Lipofilling - fat tissue transfer

Lipofilling or lipotransfer is a procedure to fill in areas where there is loss of our own fat tissue on the face and body, most often caused by aging, using our own fat tissue. The word comes from the English language, where ‘lipo’ means fat, and ‘filling’ means filling.

The advantage of using your own fat tissue is that our body accepts ‘its’ fat and the long-lasting results refer to that part of the fat tissue that is not broken down. During the procedure, special techniques for purifying the fat tissue (the fat passes through connectors of different sizes) result in different sizes of fat cells, from the so-called macro-fat (breast augmentation with fat tissue is the most well-known), micro-fat, all the way to its smallest component, nano-fat, which is actually not fat, but stem cells from fat.

Fat tissue is transferred, i.e. applied to the selected region, which results in volumization and regeneration of the treated area. In other words, lipotransfer transfers fat cells and stem cells from the fat tissue of one region of the body to another desired region where it is needed. For example, most often from the abdominal wall region below the navel (but it can also be some other regions such as the inner and outer thighs, hips or knees) to another region – the region around the eyes which we call the temporal region, cheekbones, cheeks, jaw, chin, lip augmentation with fat tissue, breast augmentation with fat tissue and buttock augmentation with fat tissue or to a place where we have a certain asymmetry of natural tissue and we want to alleviate it in some way.

With lipofilling, certain regions of the face are shaped:

• the loss of volume of the temporal region is corrected – the position of the eyebrows, the loss of volume of the upper and lower eyelids (augmentation blepharoplasty), lipofilling of the dark circles, so that it can be combined or used independently as part of surgical correction of the eyelids,
• loss of volume of cheekbones and cheeks,
• deformities of the jaw in the sense of an undefined jaw and a small chin, which can also be an addition to facelift surgery,
• lip augmentation with fatty tissue.

Of course, the prerequisite is that we have enough of our own fat tissue and that there is a certain problem that can be corrected with our own fat tissue.

In addition to volume compensation, the procedure will also achieve tissue regeneration and rejuvenation. Transferred fatty tissue will fill in irregularities on the skin, and the procedure can correct and alleviate facial defects where there is tissue atrophy – cheekbones and cheeks can be shaped, dark circles can be reduced, so-called. lipofilling under the eyes, soften wrinkles and improve the tone and quality of the skin.

In order for adipose tissue and stem cells to be used for lipotransfer, they need to be adequately collected, processed, and only then applied.

LIPOFILLING TECHNIQUES

Depending on the size of the fat we want to apply, different application cannulas are used. It is also important how we will later process the fat and how we will apply it.

For the best and most natural results, three lipofilling techniques are used: nanolipofilling, microlipofilling, and macrolipofilling. The difference lies in the goal and the region being treated.

Each technique uses a different type of biofiller (fat tissue): macro-fat , micro-fat or nano-fat .
We distinguish and divide these types of biofillers according to the size of processed fat units, the amount of remaining fat cells in the final product, as well as the anatomical region in which they are applied.

Nanolipofilling

The nanolipofilling technique works with nano-fat, or fat stem cells, between 400 and 600 microns in size. Here, in fact, we only obtain stem cells in large quantities.

For this reason, nano-fat is used in regions where tissue regeneration is necessary:

• on the eyelids to improve pigmentation,
• for improving acne scars,
• improves the quality of facial skin as a mesotherapy agent using the microneedling method,
• better tone, reduced hyperpigmentation, reduction of wrinkles.

When it comes to nanolipofilling, the final results will be seen 8 months after the procedure, as long as it takes the stem cells to stimulate the skin tissue. The results of nanolipofilling are seen in the form of a general improvement in the quality of the skin.

Microlipofilling

Tissue filling with fat size of 1 mm and less is used to correct the entire face by applying fat tissue at different depths and in several different directions. This will allow the own tissue to be received thanks to nutrition in the place where it was placed. It is most often used for the correction of loss of volume in the temporal region, volumization and shaping of the upper and lower eyelids, cheekbones, cheeks, jaw and chin, as well as correction of nasolabial and marionette wrinkles.

It can also help reduce acne scars or scars caused by certain trauma, such as stretch marks.

Macrolipofilling

It is performed when a larger amount of adipose tissue is needed, using cells with a diameter larger than 1 mm, which allows for the restoration and correction of the volume of a large area.

This technique is used to treat larger regions of the body that require larger volumes of fat tissue – breast lipofilling, i.e. breast augmentation with fat tissue, leg (calf) augmentation and buttock augmentation with fat tissue.

Candidates for fat cell transfer are primarily patients who have sufficient fat in the donor regions.

Candidates are people who have noticed:

• loss of volume in the face
• Wrinkle formation
• cellulite dimples
• the appearance of dark circles
• deficiency in tissue
• want to enlarge their lips, breasts or buttocks

Candidates are patients who have loss of volume in the face or other regions of the body, or who have pronounced asymmetries and deformities.

You should stop smoking at least four weeks before the procedure, and two weeks before, stop taking aspirin or any other supplements that affect blood coagulation, as well as some medications that prevent inflammation, because their content can cause bleeding.

During your consultation at the Bagatin Polyclinic, talk honestly with your doctor about your expectations, be open about your medical history, allergies to medications or food, and tell your doctor if you suffer from any chronic diseases or take certain medications.

The process of taking fat tissue

The fat tissue harvesting process can be done under local or general anesthesia, depending on the area and amount of tissue that needs to be collected.

Fat tissue is taken with cannulas of a certain size and, after special filtering and processing, depending on the type of fat and the type of lipofilling being performed, the processed fat cells are applied to the desired location. Fat is most often taken from the abdomen and inner thighs.

The lipofilling (lipotransfer) procedure is performed in four steps.
Each step is important in order to ensure a high rate of fat retention (the so-called high graft intake) and to obtain tissue of optimal quality in the final result.
First step: Preparation of adipose tissue (tissue infiltration)

A special fluid is injected into the area from which the fat cells will be extracted to facilitate the extraction of the fat tissue.

Second step: Removal of fat tissue (extraction)

After preparation and administration of adequate anesthesia, the procedure begins with the removal of fat tissue, or suction (aspiration). Fat tissue can be removed manually or using a liposuction device. The obtained tissue is immediately processed to prepare it for application. It is important to begin processing immediately so that the fat remains vital and so that as much fat as possible is absorbed during the application.