You have endured breast cancer treatment. You hear the doctor’s words – You are cancer-free. You beat the odds. However, it wasn’t an easy road – chemotherapy, mastectomy surgery, and more has left emotional and physical scars.
Or perhaps you have experienced an accident or been living with a rare disease, such as Romberg’s Syndrome. You might feel self-conscious and are seeking a solution.
Lipofilling is a reconstructive and aesthetic surgery that transfers fat from one part of the body to another. It uses the patient’s own fat to add volume to another part of the body. It can help you feel in control of your body again. And help you gain back ownership of your body, particularly after significant hardship.
Lipofilling isn’t just limited to the common breast augmentation surgery. Lipofilling can be used for:
- Any soft tissue augmentation (including rhinoplasty, breast, or gluteal augmentation)
- Body contouring
- Scar correction
- Facial reconstruction
- And facial rejuvenation.
The whole procedure takes 45 minutes to 3 hours. Photographs are taken before and after – this will provide pre and post-op comparisons.
For the procedure, general or local anesthesia may be used, depending on the procedure type and area being operated on. The procedure starts with liposuction, where fat is harvested from another part of the body, such as the buttocks, abdominals, inner knee, thighs, or inner arm. The fat is aspirated through 5 mm incisions. The incision is made in skin creases to reduce the cosmetic impact.
The fat sits for 2-3 minutes. This separates oil, water, and cell components. The cell portion is then injected at the specified site through a maximum of 2.5 mm cannula. This leaves minimal to no scarring at the receipt site.
Recovery time varies from person to person and is dependant on the type of procedure performed. Depending on the surgery type, you will often stay in the hospital or clinic for up to 4 hours post-surgery. You may notice fluid or bleeding from the donor wounds in the first 24 hours – After this time, it should stop or slowly dissipate. Bruising and swelling is common for the first 3 weeks. Many take about 1-2 weeks off work to recover. Over-the-counter pain medication may be recommended to help alleviate discomforts, particularly for the first week.
Initial numbness is also common. Nerves may be compressed by the swelling and bruising. This should reduce overtime. Limit restrictive clothing over the area – stick to looser garments until the area has fully healed. Intense activity should also be avoided for the first 4 weeks. This reduces the risk of complications.
Although rare, if complications, such as an infection or cysts arise, there may be a need for another surgery. Scars may also be present after surgery. Yet, most of these scars fade with time. Overall, you should expect some discomfort, bruising, swelling, and numbness.
Further, slim individuals are not eligible for lipofilling. In order for the surgery to be performed, there needs to be enough fat in another area of the body to transfer from. Other risks and complications may include asymmetry, overcorrection, allergic reaction to the anesthesia, sensitivity changes, damage to structures underneath the donor site, or hemorrhaging. Your surgeon will thoroughly go over any risks with you prior to surgery.
It is really important to take the operation with trusted and certified doctor with a lot of experience – the best way is to use an agency like Health Travel Guide, we are specialized to give you the best possible experience on your life-changing journey.
Many patients report positive effects after surgery. It takes time for the body to absorb the fat and for healing to take place – so don’t expect immediate results. It often takes 3 months to notice the results, with the end results not being fully noticeable for up to 1 year after surgery.
Lipofilling uses completely natural material, so the surgery is fairly permanent. It is frequently a day surgery and is minimally invasive. As aforementioned, scars fade overtime or are non-existent. If the surgery was performed for anti-aging purposes, further surgeries may be required for eventual upkeep.
Lipofilling has helped many people worldwide. Find out what lipofilling can do for you! Book a consult or contact us for further inquiries and information.
