What is the lipograft technique?
Lipografts are also known in our usual jargon as lipoinjections or lipoimplants or lipostructure, in short all these terms coincide in the same thing which is to extract a portion of adipose tissue from under our skin, the procedure is usually done by liposuction of small volumes, although sometimes as in gluteal lipografts are larger amounts. Ultimately, once this fat is obtained and properly processed, it becomes an injectable filler material, that is what a lipograft is. Normally the deposition of this tissue is performed by injection in the places where we want to improve the volume or profiles of the area to be treated.
For which areas is this surgery indicated?
Adipose tissue grafts can be used in practically any area of the body. If we start with the face, it would be very useful for facial remodeling or for facial reconstruction due to soft tissue defects. In the thoracic area, both in men and women, we can make a remodeling of the pectoral area, aesthetic breast augmentation or breast reconstruction in its entirety. In the gluteal area it is very useful to make augmentations or remodeling, the same happens with the thigh area where we can also make remodeling of the surface and profiles of the thigh, in the calves we can make volume augmentation and in the ankles we can also make a remodeling to increase the thickness, in the forearms and wrists can also be enlarged for the same purposes.
What advantages does it have over other fillers that exist today?
Adipose tissue does not need any type of integration, that is to say, there is an attachment and therefore a survival of a group of cells. This means that there are no rejections of any kind and therefore the side effects derived from them do not exist. On the other hand, synthetic fillers have to be integrated by the organism and therefore there may be rejection phenomena and adverse effects that would not occur with adipose tissue. On the other hand, the content of regenerative cells and stem cells from adipose tissue – which synthetic materials do not contain – would be a very interesting additional advantage.
How long do fat fillers last?
Since the fat will attach and survive in its new location, there is no durability as such, the tissue simply survives or does not survive and this phenomenon occurs between 7 days and 4 months approximately. All the tissue that has already taken hold will not disappear because it will become a natural tissue that will accompany the patient’s life throughout his or her existence, therefore, when faced with changes in body weight or aging, this tissue will react in a completely natural way. The fact that it does not disappear does not mean that it does not age and therefore in the future this patient may need additional treatments.