appropriate medical setting by a physician. A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon can help you weigh your options to achieve the optimal outcome you desire. The ASPS and ASAPS do not recommend that their patients undergo injection lipolysis treatments. All medical procedures have risks. If you decide a procedure is right for you, make sure you have done your homework, that the procedure has been fully explained by your healthcare provider and that you have thoroughly read and signed informed consent documents. “The proliferation of advertising of such treatments and the abrupt closing of Fig LipoDissolve Centers nationwide has raised many questions from both patients considering treatment, and those who have already been injected with the unproven medical treatments touted to reduce localized fat. Said Alan Gold, MD President – elect of the Anesthetic Society, “To date, injection lipolysis, LipoDissolve or any fat-melting injection has not gone through FDA sanctioned clinical trials or the research necessary to document the results claimed or clearly identify the potential underlying complications.” “Consumers should not ignore the proliferation of blogs and media that are reporting the ineffectiveness and the complications experienced by fat-melting injections,” said Richard A. D’Amico, ASPS President.” This mixture is not FDA approved nor has it been formally tested for predictable results or safety. That alone should steer consumers away from the marketing hype.”

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 27th, 2008 at 11:18 pm and is filed under GENERAL COSMETIC/PLASTIC SURGERY. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.