Fat grafting (lipoaugmentation, liposculpture) is a procedure designed to correct body lines, or to increase some parts of the body. Adipose tissue is taken for transplanting from the patient’s own hypoderma. Thus, frequently the suction of fat and grafting are carried out simultaneously: adipose tissue is removed from the areas where it is excessive (buttocks, thighs, back) and transplanted where line correction is required (in the breasts, buttocks, facial wrinkles).
Operation
Fat is taken with a special curette using a negative pressure (when fat cells are required for transplanting, suction is carried out by using the machine rather than a syringe resulting in less traumatized cells, more of them remaining viable, and are assimilated better). Subsequently, fat cells are thoroughly prepared for transplantation: they are washed and separated from the tissue fluid. The prepared tissue is introduced with syringes into the required areas, spreading the cells evenly under the skin of a patient. The more accurately they are distributed, the higher content of them is naturalised. The breast is usually injected with 100 to 300 ml, the buttocks with 200-600 ml, the face wrinkles with 10-20 ml of adipose tissue at a time. Of course, the greater the amount of transplanting, the less likely all of it will naturalise.
Fat intake areas and techniques
Operational risk
The main adverse effects of fat transplantation – grafted tissue resorption (disappearance, decrease in volume). However, depending on the liposuction technique, attention in its administration, individual patient body characteristics, can 30-70 percent of the transplanted adipose tissue volume can be naturalised. Other complications include the infection, bleeding, tissue liquid accumulation but they are relatively rare (1-5 per cent of all cases).
Post-operative period
The patient recovers capacity for work after 1-2 weeks. It is advised to avoid physical train for 2-4 weeks. Cosmetic effect of fat transplantation is long-term, but it depends to a large extent on the patients’ lifestyle, diet and physical activity.