Liposuction Fat Fueling Cars and Boats

Liposuction, Plastic Surgery Comments (1)

Ever wonder what happens to the fat taken out in the nation’s 302,000 liposuction procedures during 2007? It is disposed as medical waste.

But in two cases, the fat has been converted to fuel and used to power race boats and cars. (We are not making this up! Read more about liposuctioned fat used in a speed boat.)

Of course, the skipper of the boat and several others could only raise three gallons of fat between them, only enough to go nine miles. The real purpose was to publicize the concept of using biofuels.

Now, a Beverly Hills “cosmetic” surgeon ran with the same idea, according to “Fill ‘Er Up with Human Fat” in Forbes.com and other news reports, sent in by alert Los Angeles area readers.

(Actually, we’re not quite sure what to call the physician because his medical education and training was in diagnostic radiology although he ran a Beverly Hills liposuction clinic. According to his website, he supervised five other physician assistants who performed the actual liposuctioning, creating a new version of the blind leading the blind.)

Not to digress, but it underscores the need to always, always check on the education and training of a cosmetic surgeon. (See our post on checking a doctor’s credentials.)

Unqualified physicians often advertise they can perform:

• Breast augmentation
• Face Lift
• Rhinoplasty
• Tummy tuck

At any rate, according news reports, the Beverly Hills doctor was also a BioDiesel fan and, yes, you have guess where this is going: He made and used BioDiesel from fat removed from patients.

His now defunct website once said: “The vast majority of my patients request I use their fat for fuel…”

News blogs reported the doctor powered two S.U.Vs with the fat.

I don’t think it’s what people had in mind when they considered getting rid of their spare tires!

admin @ December 30, 2008