Ultrasound assessment of abdominal adipose panniculus in patients treated with a single session of cryolipolysis in a clinical setting

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness and safety of cryolipolysis treatment (four‐to‐six cycles in one session) for reducing abdominal fat. METHODS: Retrospective study conducted on consecutive healthy women who underwent one session of cryolipolysis for abdominal fat reduction. Ultrasound images (USI) were acquired at baseline and at month 6 after treatment. A patient‐tailored approach based on adipose tissue depth and architecture was selected. RESULTS: Thirty women were included. The mean age was 51.4 ± 3.4 years, and 27 (90%) were menopausal. At month 6, the mean abdominal fat layer thickness reduction was 46.6% (41.2%–51.9%). The mean contour was significantly reduced from 84.3, 99.2, 90.6, and 97.1 cm to 81.0, 93.6, 85.8, and 92.2 cm in the infracostal, supraumbilical, umbilical, and ischiopubic regions, respectively; p < 0.0001 each. There were no significant changes in weight, body mass index, fat mass, or lean mass throughout the study. After adjusting for smoking, exercise, hypothyroidism, and type of fat, there was a significant reduction in abdominal fat layer thickness (−4.5 ± 0.9 mm, p < 0.0001) and contour measurements in infracostal (−3.3 ± 2.4 mm, p = 0.0317); supraumbilical (−4.8 ± 2.1 mm, p = 0.0254); umbilical (−5.6 ± 2.3, p = 0.0161); and ischiopubic (−4.9 ± 1.8 mm, p = 0.0080). The qualitative analysis of the USI suggested the appearance of numerous bands of ordered and structured collagen fibers. CONCLUSIONS: Four‐to‐six cycles of cryolipolysis, administered in one session, seemed to be a safe and effective procedure for reducing localized fat in the abdominal region in this sample. Additionally, ultrasound images suggested that cryolipolysis was associated with a skin quality improvement and neocollagenesis.