Consultation with plastic surgeons with over 20 years of experience is free! Make an appointment by phone. Waiting for you! An alternative method to augmentation mammoplasty with implants is injection methods, in particular lipofilling.
Lipotransfer or breast lipofilling is an increase in breast volume by introducing into the mammary gland area the patient’s own adipose tissue taken from other areas of the body
Technically, lipofilling (breast augmentation with fat) is similar to the introduction of any non-encapsulated gels and fillers, which are widely used in contouring. Fat injection is performed using a needle, usually under the fascia of the mammary gland above the muscle. After lipofilling of the breast (enlargement with fat), shrinkage naturally occurs, the breast loses a little in volume, but its shape is retained.
The method of choosing one or another breast augmentation technique depends on the specialist and the wishes of the patient. One of the surgeons, having extensive experience in injection mammary gland enlargement, may offer this method. Another doctor did a good job of breast augmentation with implants. The patient himself must set the priority, based on his preferences and desires.
Indications for breast lipofilling
- Insufficient breast volume;
- Asymmetry of the mammary glands;
- Creation of a base for further installation of implants (if there is a lack of native gland tissue).
Benefits of lipofilling (breast augmentation with fat):
- From a physiological point of view, the main advantage of breast lipofilling with fat is complete biological compatibility with the surrounding tissues in the transplant area. The body immediately recognizes fat cells as “its own”, which eliminates any allergic reactions;
- From an aesthetic point of view, breast correction with lipofilling is attractive because... gives instant results. There is no long rehabilitation period, no scars remain on the skin;
- The ability to instantly enlarge your breasts and remove excess fat from problem areas;
- For those who do not yet want to install implants, but want to enlarge their breasts, lipofilling is a convenient way to fulfill their desires. If the woman is satisfied with the new forms, then after 1-2 years, when the implanted mass has resolved, the installation of implants can be planned.
The role of the donor zone is usually performed by “problem” areas: the stomach, sides, buttocks. Adipose tissue is extracted using liposuction, then it is specially prepared and injected into the mammary gland area.
How does the procedure work?
The lipofilling operation is performed under intravenous sedation. It includes three stages:
- Taking fatty tissue from donor areas (liposuction). Access is through small punctures of the skin (up to 3 mm) using a syringe and a blunt cannula.
- Purification of the obtained material by centrifugation. In this case, fat is separated from impurities of blood particles, lymph and destroyed adipocytes.
- Transplantation of adipose tissue into correction zones. For this, a blunt cannula is also used, and the fat is injected through skin punctures, without incisions.
After the procedure, the skin puncture sites are sealed with a special plaster or sterile bandage.
From the history of lipofilling
Having made a short excursion into the history of the procedure, it is worth noting that implantation of one’s own fat did not immediately become such a harmless procedure. The first operations performed at the beginning of the 20th century by the founder of lipofilling, the French surgeon Julien Bourget, gave positive results. But the technique of liposuction developed rapidly, and with the invention of the vacuum method, doctors actively began to use it to remove fat. Unfortunately, after lipofilling with such material, patients experienced severe consequences and the entire transplanted volume was absorbed.
It turned out that the vacuum aspiration apparatus, when collecting material, destroyed a large number of fat cells (adipocytes). After they were transplanted to another area, a powerful reaction of macrophages - cells that digest the remains of dead cells and other particles foreign to the body - was activated. As a result, all transplanted material was excreted from the body without leading to an increase in volume.
After this, doctors came to the conclusion that liposuction for further lipofilling must be carried out in a certain way, excluding oxidation (contact of the removed fat with air) and maintaining equal pressure between the extracellular and intracellular environment to prevent rupture of cell membranes.
Often breast lipofilling is combined with liposuction, allowing you to improve several areas on a woman’s body at once
Buttock augmentation using lipofilling
When filled with your own fat, the buttocks are given a natural, beautiful, rounded shape. Unlike implants installed in this area, fat does not contour or show through the skin. With the help of lipofilling of the buttocks, many problems are solved, such as:
- improvement, rounding of their shape
- hourglass figure modeling
- elimination of asymmetry, ptosis or recession of the buttocks
- improvement or correction of gluteoplasty results
- elimination of atrophic scars
The result is beautiful buttocks, and they are also filled with fat from problem areas, which are usually difficult to correct with nutrition or exercise. Thus, several problems are solved at once and the patient gets ideal proportions and a dream figure in one day.
Lipofilling and liposuction
Donor adipose tissue for lipofilling is usually taken using liposuction. You can use lipofilling as a concomitant operation if you are planning liposuction. This combination of procedures has its advantages. Liposuction is a fairly traumatic procedure. After removing some fat from the abdomen and thighs, a long rehabilitation period is required - 1 month. The swelling lasts for several days, physical activity, sauna, bathhouse, etc. are excluded for several weeks.
Compared to liposuction, lipofilling is a much easier procedure. It does not require surgery and is performed using injections. Therefore, for those who have decided to undergo liposuction and are thinking about breast augmentation, it is worth considering the option of breast augmentation using their own fat.
If the patient does not need liposuction for aesthetic reasons, then adipose tissue is collected from the areas richest in fat cells, but invisible to the contours of the body: from the subumbilical area and the inner thigh.
If there is no need for liposuction, adipose tissue is collected from the subumbilical area and the inner thigh
Preparation for the procedure
Preparation includes taking a number of tests and undergoing a number of examinations. If a surgeon or anesthesiologist has doubts about the possibility of using general anesthesia, specialized specialists are invited for consultation.
As before any intervention, it is recommended to quit smoking and drinking alcohol one to two weeks after surgery. During this period, it is advisable to adhere to a healthy diet, eliminating spicy, salty, and fatty foods.
If you plan to transplant a significant amount of fat (from 100 ml), the surgeon may recommend wearing a special tissue expander. The patient wears an expander for several weeks before surgery to stretch the skin and create a cavity underneath for fat to fill.
Another important point is weight control. You should bring your weight to the desired level before the lipofilling procedure. Otherwise, the result may be unsatisfactory, especially if the patient loses more than 10% of her total body weight.
Disadvantages of lipofilling
- Like all absorbable materials, implanted fatty tissue loses its volume over time. A sustainable result lasts only for the first 1.5 – 2 years. To maintain the volume, it is recommended to repeat the procedure. However, there are no alternative methods without loss of volume in injection plastic surgery. All non-absorbable, non-encapsulated gels and fillers are prohibited for use in Europe and Russia, because the consequences of such injections were very severe - the gels migrated and caused inflammation.
- You can enlarge your breasts using fat by no more than 1-1.5 sizes. Since this is a non-encapsulated material, introducing it in large quantities will not allow it to be fixed in strictly regulated areas.
For small volumes, the operation can be performed under local anesthesia. If fat tissue is harvested as a result of extensive liposuction, general anesthesia is usually used. Accordingly, before the operation, the patient must undergo a general examination and undergo tests that are standard for any surgical intervention.
Breast augmentation and lift
Restoring breast shape through plastic surgery is considered normal today. There are many operations designed for one purpose or another to enlarge, tighten, or reduce breasts. But often, to achieve a better result, it is necessary to carry out several types of operations simultaneously. This allows you to immediately get beautiful breasts and shorten the recovery period. This type of operation is called simultaneous, or combined, as well as one-stage.
The most popular combination of surgeries is a combination of breast augmentation and breast lift. In some cases, this combination is the only possible way to completely restore the shape and volume of the breast.
Let's take a closer look at what simultaneous mastopexy and breast augmentation are.
WHO IS THE OPERATION FOR?
Typically, a combined operation is performed:
• after pregnancy and lactation. As a rule, after breastfeeding ends, the glandular tissue becomes smaller, and the skin remains stretched and cannot return to its previous shape. Even if adipose tissue replaces the glandular tissue, this will not save the situation, since fat is not able to maintain the shape of the mammary glands.
• after significant or sudden weight loss. In this case, simultaneous surgery is performed if the patient wants to maintain a large breast size after losing weight.
• when replacing implants. If a woman wants to reduce her breast size, but does not want to become the owner of the first size, endoprostheses are replaced and excess skin is removed so that the breasts take on an elastic shape and do not appear saggy.
Typically, surgeons advise performing mastopexy with the installation of implants if the patient does not intend to have children in the future. The fact is that after childbirth and breastfeeding, the results of the operation may disappear and then the correction will have to be done again. Breast lifting and enlargement do not interfere with breastfeeding, but after pregnancy and lactation, the skin on the breast will stretch again.
ADVANTAGES OF SIMULTANEOUS OPERATION
After acquiring the desired breast, a woman often gets rid of previously experienced psychological complexes, self-esteem and self-confidence increase.
Thanks to this, patients experience positive changes in their interactions with people and in the area of sexual relationships. In addition, patients' posture and gait improve. Thanks to simultaneous breast augmentation and lifting, a woman immediately gets the expected result - firm and full breasts. A one-stage operation has two most important advantages: one anesthesia and one rehabilitation period. In the case of a two-stage transformation, the patient first undergoes mastopexy, then augmentation, which requires two rehabilitation periods. A one-stage operation saves the patient from such a long recovery.
PHOTO BEFORE AND AFTER COMBINED OPERATION
Breast augmentation and lifting with anatomically shaped implants)
Circular lift and breast augmentation with anatomically shaped implants
PRICE
| Breast augmentation and lift (without cost of implants) | 278 000* |
* Prices indicated for the first category of complexity of operations, the cost of the second category of complexity increases by 15%, the third category of complexity - by 30%. The final category of complexity is determined by the doctor during consultation.
Rehabilitation after breast lipofilling
Strict adherence to all the surgeon’s instructions for the rehabilitation period will help to avoid complications after breast lipofilling. Lipofilling is not a procedure, an operation after which two areas are slightly injured: the breast and the donor area. During rehabilitation after breast fat grafting, you must wear a compression bra. Compression underwear reduces the risk of complications and helps fat cells take root faster. During the first days, the patient must avoid contact with water. The puncture sites are treated with antiseptic agents. For the first few weeks, it is important to avoid physical activity and driving. Drugs containing ibuprofen are prohibited. After the operation, the surgeon will recommend that you exclude from your diet some foods that affect the rate of fat resorption. The restrictions must be adhered to for the first month.
Possible complications
Like any other operation, breast lipofilling is accompanied by temporary adverse reactions, including:
- swelling of soft tissues;
- hematomas;
- decreased sensitivity;
- slight soreness.
It is impossible to avoid these complications, but they do not cause serious harm to health and go away on their own within 7–10 days after surgery. More serious conditions rarely develop due to the low traumatic nature of the method.
