10/17/06
Alexander Dagum, MD, associate professor and chief of plastic surgery at the State University of New York at Stonybrook has developed a new treatment that may reduce cellulite.
The treatment works by injecting the enzyme collagenase, which is found in the body, into the area to be treated. After injection, collagenase is thought to break down the areas of scar tissue that hold down the fat and help cause the dimpled look. It may also break down some of the fat tissue, causing it to protrude less, helping to even out the hills and valleys and to restore normal contours.
“It’s not perfect,” says Dagum, “but most of the patients were quite happy with the results.”
In his study, Dagum injected collagenase five times in a circular pattern in the back of the upper thigh of 10 women. Within a day, the women had an average 77% decrease in the appearance of cellulite, and by 1 month, the decrease was 89%. At 3 months, it was 86% and at 6 months, 76%.
The women in the study reported considerable bruising the first week after the injections, Dagum says. They were advised not to do heavy lifting or vigorous exercise for the first couple of weeks. Other side effects included bruising and swelling at the injection site.
[www.webmd.com, October 10, 2006]
