The procedure is designed to reduce localized fat deposits or bulges that do not respond to diet and exercise. It is not intended for people who are obese or significantly overweight as a weight loss alternative.

Cryolipolysis is one of several treatments currently available for selective destruction of small, localized deposits of unwanted adipose tissue (fat). 

Dieter Manstein, MD and R. Rox Anderson, MD, two Harvard University scientists, concluded that cold can be used to selectively affect and eliminate fat cells, all while leaving the surrounding skin and tissue unharmed.

This idea is called Cryolipolysis, and it is the proven science behind the widely popular name brand CoolSculpting. It has now been FDA-approved for many areas of the body, (earliest FDA approval was in 2010) including the abdomen, knees, back, flanks, chin, inner thighs and under the buttocks. Though not as effective as liposuction in removing quantities of adipose tissue. Cryolipolysis is noninvasive, well-tolerated, with mild discomfort during the procedure, no recovery time, few transient side effects, and almost no adverse reactions.

Further, patient satisfaction in many of the studies is very high with an average of 95% success rate. 

The goal of Cryolipolysis is to reduce the volume of fat in a fatty bulge. Some patients may opt to have more than one area treated or to retreat an area more than once, depending on the thickness of fat in that area.

The treatment is based on the finding that fat cells are more susceptible to damage from cold temperatures than other cells, such as skin cells. The cold temperature injures the fat cells. The injury triggers an inflammatory response by the body, which results in the death of the fat cells.

Macrophages, a type of white blood cells and part of the body’s immune system, is “called to the injury location,” to rid the dead fat cells and debris from the body through the lymphatic drainage. Controlled cooling, known as Cryolipolysis, enables us to gently and effectively single out unwanted fat cells. These cells are safely crystallized, or frozen which causes apoptosis.

Over the following 12-16 weeks your body naturally processes and removes the dead cells giving you a more sculpted, slimmer physique. Results are amazing. Average of 1 to 8 inches or more with each treatment.

References:

– American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Nonsurgical Fat Reduction: Cryolipolysis. Accessed: 11/9/2018.

– Ingargiola MJ, Motakef S, Chung MT, et al. Cryolipolysis for Fat Reduction and Body Contouring: Safety and Efficacy of Current Treatment Paradigms.Plast Reconstr Surg. 2015;June 135(6):1581-1590.

– Meyer PF, Costa e Silva JD, de Vasconcellos LS, et al. Cryolipolysis: patient selection and special considerations. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology 2018;11:499–503.

– CoolSculpting by Zeltiq. CoolSculpting Procedure.
Accessed: 11/9/2018.