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Research
Abstract Presented at ASLMS 2008 by Dr. Dieter Manstein A NOVEL CRYOTHERAPY METHOD OF NON-INVASIVE, SELECTIVE LIPOLYSIS Dieter Manstein, MD,* Hans Laubach, MD, Kanna Watanabe, MD, R. Rox Anderson, MD,* Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States Background and Purpose: Various radiation energy, sources e.g. laser, ultrasound, radio frequency and acoustic shock waves have been studied as potential non-invasive methods damaging the subcutaneous fat. In contrast, the energy extraction method of cryosurgery is widely used for non-selective tissue destruction, but its potential for preferential damage to subcutaneous fat has not been well explored. In this study, modified cold exposure regimens were tested to determine if selective damage to subcutaneous fat could be induced without damage to the overlying skin surface. Materials and Methods: Six black Yucatan pigs were cold-exposed with a prototype device producing localized contact skin cooling at preset and electronically regulated temperatures. Various cold intensity levels near the freezing point of skin were tested to determine if subcutaneous fat reduction could be induced. Clinical and histological assessment was performed immediately, 1 day, 1 week, 2 weeks and 1 month post cold exposure for 4 pigs, and up to 2 months for 2 pigs. Results: Well-controlled conditions of cold intensity and time induced a lobular inflammatory infiltrate in the subcutaneous fat, with adipocyte loss seen after one week and continuing throughout the study. The effect was evident in the upper few millimeters of the adipose tissue, and was absent of any histological or clinical evidence of damage to overlaying dermis and epidermis. At 1 month there was a decrease in adipocyte size, with obvious loss of fat tissue volume, and a clear demarcation between the treated and non-treated areas. Conclusion: External cold application induces selective damage to subcutaneous fat without damaging the skin when performed in a novel manner vastly different from conventional cryosurgery. 1Financial grant, research grant, royalty, and intellectual
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