CINCINNATI
-- Losing weight could be as simple as getting an injection in a procedure
newly available in the Tri-State.
The procedure is called mesotherapy, and although it
has been around for decades, it's being used in Greater Cincinnati for the
first time, WLWT Eyewitness News 5's Joelle Girone reported.
Catherine Raaker is the first person from the
area to receive the new treatment.
Raaker said she's willing to do what it takes
to get the picture-perfect results she desires for her body.
"It's non-invasive," Raaker said. "That's really
important to me, because I think with liposuction you have to take time off
from work, you don't know how you're going to feel, there's dangers and risks
in it. I can go right back to work after a shot."
Dr. Nav Singh is the first doctor in Cincinnati
performing the procedure, which was pioneered by a French doctor in 1952.
In mesotherapy, medication is injected under
the layer of fat and connective tissue under the skin, Singh said.
"What it tries to do is increase the metabolic
function in the areas we're injecting to try and get the fat to dissolve away
or get the cells to shrink down into smaller cells," he said.
Mesotherapy is not approved by the Food and Drug
Administration, and it does not require approval. The drugs used in mesotherapy
can include a heart medication, a drug for asthma, and an anesthetic, according
to WLWT.
Doctors performing mesotherapy may not specialize
in cosmetic surgery or weight-loss procedures, WLWT reported.
Singh warned that mesotherapy is not a cure-all.
All patients are placed on a program of diet and exercise, and even so, the
patient can regain the weight.
Raaker said she considered those warnings, but
opted to have the procedure performed anyway.
Stay tuned to WLWT Eyewitness News 5 and ChannelCincinnati.com
for HealthTeam 5 updates.
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