Can CoolSculpting damage my gallbladder/liver?

Question

I had coolsculpting 3 weeks ago and after 2 days I have had a pain under my right rib. Doctor has informed me it is my gallbladder. Could the lipo treatment have caused it, if so how long will it last.

Ron Shelton, MD · Answer

CoolSculpting won't damage a gall bladder or liver. It might cause tenderness on a rib cage from the suction applied during the whole treatment time and can cause pain over the hip bones if the applicator was applied to those areas.Any unusual symptoms should be evaluated by your treating doctor and primary care doctor as well and possibly a referral to a specialist to rule out coincidental secondary medical issues.The information provided in Dr. Shelton's answer is for educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice.  The information provided should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with a qualified health professional who may be familiar with your individual medical needs

Martin Jugenburg, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Coolsculpting only targets your fat cells and should not cause any harm to surrounding tissues or organs. Please follow up with your doctor. Regards,

Ravi Jain, MBBS · Answer

Coolsculpting is a completely non invasive treatment that only treats the fat layer under the skin. It cannot have any effect on structures below the muscles and rib cage.

What you are probably feeling is some muscular/subcutaneous tenderness caused by the pulling sensation only. It will settle with time. If it doesn't ask you GP to consider other causes - it will not be Coolsculpting.

Karl Hekimian, MD · Answer

It is extremely unlikely that Cool Sculpting caused a gall bladder injury. If you have a hernia in the area it is possible, but still very unlikely that you would have an isolated gall bladder problem.

Josh Waltzman, MD, MBA · Answer

It would be very unlikely that the CoolSculpting treatment had any effect on your gallbladder.  Depending on where you had your CoolSculping treatment on your abdomen it is possible that you have a bruise in that area or that some of the superficial nerves in that area are temporarily irritated.  In my experience, treating over the lower ribs can cause a little more discomfort than other areas on the abdomen.  Having said that, if you are having continued pain in that area then you need to see your doctor for an evaluation and work up to make sure there isn't a separate issue going on with your gallbladder.  Best of luck!

Garry K. Kim, MD · Answer

Hi Kazzer,
CoolSculpting will not damage your gallbladder.  It cannot come into direct contact with the gallbladder.  Furthermore, the release of fat from dying fat cells is very gradual and will not cause gallstone formation.  Plus, symptomatic gallstones take months and years to develop.  If you have pain underneath the ribs on the right side, you could have gallstones. The best way to diagnose gallstones is to get an ultrasound of your liver and gallbladder.  
Hope this helps,
Dr. Garry K. Kim

Jennifer Cova, DO · Answer

When performed as recommended by Zeltiq, and using applicators appropriately, there should be no issues that would inflame the gallbladder post treatment.  I would suggest looking into if anything in your nutrition has changed or even something food wise (washing, cooking, etc) has changed.  Would need more info on where your treatment was as well, it is possible it could be late pain coming on if abdomen was done.  This can happen after treatment.  Hope you are feeling better and start to see your amazing results soon.

Michael Temkin, DO · Answer

Coolsculpting is very safe. There has been extensive research on the Coolsculpting system, it is designed to selectively reduce unwanted fat. This procedure was based on the scientific principle that fat cells are more sensitive to cold than the overlying skin and surrounding tissues.

Can CoolSculpting damage my gallbladder/liver?

Answers (8)

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