By: Dr. Craig Crippen

In my last blog, I made mention of my friend Keisha’s trip to Los Angeles and her witnessing of a “Freeze The Fat” billboard. She was only too excited to tell me about it when she returned from her trip. It enlightened me to the fact CoolSculpting is slowly but surely beginning to receive the attention it deserves. Especially considering that this billboard is up in Hollywood – a place where cosmetic surgery is rampant –
it’s important to spread the word about this safe procedure.

Of the many things that Hollywood stars are known for, it’s their cosmetic surgeries – and worse, the horror stories that are attached to them. One of the saddest ones that I can think of involves Donda West – the mother of hip-hop superstar, Kanye West. Following a liposuction procedure in 2007, Ms. West passed away. A New York Daily News story covering the tragedy reveals that although the chances of death following cosmetic surgery are rare, there is always a risk.

”Death from cosmetic surgery is relatively rare, occurring in just one of 51,459 operations, according to the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery,” reads the article. It goes on to mention that Ms. West likely suffered from uncontrolled bleeding after going home to recover from the reported tummy tuck and breast reduction.  When autopsy reports were finally released, as reported on TheSmokingGunn.com, it was found that coronary artery disease impacted by the cosmetic surgeries was the official cause of death.

Again, it should be stated that death as a result of plastic surgery is a rarity. But this only highlights the undeniable fact that there is always a risk involved with surgery. CoolSculpting rids any worry of such risks. To reiterate the greatest points about this non-surgical procedure, there
are no incisions, no injections, no anesthesia and no downtime required. This FDA-approved procedure takes the risk away!

In the case of Ms. West, the New York Daily News report mentions that she was warned about the risks of her surgery prior to going under the knife. According to the report, Dr. Andre Aboolian recommended that she take a cardiac stress test before making the decision to have surgery. He also insisted that she prepare to recuperate in a care facility stressing that “the most dangerous time after surgery is the first 48 hours”.

Excess weight and the resulting appearance of fat is a very serious matter that does not have to have tragic outcomes. Of course, diet and exercise will always be recommended, but it’s important to understand that we all have different body shapes and sizes. Our metabolisms are different as well, so the breaking down of fat is easier for some people than it is for others.

CoolSculpting is a not a quick fix, mind you. But it is definitely a revolutionary procedure that helps for the breaking down of fat cells to be a much safer experience than the cosmetic surgeries that have the potential to take lives. Again, this is not to say that going under the
knife is a death wish. However, it is certainly not for everyone. Factors including your weight, age and previous medical history may eliminate you from being a cosmetic surgery candidate.

For more information about CoolSculpting, contact a licensed physician and be sure to get the facts before making any decisions about what procedure would work best for you. There’s no reason to be stubborn about getting rid of stubborn fat. Know the facts and know the risks. I’m just very happy that there is such a procedure that eliminates the risks – while eliminating unwanted fat!