Cellulite Surgery

A Possible Cure For Unsightly Cellulite?

Findings from a study published in the November/December 2008 issue of Aesthetic Surgery Journal suggest that a combination treatment using laser energy and fat transplantation shows promise in significantly improving cellulite removal. Cellulite is a common condition that gives the appearance of lumpiness and dimpling across the skin and is most prevalent in the thigh, hip, and buttock areas. Currently some treatments may provide temporary improvement in the dimpled appearance of cellulite, but to date there is no proven, permanent cure for cellulite.

"Cellulite is caused by bands of fibrous tissue that connect the muscle to the skin," says Alan Gold, MD, President of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). "If these bands are tight and the fat between the muscle and the skin bulges out between them, there will be dimpling over each of those bands. There is nothing otherwise special or unique about the fat itself in those areas." Almost all women (and some men) have cellulite, stemming from genetic predisposition, hormonal changes and weight gain.

Cellulite Surgery

The treatment presented in the ASJ study first uses cellulite surgery YAG laser energy conducted underneath the skin to stimulate collagen formation, skin tightening and, on a deeper level, to reduce fatty tissue. Laser treatment is followed by injections of the patient's own fat to fill in the depressed areas. Along with visible improvement, there are very few adverse effects, most of which are mild and temporary.

"The search for the cause of cellulite and effective cellulite surgery treatments is ongoing, however, the combination of a minimally-invasive pulsed laser treatment cellulite surgery and autologous fat transplantation represents a viable option for women who have severe cases of cellulite," says Robert Gotkin, MD, a cellulite surgery plastic surgeon in New York, NY and one of the authors of the study. "All treatments have limitations and since cellulite is a chronic condition, the patient must understand that there are no miracle procedures and multiple treatments may be necessary."

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