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Lipofilling

Lipofilling is a procedure which uses a person’s own fat to fill in the area(s) to enhance fullness or correct irregularities for aesthetic purpose.

SURGICAL/PROCEDURE NAME

Lipofilling

COMMON NAME

Fat transfer
Fat grafting
Fat injection

SURGICAL PROCEDURE

During the process, a surgeon will collect fat from a patient’s own body, usually from the abdomen, buttock, or inner/outer thigh areas (called ‘donor site’), through one or more incisions of 3-5 mm each. The donor site incisions will be sutured. Then, the collected fat will be separated to extract only the pure fatty cells and stem cells to be used for filling. The fat will be injected to soft tissue layer of the recipient site(s) through a small cannula which will leave no visible scars. It may be necessary for a surgeon to collect and inject more fat than it’s actually needed; this is because when fat cells are injected, they may be reabsorbed by the immune system or by other factors, meaning that around 30-75% of the injected cells can actually survive

DURATION

1-3 hours

ANAESTHETIC

General anesthesia – discussed with your surgeon

PRE OPERATIVE CARE

Before surgery, please inform your surgeon of any allergies, all medical conditions, and any medication that you are taking (both prescription and non-prescription).

To eliminate the chance of post op. bleeding, you should avoid aspirin and any medication containing aspirin for 2 weeks prior to surgery. You should also not smoke for 1-2 months prior to surgery as smoking can affect your reaction to the anesthetic and slow down the healing process. Patients who suffer from hypertension must inform the surgeon prior to surgery.

POST OPERATIVE CARE

Bruising, swelling, discomfort, tenderness and mild numbness can occur at the donor and recipient sites for about 3 days after surgery and should gradually subside. You may be provided a cold pack and a compress to use in the first few hours following surgery to minimize the swelling. A special garment must be worn for approximately 4-6 weeks to support the tightened area following surgery. Bras or other constrictive clothes are not allowed for 3 weeks. Heavy activities such as lifting should be avoided for at least 1 week. The recovery period is usually about 3 days, varies on each person’s condition. While there may still be some swelling and bruising, most people are happy with the result and return to work and their normal social lifestyle after approximately 7-14 days, with the help of make-up if needed.

RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS

Like all surgical procedures, lipofilling surgery has its own set of risks and side effects.

EDUCATE

Knowing what complications may arise, as well as what can prevent them, will help patients enjoy a positive experience.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS

  • Infection
  • Excessive bleeding
  • Adverse Reaction to anesthesia
  • Need for second or more procedures
  • Asymmetry

In order to prevent any serious difficulties, patients are strongly urged to follow all instructions provided by their surgeon.

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

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