The story of a woman who suffered an abscess side effect after receiving a fat-dissolving injection… As the abscess grew, it burst and a hole was created in her stomach. It is not FDA approved and is a product that has received European CE certification, but there is a potential for side effects if the procedure is not performed properly.
The story of a woman who got a lipolytic injection to lose belly fat and ended up with a hole in her stomach as a side effect was told. The hole that appeared to tear her stomach was 6.985cm deep and 10.16cm wide.
According to recent reports from the New York Post and other American daily newspapers, Julia Rani, 58, from Hertfordshire, England, decided to get fat-dissolving injections in July 2023 because she didn’t want to gain weight after menopause and wanted to feel more confident about her body. Wanting a cost-effective, non-invasive way to lose belly fat, she started getting Aqualyx injections, a fat-dissolving agent for the abdomen, at a local aesthetic clinic. The cosmetic doctor injected 16 Aqualyx injections into Rani’s abdomen. She spent $155 (about 200,000 won) on this procedure.
Rani signed a waiver and was told to wait three to four days for treatment if she experienced any side effects. No wonder, because she felt a sharp fever and pain in the area immediately after the injection. She tried to relieve the pain by applying a cold washcloth, but the pain got worse over the next few days. Eventually, a fist-sized abscess developed in her abdomen, and after a week, the area swelled and burst open, as if her abdomen had been torn open. “It was so painful that I couldn’t touch it or move it,” she recalled.
An abscess is an inflammatory lesion that is formed by the accumulation of pus within the body tissue. Pus is formed by white blood cells, dead cells, and tissue debris gathering in the infected area. This abscess on Rani’s abdomen grew to the size of a small cabbage and eventually burst.
Lani was taken to the hospital with a burst abscess and underwent emergency surgery. The medical team said they had never seen anything like this before and performed emergency treatment before performing surgery to stitch up the hole in her abdomen. The wound had to be bandaged and dressed for five weeks to heal, and she ended up with a 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) scar.
The local dissolving injection Aqualix that Rani was hit with received the European CE Mark in 2012, but is not approved by the UK MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) or the US FDA. Although its safety and effectiveness have been recognized in Europe through the CE Mark, potential side effects remain.
Because Rani signed a consent form that listed abscesses as a side effect, she was not entitled to compensation from the salon or the manufacturer of Aqualix. “I did a month of online research before getting the procedure, and I never saw abscesses listed as a side effect,” she said. “Even when I signed it, it was so general that I didn’t know it could cause abscesses.” She said she was told that the worst case scenario was that the treatment would not work, so she believed them.
“I hope this ordeal serves as a warning to others,” Rani said. “I want to advise them to be aware that this procedure can have serious consequences and to think very carefully before undergoing it, and only go to a certified cosmetic doctor.”
There is only one product that has received FDA approval for fat dissolving injections in the US… If not administered by a qualified medical professional, side effects may occur
“Like any other treatment, there are risks to lipolytic injections,” says Dr. Qasim Usmani, a UK-based specialist in injectable and cosmetic dermatology. “It’s important to see a qualified professional who understands the anatomy of the area to be injected, as well as the exact location, depth, and dosage.”
He then cautioned that many fat-dissolving injections are being purchased online and are reported to contain questionable ingredients that can cause side effects. “These side effects can occur even with safe products approved in Europe, such as Aqualix,” Dr. Kasim said. “If administered by a qualified medical professional in a controlled medical environment, these risks can be greatly reduced.”
Aqualix is a non-surgical fat-dissolving injection containing a substance called deoxycholate, which is mainly used to remove fat cells in specific areas of the body for obesity treatment or cosmetic purposes. It is usually applied to areas where fat is accumulated, such as the chin, abdomen, thighs, buttocks, and arms. It works by destroying the fat cell membranes in the injected area, breaking down the fat into a liquid form, and the melted fat is discharged from the body through the lymphatic system. Although it has been approved for use in some countries, including the UK, it has not been approved by the US FDA.
Currently, the only fat-dissolving drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is Kybella. It is approved for the removal of fat under the chin (double chin) but is not FDA approved for use anywhere else. The active ingredient is a synthetic form of a bile acid that exists in the body.
According to the FDA, unapproved fat-dissolving injections are now being used in clinics and medical spas across the United States. Aqualix, which has been approved for use in the United Kingdom since 2012 but is not yet approved by the US FDA, is also being used widely in the United States. The FDA warns that potential side effects of unapproved fat-dissolving injections include permanent scarring, serious infections, skin disfigurement, and cysts. People should be careful not to have unlicensed practitioners perform the procedure or self-inject at home, because of the risk of infection and other serious complications, according to the FDA.
In the United States, as the number of people injecting fat-dissolving injections at home increases, caution is advised. Dr. Dan Maselli, an obesity medicine doctor at True You Weight Loss in Atlanta, told NBC News, “If you buy fat-dissolving injections online and try to treat yourself, you may not know where you are injecting them.” He added, “You should avoid self-treating areas that you think are fat tissue, because they may actually be muscle tissue, blood vessels, or nerves.”
Meanwhile, in Korea, the only officially approved fat-dissolving injections are ‘Bellacoline’ and ‘V-Olet’. However, the FDA has not approved these products.
Source: kormedi.com
