CBS Atlanta 46New Procedures Promise To Reduce Fat Without Surgery 10-28-2010

By Kara Pesavento, CBS Atlanta Producer
ATLANTACBS Atlanta asks tough questions about two new fat reduction procedures.
The Zerona laser melts fat.
"We like to say you can lose up to 12 inches and that's total body," said Dr. Nedra Dodds of Opulence Aesthetic Medicine in Kennesaw.
On the other hand, Cool Sculpting freezes fat.
"This is definitely a breakthrough in noninvasive procedures," said Dr. Anna Pare of Dermatology Consultants.
Both techniques were recently approved by the FDA and both are designed to get rid of fat without surgery.
That was a major selling point for Vicki Aghajanian, who settled on the Zerona laser to target her trouble zones.
"There's certain areas that tend to be a little more difficult to lose than others," she said.
All Vicki had to do was lie down and the laser went to work.
"It targets the cells and within five minutes, it causes them to start emulsifying, which means to melt," explained Dodds.
The melted fat drains from the cells and the body flushes it out, according to Dodds.
The laser doesn't emit heat, so there's no pain, downtime or any known side effects.
"This is a very safe therapy," Dodds said.
But does it work?
After six 40-minute sessions, Aghajanian had lost eight inches overall. That included 1.5 inches from her chest, two inches from her waist, and more than three inches around her hips.
"I really feel great. I'm actually having to go look for clothes," Aghajanian said.
Across town, Lori Stapp settled in for a one-time Cool Sculpting session in hopes of slimming down her midsection.
"When I hit my 40s, I kind of started having problems with not being able to get rid of that," she said.
According to Pare, this procedures uses cold therapy to freeze fat cells without damaging the skin. Over time, the cells die and the body removes them as waste.
"Once they're gone, they're gone," Pare said of the frozen fat cells.
The session lasts about an hour and Pare says most patients experience only minor discomfort.
"After the first 15 minutes, you really feel nothing," Pare said. "You can read, you can watch a movie, you can listen to music."
On average, Pare said patients can expect up to 25 percent fat reduction in the area treated. Maximum results take about two to four months.
"I know that I'm going to walk away from, when this is completely over, without that tire around my middle," Stapp said.
In the battle for best fat buster, experts say both treatment have potential, but it's too soon to declare a winner.
Some differences between the two therapies: Cool Sculpting results are permanent because the fat cells are destroyed, but Zerona results need to be maintained, since the cells are drained, but essentially left intact.
Also, Zerona takes at least six sessions, while Cool Sculpting takes one.
Cool Sculpting treatments are available for the abdomen, love handles and back, while Zerona is designed to eliminate fat all over the body.
The costs are pretty similar -- about $2,000 for Zerona and up to $2,500 for Cool Sculpting depending on the area being treated.


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