Lipofilling
also called autologous fat transfer, fat grafting, is a natural, non-allergenic way to restore volume and recontour the face and body.
The procedure involves relocating fat from one area of your body to another. The fat is taken, as a rule, from the thighs or abdomen. You might have too much fat in your abdomen or flanks. Wouldn’t it be great if you could remove that fat to become leaner, but then use it to smooth or plump up an area that needs it?
This technique may be used in facial contouring, adding fullness in the cheek area. It provides natural looking, long lasting results without the use of synthetic fillers.
Fat transfer may be used in many areas of the body including:
- Marionette lines
- Nasolabial folds
- Hand rejuvenation
- Hollowness under the eyes
- Cheeks
- Breast
- Buttocks
- Many other areas
Lipofilling is performed in three steps.
- Necessary amount of fat is removed with liposuction technique.
- The fat is filtered and purified.
- The processed and prepared fat cells are injected into the desired areas of improvement.
For smaller amounts of fat transfer local anesthesia is used. General anesthesia is required for body lipofilling, when higher volumes of fat are transferred.
After the procedure
There is almost no rehabilitation period after lipofilling. The patient stays in the clinic not more than 1 day and will need 2-7 days off. Puffiness passes within 7 days. The risk of complications after lipofilling is minimized.
Among possible side effects:
– bruising, swelling, tenderness, up to 24 hours drainage of anesthetic liquid from the donor area;
– bruising, swelling, tenderness in the treated area.
Take special care of the area where the fat was taken from and the area where it was injected.
Antibiotics and mild pain medication will be prescribed to help you with recovery. Make sure to avoid any vigorous physical activity for a couple of weeks as you heal. This will help minimize swelling and bruising.
Asymmetry can occur because of swelling, but it will disappear within some time.
Long-lasting results
After the body absorbs a percentage of the fat (between 20-50%) the correction can be considered permanent. Cells will be combined with blood flow and function like all the other fat cells of the body.
