New Liposuction Technique May Reduce 'Buffalo Humps'

A form of liposuction guided by ultrasound imaging appears to offer safe, but nonpermanent reductions in the accumulation of fat at the base of the neck often called 'buffalo hump' that some people taking anti-HIV drugs develop, according to researchers in Albany, N.Y. A small study published in the online version of Clinical Infectious Diseases in October showed that by using ultrasonography to produce clear images of the fatty deposits, doctors were able to remove fat from even fibrous areas that traditional liposuction cannot treat. All 10 HIV-positive patients who underwent ultrasonography-assisted liposuction showed partial reduction in hump size, the researchers said. But the hump eventually returning to preoperation size in five of the patients, two of whom underwent a second fat-removing procedure. Ultrasonography-assisted liposuction was well-tolerated without any immediate side effects in all of the patients, according to the study.