Effectiveness of mesotherapy on body contouring.
BACKGROUND
Despite the increasing interest in mesotherapy as an alternative method for body contouring, there are few reports of its safety, efficacy, and mechanism of action. A clinical examination was performed to evaluate the efficacy of mesotherapy for body contouring.


METHODS
Twenty women were enrolled in this prospective, case-controlled study over a 12-week period. The authors injected a mixed solution (i.e., aminophylline, buflomedil, and lidocaine) into the superficial dermis of the medial aspect of one thigh weekly using a mechanical delivery gun. There was no treatment to the other thigh. The change in the fat level was evaluated by measuring the girth of the thighs and by computed tomographic scanning. The lipid profiles were checked to determine the effect of mesotherapy on lipid metabolism, and questionnaires were used to determine the satisfaction rate of the patients.


RESULTS
The loss of thigh girth on the treated side was not significantly different from that of the untreated side. The computed tomographic scans showed no statistically significant difference in the cross-sectional area or thickness of the fat layer between each group. There were no statistically significant changes in the lipid profiles except for the triglyceride level. A questionnaire asking about the effect of mesotherapy indicated poor patient satisfaction.


CONCLUSIONS
Mesotherapy is not an effective alternative treatment modality for body contouring.
Park
Seung Ha
SH
Seoul, South Korea From the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Korea University Medical Center.
Kim
Deok Woo
DW
Lee
Min Ah
MA
Yoo
Sang Chul
SC
Rhee
Seung Chul
SC
Koo
Sang Hwan
SH
Seol
Geun Hye
GH
Cho
Eun Young
EY
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013848:Thigh