Single-stage procedure treats cellulite, lipodystrophy

(HealthDay)—A single-stage procedure can provide simultaneous treatment for cellulite and lipodystrophy, according to a clinical report published in the January issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.

Christine Petti, M.D., from the Palos Verdes Plastic Surgery Medical Center in Torrance, Calif., and colleagues examined the efficacy and safety of a combined approach for the simultaneous treatment of cellulite and lipodystrophy. Sixteen participants with noticeable cellulite (Grade II and III) and moderate lipodystrophy of the lower body received single treatments with the Nd:YAG laser and 1,000-micron side-firing fiber optic laser system. To quantify the cellulite severity, patients were assessed at baseline and at three to six months after treatment by a modified Nurnberger-Muller scale.

The researchers found that when blinded reviewers were presented with a set of photographs they identified the correct baseline photographs 97 percent of the time. The median modified Nurnberger-Muller scale score was 4.75 ± 1.2 at baseline; the average improvement was 2.0 ± 1.2. There was variation in the global aesthetic improvement scores, from 1 to 3, with an average of 1.58, representing much-improved overall appearance. Both physicians and patients had high satisfaction, with scores corresponding to extremely satisfied/satisfied.

"Precise, effective delivery of laser energy to the dermal-adipose tissue, as well as the deep adipose lipodystrophy is feasible as a safe modality for the simultaneous treatment of cellulite and lipodystrophy in the buttocks and thighs, as a single-stage procedure," the authors write.