An inventive plastic surgeon found an unusual way of fuelling his 4x4: by using waste products from liposuction operations.
Dr Craig Alan Bittner, a Beverley Hills surgeon, used the fat sucked out of his patients to create a novel fuel which he called "lipodiesel".
On his website lipodiesel.com, which has since been taken down, Bittner claimed that most of his patients wanted him to use their fat for fuel and that he had: "more fat than I can use". However, his Rodeo Drive clinic has closed, and authorities have launched an inquiry into the claims he made about the biodiesel.
According to Forbes.com, Bittner's activities came under scrutiny after lawsuits alleged that his girlfriend and assistant had been performing surgery without a medical license. The website points out that, while regular biodiesel contains animal fat, it is illegal to power vehicles with human medical waste in the US.
In a farewell letter on the practice website, Dr Bittner claims to have treated over 7,000 'liposculpture' patients without serious complication or infection.
"After 10 years of private practice," he wrote, "I am going back to South America to volunteer with a small clinic that is very similar to where my medical career began decades ago, where I can help those most in need."
