Lipofilling
Lipofilling consists of centrifuging and purifying the fat which has been suctioned out of the patient’s body in order to inject it in other areas such as the buttocks or neckline to create volume in those areas.
The procedure was developed so that the surgeon could recreate volume and enhance the silhouette by transplanting autologous fat tissue, thus eliminating the risk of rejection or reaction to a foreign body.
Before the surgery
Two mandatory consultations will take place. As in the procedure of liposuction, a stable weight that is in the normal range is key to the success of the surgery. Patients need to stop smoking in order to avoid thrombo-embolic accidents, and to assure a good vascularization of the tissues for an optimal engraftment of the fat cells.
The procedure
A lipostructure or a lipofilling consists of 2 operations:
- Liposuction that will remove fat from some classic liposuction areas such as the saddlebags, the inner part of the thigh, of the knees, the sides and the stomach area. The fat is collected under sterile conditions before being cleaned and filtered. Then it is centrifuged in order to extract the fat cells only and to eliminate blood and liquid fat.
- The second operation consists of injecting the purified fat in the treated areas (buttock, calves…) with very thin cannulas that do not leave any scar.
After the procedure
After a lipofilling, the treated areas should be kept under pressure for a period of 1 month, the same as with a liposuction. The operation is usually painless; however some patients might need basic painkillers. In the case of significant lipofilling, a preventive anti-coagulation treatment can be prescribed in order to avoid thrombo-embolic accidents.
The injected fat will be sensitive to weight fluctuations and will loose or gain volume like the rest of the body in the case of loss or gain of weight.
Usual activities can begin about 8 days after surgery and sport activities can be resumed progressively after 1 month.
Edema appear in the treated areas. However, it will disappear after a few weeks. The definitive result will be evident in about 6 months.
The first shower is permitted the day after the surgery, but baths should be avoided for 1 month. The scars need to be protected from the sun for a full year after the surgery!
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can fat be injected?
Any area where there is not enough or you want more: the face, buttocks and breasts are the most common in cosmetic surgery. Scars and traumatic after-effects are the most common reasons in reconstructive surgery.
Where is the fat taken?
The fat can be taken from any area with excess fat. For facial surgery, the most common area is the knees, because this fat is particularly stable despite potential weight changes. For the body, the fat is taken from any area possible (inner thighs, knees, abdomen, love handles, back or arms).
I’m rather slim, can this procedure be done on me?
Yes, but the amount of fat available will be low. We cannot achieve large augmentations in volume.
Does the fat reabsorb over time?
After lipofilling, between 40% and 60% of the fat remains, and the rest of the fat injected dies and is eliminated naturally within a few months. However, after six months, the remaining fat stays in place for life. That means that the final result is achieved about six months after surgery. You should note that this fat, like the rest of the body, is sensitive to weight changes. So you should avoid untimely weight loss that could compromise the result.
What is the difference between lipofilling, liposculpture and lipomodelage?
Lipomodelage is the French term for lipofilling. Liposculpture involves shaping body fat and can combine liposuction (removing fat) or lipofilling (adding fat). Basically, these terms are relatively synonymous, and lipofilling always involves liposculpture.
