British scientists claim to have developed a technique that uses ultrasound and cryolipolysis for permanent weight loss by freezing the fat cells.
British scientists claim to have
developed a technique that uses ultrasound and cryolipolysis for permanent
weight loss by freezing the fat cells. The
high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and cryolipolysis has the potential to
achieve permanent weight loss without surgery, by killing fat cells over a
period of 3-4months and thus the flab disappears. The treatment would
cost somewhere between 1,500-2,000 pounds.
Until now liposuction (surgical excision of fat) was the only permanent way of
removing fat.
This treatment would not be suitable
for morbidly obese patients. It will help people to get rid of the little
remaining fat around the hips and buttocks who have managed to lose some weight
through dieting. Senior vascular surgeon, Mark Whiteley said, “The technique
would be effective for destroying small areas of stubborn fat. Our results have
been very good and, from the previously published studies, it appears that HIFU
and cryolipolysis -- or fat freezing -- are the only two methods of
non-surgical fat removal that show any promise. Other techniques using lasers
of other types of ultrasound don't work because they only damage fat cells,
rather than destroying them, so the cells simply grow back."
However Professor of clinical
biochemistry at Cambridge University, Stephen O'Rahilly, has warned that this
treatment could have damaging effects on the body. He said, "As a cosmetic
treatment this would be fine, but if you kill off the fat cells on someone's
stomach and they start to regain weight, you would run the risk of the fat
being stored in the heart or liver, where it could be very dangerous and cause
real organ damage."
Source-Medindia