LLUH System Department of Plastic Surgery is First Inland Empire Facility to Offer KYBELLA™ Injection

Loma Linda University Health System department of plastic surgery is now offering KYBELLA™ (deoxycholic acid) injection, the first and only FDA-approved injectable drug that contours and improves the appearance of moderate to severe submental fullness, also known as “double chin.” LLUHS department of plastic surgery is the first and only facility currently offering KYBELLA in the Inland Empire. “We are excited to be the first Inland Empire office to be able to offer KYBELLA to patients,” said Subhas Gupta, MD, CM, PhD, chair, LLUHS department of plastic surgery. Gupta is currently one of only 25 doctors in the United States who has received specialized training on the use of KYBELLA and is able to purchase and administer the product, which was just approved by the FDA earlier this month. “I’m looking forward to making a positive impact on those patients who wish to experience this new and effective product,” he said. Submental fullness is a common, yet under-treated aesthetic condition that is often resistant to diet and exercise alone and is influenced by several factors, including aging, genetics and weight gain. When injected into subcutaneous fat, KYBELLA causes the destruction of fat cells. Once destroyed those fat cells cannot store or accumulate fat. After the desired aesthetic response is achieved, re-treatment is not expected as long as patient’s weight is maintained. “Essentially, KYBELLA will completely eliminate the fat from the area of injection,” Gupta stated. For one patient, that is exactly her hope. Highland resident Cherl Tidwell, 47, a patient of Gupta’s, sought treatment for her double chin. Prior to KYBELLA, liposuction – an invasive operating room procedure – was the most common and effective treatment to reduce or eliminate submental fullness. “Dr. Gupta suggested I hold off on doing anything, so I took his advice,” Tidwell recalled. Gupta, who was involved in the preliminary studies on KYBELLA, knew it would be something Tidwell might benefit from. At her first opportunity after KYBELLA received FDA approval, Tidwell visited the plastic surgery clinic in Loma Linda and was the first patient to ever receive KYBELLA in the Inland Empire. Dr. Gupta administered the first series of injections on Monday, June 22. “The process was simple and the pain was minimal,” Tidwell said after receiving KYBELLA. On a scale of one to ten, Tidwell measured her pain as never surpassing a three. “I had minimal swelling and some redness the day after the injections, but it was a seamless experience.” Each in-office treatment session with KYBELLA takes approximately 45 minutes, with a total injection time of about five minutes. “Patients can expect to see visible results within a month of the first treatment session,” said Gupta, who advised that each session is spaced at least one month apart. A total of up to six treatments may be administered to any one patient. Gupta added, “Each patient’s treatment with KYBELLA is customized so that their aesthetic goals are attained.”