A Utah Woman has filed a lawsuit against Arnold Scott Devous, claimng that he misrepresented his medical credentials and mixed his mesotherapy concoction in his basement. The plaintiff, Brooke Horan, ended up with lumps and nodules on her stomach, hot flashes, heart palpitations, bruises and intense pain.
In a recent SpaTrade news story (5/13/05), medical spa expert Cheryl Whitman touted the effects of mesotherapy as being nothing short of miraculous. Whitman personally experienced a series of treatments that she claims reduced the cellulite on her legs and abdomen by at least one third. Critics, however, are concerned that there is no standard for the mixture or dosage, and mainstream doctors argue the therapy is unsupported by research.
According to the Salt Lake City Tribune, the lawsuit filed Wednesday claims that Devous 'unlawfully mixed controlled substances together in the basement of his home in order to make the substance used in mesotherapy. Devous had absolutely no quality control or assurances when mixing the substance, and he mixed them in an unsanitary environment.' The lawsuit alleges Horan received 70 to 100 injections, which included local anesthetic Lidocaine and other medications, beginning in March 2004. 'I've had heart issues because of this,' Horan said. 'I just don't feel that it's right he did this procedure.'
Alan Matarasso, a plastic surgeon in Manhattan who recently wrote about mesotherapy for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said most plastic surgeons don't offer mesotherapy due to the unknowns. 'People are having things injected into them, and they don't know what the cocktail is or what the long-term effects are,' Matarasso said. 'It's hard to endorse mesotherapy because we don't know what we're injecting or where the fat goes.' Adelson and others argue the pharmaceutical industry is unwilling to pay for studies of mesotherapy because the procedure uses a mixture of substances that likely can't be patented, and, therefore, would not be lucrative to produce. Matarasso said that is no excuse. 'We need to make patient safety first,' he said. 'As plastic surgeons, we would certainly embrace something that is less invasive and can correct cellulite, but we need more information.'
In a recent SpaTrade news story (5/13/05), medical spa expert Cheryl Whitman touted the effects of mesotherapy as being nothing short of miraculous. Whitman personally experienced a series of treatments that she claims reduced the cellulite on her legs and abdomen by at least one third. Critics, however, are concerned that there is no standard for the mixture or dosage, and mainstream doctors argue the therapy is unsupported by research.
According to the Salt Lake City Tribune, the lawsuit filed Wednesday claims that Devous 'unlawfully mixed controlled substances together in the basement of his home in order to make the substance used in mesotherapy. Devous had absolutely no quality control or assurances when mixing the substance, and he mixed them in an unsanitary environment.' The lawsuit alleges Horan received 70 to 100 injections, which included local anesthetic Lidocaine and other medications, beginning in March 2004. 'I've had heart issues because of this,' Horan said. 'I just don't feel that it's right he did this procedure.'
Alan Matarasso, a plastic surgeon in Manhattan who recently wrote about mesotherapy for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said most plastic surgeons don't offer mesotherapy due to the unknowns. 'People are having things injected into them, and they don't know what the cocktail is or what the long-term effects are,' Matarasso said. 'It's hard to endorse mesotherapy because we don't know what we're injecting or where the fat goes.' Adelson and others argue the pharmaceutical industry is unwilling to pay for studies of mesotherapy because the procedure uses a mixture of substances that likely can't be patented, and, therefore, would not be lucrative to produce. Matarasso said that is no excuse. 'We need to make patient safety first,' he said. 'As plastic surgeons, we would certainly embrace something that is less invasive and can correct cellulite, but we need more information.'