HealthWatch Exclusive: Melting Chin Fat
By Stephanie Stahl
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The first FDA-approved injection for melting fat has just arrived in our area. In a CBS 3 exclusive, health reporter Stephanie Stahl was there for the first patient.
Michelle Wallace, 45, hates how her chin looks. "It's terrible," she said. "I been fighting this for years. No matter how much weight I lose or gain, it's just always there and never goes away. This is what I hate, the extra chin under my chin. It's like having three chins."
Michelle, a mother of five, is the first in the Philadelphia region to get a new FDA-approved injection that melts fat in the chin.
"Results have been outstanding," said Bala Cynwyd plastic surgeon Tim Greco. He has had special training from the maker of Kybella, the new fat-melter.
"It's made of a natural material that is found in the human body," Dr. Greco said. "Deoxycholic acid is actually part of your bile, and it helps to break down and absorb fat in the gastrointestinal tract. And remember, this is dissolving fat cells. These cells don't come back."
Michelle, who is a surgical tech for Dr. Greco, didn't want surgery, which until now had been the only way to slim down the chin.
When she first heard about an injection that melts fat, what did she think?
"How amazing is that!" Michelle said.
Kybella has only been tested and approved for the chin. It's done with some local numbing, then a grid maps where the injections are placed.
"I didn't feel anything. A little burning here and there, but nothing I couldn't handle," Michelle said.
It will take a few weeks to see the results. There's some initial swelling. Photos from the maker of Kybella show the results before and after.
"I think this is just another ace in the hole when it comes to minimally-invasive therapy," Dr. Greco said.
The product is just now being distributed to doctors who are specially trained. The company hasn't yet determined what the procedure will cost. That is expected in the next few weeks.
For more information, you can go to these links:
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm444978.htm
