Lipostructure

Types of Fat Transfer Procedures

Structural fat grafting is a natural means of enhancing and rejuvenating the body and the hands, and our technique of LipoStructure® has every indication of permanence. In this procedure, fat is gently hand-suctioned from a part of your body that has excess fat. This is done through a small incision that is generally hidden in a natural skin crease. The fat is then refined and separated using a centrifuge. The refined fat is then carefully and meticulously placed into the areas in need of improvement using tiny incisions that are again hidden in a natural skin crease.

Fat grafting to the body is useful to correct depressions created during liposuction to increase the size of the buttocks, and to rejuvenate the back of the aging hand. It can also be used to increase the size of the breasts (see section under Breast Procedures).

Correction of Liposuction Deformities

Any patient who undergoes liposuction can be faced with liposuction's most common complication: superficial surface irregularities. Some of these irregularities are exaggerations of preexisting problems, some are caused by cellulite, and some are newly created. The thigh and abdomen are particularly prone to irregularities, and physicians have come to accept such indentations as an acceptable outcome of liposuction. Structural fat grafting can be used to smooth many of these surface irregularities.

In addition to the issue of surface irregularities, occasionally changes in body proportion can also occur after liposuction, resulting in an unnatural or bizarre shape. For instance, a dramatic decrease in the size of a woman's lateral thighs without an appropriate decrease in the size of the waist can result in a “boxy” and even masculine appearance. Flattening the lower abdomen without addressing the upper abdomen can add to this "boxy" appearance. Minor reductions in the volume of the buttock and/or lengthening and deepening of the buttock crease can make the buttock appear droopy. Structural fat grafting is an essential tool, and often the only tool available, to address deformities created by the removal of too much fat.

Buttock Augmentation (“Brazilian Butt Lift”)

The addition of fat to the buttocks for augmentation purposes has become increasingly popular. Fat placed in the buttocks for enlargement can balance out a larger upper body, making it more proportional. It can also be used to round out buttocks that are flat without making them significantly larger. Depending on the degree of augmentation desired, a considerable amount of fat may need to be suctioned from another part of the body. This can be an added benefit for someone who has excess fat elsewhere that they are unhappy with. Small incisions are used for the removal and placement of the fat and the result looks and feels entirely natural.

Calf Augmentation

Fat grafting to the calves may be done for several reasons. Individuals born with small or thin calves may desire an augmentation to make their calves more proportionate to the rest of their body. Fat may also be placed into the calf or calves of patients who have had atrophy, or shrinking, of the muscle mass secondary to nerve injury or trauma. Small incisions behind the knee and/or near the ankle are used for the placement of the fat and the result is entirely natural.

Hand Rejuvenation

As we get older, despite optimizing our facial appearance, our hands can give away our age. When we were younger, we had hands that looked soft and smooth, with veins and tendons that were barely visible. With time, we lose some of the volume in our hands and the veins and tendons become more prominent. The skin becomes more wrinkled and thinner. A thin layer of fat can be placed over the back of the hands to help hide some of the veins and tendons and to help smooth the skin. This is done through small incisions between the fingers and in the creases of the wrist. Pain is minimal and recovery is relatively rapid.