Advanced Dermatology on Linda Evangelista’s Rare CoolSculpting Complications
As some of you may know, supermodel Linda Evangelista, has issued a statement regarding complications from her CoolSculpting treatments many years ago. The details of her treatment are unknown, but we do know that she had developed something called Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia (PAH), which is a known, post-treatment complication associated with cryolipolysis where there is an increase in adipose tissue and an enlargement of the targeted area. Her statement includes negligence from her treatment provider, as they “failed to inform” her about the risk of PAH.
We have known about this rare complication associated with CoolSculpting and discuss it with patients during their consultation and informed consent process. At this time, there is no known common risk factor for developing PAH. In 2014, a study published in the journal of the American Medical Association for Dermatology noted that PAH has an incident rate of 0.0051%. Subsequent remodels of the machine, which has lowered the intensity of the suction and discomfort post-treatment, have been shown to reduce the incidence of this complication. Based on the manufacturer data, PAH is known to occur in 0.3% of patients. PAH is almost always correctable with liposuction or surgery. Allergan, the makers of CoolSculpting, has been aware of this problem for many years and have been willing to pay for surgical solutions to correct this, depending on the patient’s individual circumstances.
Over the past 11 years, we have performed over 1,000 treatments and have seen three cases of paradoxical adipose hyperplasia. We decided it was important for us to inform you about a story that is being widely repeated on media outlets. We wanted to reassure you that we are aware of this and already take this into account with all of our treatments. This emphasizes our belief that you should always seek out a medical practice that will give you an honest assessment of risks. Medical procedures have risks and we do everything in our power to reduce the risks and treat them appropriately if they do arise. In general, CoolSculpting is proven to be safe and while most patients are satisfied with their treatment, there are potential complications that every person should be made aware of before choosing to move forward with any medical or cosmetic procedure.