As a part of plastic surgery, lipotransfer or lipofilling is also known as autologous fat transplantation, which is a remodeling, or reconstructive technique.
Most often, the method is used on the face, but it can also be applied to other parts of the body, such as the chest or buttocks.
The effect of the unique action of lipotransfer on surrounding tissues is:
- restoring their volume
- rejuvenation of the cells of a tissue
- improving blood supply and tissue metabolism
- reduction of fibrotic processes
- anti-inflammatory effect
- improving the structure of skin tissues
These properties make lipotransfer an excellent solution, not only for filling certain areas, but also for restoring the quality and elasticity of the skin and tissues.
Additional advantages that make Lipotransfer an excellent solution are:
- The advantage is that there is no need to use synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that can cause possible complications or rejection reactions. Handling the body's own (autologous) fat as a filter makes the method quite good and preferred.
- High precision fat implantation and minimal trauma after the procedure.
- Lipofilling, provides maximum benefits in the form of natural, lasting results, with the highest level of safety. The explanation - the patient's own fat contains 5% stem cells or mesenchymal cells, which have the ability to regenerate tissues and enhance their biorevitalization properties.
- The results of lipofilling are long lasting and the effect of fat transfer persists for a long time. Lipotransfer is possible for application in different areas. If necessary and desired by the patient, the procedure could be repeated over several years. How often the fat transfer is performed in a particular area depends on individual characteristics, lifestyle, and last but not least, exactly which area needs correction.
- The most important advantage of adipose tissue is the fact of 100% biocompatibility, regenerating and revitalizing properties, as well as the absence of allergies and toxicity.
For what purposes is the lipotransfer procedure suitable?
We use transplantation of our own fat tissue to correct volume loss associated with lack of subcutaneous tissue, aging and sagging skin, and for trauma or birth defects, improving the shape and quality of the tissue. The following interventions are most commonly used:
- for filling and volumizing thin lips
- for sealing facial areas, softening creases in facial areas and removing wrinkles.
- to fill in sunken cheeks, cheekbones, chin area and other areas of the face.
- to correct facial asymmetries
- for shaping more prominent rear parts
- for breast augmentation and modelling in case of loss of profile and volume
- for correction and reshaping of the bust after breast implants
Preoperative procedures:
Patients must first undergo a pre-operative examination, which includes a medical consultation, ECG and blood tests.
Hospitalization:
The complexity and duration of the applied procedure determines whether patients need to be hospitalized or it is possible to perform it on an outpatient basis.
Anesthesia:
Depending on the number of treated areas, their combination, the applied techniques and the set goals of the procedure, the type of anesthesia and the duration of the surgical intervention are determined.
Lipotransfer is usually a minimally invasive procedure using local anesthesia.
Surgical procedure:
- Lipotransfer can be performed in conjunction with major plastic surgery - liposuction. Sometimes the surgeon suggests to apply a filing to a specific area to enhance the effect of the specific surgical intervention. After thorough discussion and prognosis, a final decision is made regarding the proposed interventions and their combination.
- After proper preparation and cleansing, the doctor performs a very precise implantation of the collected lipo-solution in a targeted area - breasts, buttocks or face, by injection. Lipotransfer can be performed virtually anywhere on the body.
How are fat injections used as dermal fillers?
- Facial assessment - the appearance and tone of the skin is assessed and the areas of the face to be treated are examined. Strategic points can be marked and prepared for filler injection.
- Cleaning and anaesthesia - Injection sites are cleaned with an antibacterial agent. Local anaesthetic injection follows.
- Injection - Injection usually takes only a few minutes per zone. Filling is done in a bottom-up direction. Squeezing, massaging and evaluating the result is performed and additional filler is added if necessary.
Depending on the number of areas to be treated, the entire process can be as short as 15 minutes or as long as one hour.
Postoperative care and recovery:
Human fat is the best material for implantation as the body only accepts its own cells. Therefore, the procedure is not traumatic. It has the shortest recovery time and minimal stress on the body, as a whole.
Although the treated areas are tender and sensitive, the intervention is not painful and no additional pain medication is required.
Recovery time varies individually for each patient. Slight side effects depend on the technique used and the number of areas that are lipofibrillated.
At the site of fat removal, there may temporarily be a small scar that becomes imperceptible over time.
In the injected areas, there is a likelihood of mild swelling and bruising for 3-4 days.
Results:
Lipotransfer - transplantation of adipose tissue - is a therapy used in medicine that has gained enormous popularity and development in recent years.
The procedure sculpts the face, restores the volume of the patient's soft tissues and controls the effects of the progression of the aging process. This non-invasive procedure for appearance modeling is completely safe and at the same time has a long-lasting result, achieved through precise implantation and a high rate of healing of fatty tissue - up to 60% vs. 20-30% in the old methods.
The effect achieved is impressive and the body restores its beauty in a very natural way.
Techniques for breast augmentation by lipotransfer:
- Pure Lipotransfer for breast enlargement
- Lipotransfer combined with breast augmentation procedure with implants - Lipotransfer +
Lipotransfer for breast enlargement
It is an alternative to surgery for silicone implants for breast augmentation.
When the bust is very small or saggy due to major weight loss or breastfeeding, the best option is to correct and shape it with autologous fat.
With this type of transfer, an increase of one or one and a half breast sizes is achieved on average and is combined with a slight breast lift. The autologous fat is used as a natural filler. It is sourced from the areas where it is usually excessively accumulated, such as the abdomen, hips or thighs. Extremely realistic results are also achieved in terms of bust shape, softness and subtle feel to the touch.
The procedure is minimally invasive - a special cannula inserts fat tissue in the right amount and in the right area.
The results are permanent and remarkably natural, as 90% of the breast volume is due to fat, and it is with this procedure that augmentation is performed with the same type of tissue.
Implant placement technique combined with Lipotransfer +
The combination of implant placement and lipotransfer is not accidentally included in the strategic points of conventional breast augmentation surgery The advantage of combining them is that the implant size can be smaller, therefore the result is more natural and the additional volume increase is obtained with the patient's lipotransferred fat.
The added lipo-filter is usually placed in the sternum and armpit area or wherever there is a need. A rounder shape and complete concealment of the implant edge is obtained in cases where it is obviously more prominent and visible and where the skin is too thin and the bone between the breasts is quite noticeable.
An anatomically proportionate breast design is achieved by placing additional fat to cover the implant more tightly. The bust has a soft-to-the-touch texture, indistinguishable from a natural breast, due to the fact that autologous fat is the most natural material to use in corrections.
