El lipofilling (o lipotransferencia) It is a technique that consists of removing fat from one part of the body to place it in another. And it is that subcutaneous fat has several characteristics that make it an ideal tissue for various treatments. It can be used as a filling material and to add volume.
Dr Carlos Gullon, Plastic surgeon at Clínica FEMM, explains that this surgery consists of two steps. “First, excess fat is suctioned from certain body areas, like the abdominal flanks, through liposuction. After, This fat is treated to remove impurities and is repositioned in the regions where we want to achieve more volume.”.
The main areas that patients ask for are chest, buttocks and calves. On the face are dark circles, cheekbones and nasolabial fold. “With lipofilling we can also fill certain types of scars to improve their appearance”, comment.
The effects of the operation can be clearly seen after several weeks, when the inflammation has disappeared and the body has reabsorbed part of the injected fat, something that happens in all cases.
Dr. Gullón explains that this surgery is performed with local anesthesia and sedation. “We usually leave the patient hospitalized one day. It is not a painful process”, says.
Over the next few weeks, stress to patients the importance of not smoking, since tobacco decreases the amount of implanted fat that survives in the body.
“It is also important to avoid great physical exertion during the first month.. However, walking is highly recommended for recovery, since these walks help lymphatic drainage and reduce inflammation of the skin”.
The doctor usually recommends his patients to follow postoperative therapies. “For example, At FEMM we have a recovery protocol in which we combine INDIBA radiofrequency, manual lymphatic drainage and light therapy from Bioptron. Through different sessions of these three treatments we get the edema to decrease faster, speeding up the recovery process.”
On the other hand, they also instruct their patients to use sunscreen on bruises.
On the average age of people who demand this type of intervention, Gullón comments that the age range is wide, because the possibilities of lipofilling are very varied. “We can meet patients of more than 60 años, to whom lipofilling rejuvenates their faces by providing volume in areas where they have lost it due to age, such as cheekbones or neck”.
We also asked about the clearest examples of this practice in women known, and the doctor replies that “probably most celebrities have been able to resort to lipofilling, especially the facial, as it provides similar results to any known filler (like hyaluronic acid), but with the great advantages that it is completely compatible with each patient, being your own fat, and that its results are lasting over time, and with this we speak of years”.
But what about the dangers of the operation? This surgery has some unlikely risks, such as bleeding and bruising.
“Although it is rare, certain asymmetries may appear, loss of sensation in the area and, in very isolated cases, fat necrosis. That's why, both in lipofilling and in any other cosmetic surgery, it is necessary to go to qualified professionals who use the best methods and follow the instructions of the surgeon to the letter”, points Gullón.
By last, we ask if this surgery is usually done alone or if there is a usual kit that includes several interventions at the same time.
“By the way we get the fat, lipofilling and liposuction are two surgeries that usually go hand in hand. Although sometimes the amount of fat we need is very small, The usual thing is that patients who ask us for liposuction use part of that extracted fat to make these touch-ups that we have been talking about”, points out the doctor.
He also comments that lipofilling can be combined with other surgeries such as breast augmentation or buttock augmentation.: this fat injection allows a very natural transition of the prosthesis with the breast or buttock.
“It is also common for us to combine lipofilling with blepharoplasty, It is a great option to harmonize and rejuvenate the face.”, concludes.
Source: The Spanish
