• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.126-130
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• 2015

Lipofilling is a reconstructive and aesthetic technique that has recently grown in popularity and is increasingly being used in breast surgery. Previous concerns had been raised regarding its safety when used for remodelling and reconstruction of the breast; however, these concerns have since been dismissed. Over the subsequent two decades, little evidence has been found to support these early theoretical concerns, and growing numbers of proponents of the procedure are confident in its safety. Many developments and refinements in the technique have taken place in recent years, and several studies have been published regarding the safety of lipofilling in the breast. We reviewed the current literature regarding the use of different lipofilling techniques as well as the current evidence regarding the oncological safety of the procedure in patients seeking aesthetic breast enhancement and in patients requiring reconstruction after treatment for breast cancer.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.629-630
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• 2020

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2020

Background: Autologous fat is considered an ideal filler material, and the use of cryopreserved fat grafts is promising in terms of flexibility and efficiency. Therefore, cryopreserved fat grafts have become more common in recent years; however, their complications require further consideration. Methods: We evaluated 53 patients who underwent facial lipofilling at our institution to confirm the clinical usefulness and safety of cryopreserved fat. Fresh fat injections with or without cryopreserved fat were administered. At one or more sites, 22 patients had a single fresh fat injection, four patients had two or more fresh fat injections, 16 patients had one fresh fat injection followed by one cryopreserved fat injection, six patients had one fresh fat injection followed by two cryopreserved fat injections, and five patients had two fresh fat injections and one or more cryopreserved fat injections. Results: In total, 281 sets of injection procedures were performed at various sites, of which 170 involved one fresh fat injection, 89 involved one fresh fat injection and one cryopreserved fat injection, and 11 involved one fresh fat injection and two cryopreserved fat injections. One patient experienced self-resolving inflammation as a complication after the second injection in the right cheek. No statistically significant differences were found between the fresh and cryopreserved fat injections. Conclusion: We suggest that cryopreserved fat is a useful and safe resource for multiple fat injections, with advantages including aseptic fat handling and the delicacy of the technique.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.288-290
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• 2016

We propose a safe, simple, and novel method to harvest fat using a standard liposuction cannula and a Redivac or alternative closed-suction drain. The authors have used this technique for both 'dry' and 'wet' liposuction. This technique is both easy to perform and cost-effective whilst providing both a silent and relatively atraumatic fat harvest. The lower negative pressure compared with traditional harvesting systems likely preserves fat integrity for lipofilling. This method maximises resources already held within a hospital environment.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.111-117
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• 2018

Background Fat grafting, or lipofilling, represent frequent clinically used entities. The fate of these transplants is still not predictable, whereas only few animal models are available for further research. Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals which can be conveniently tracked in vivo due to photoluminescence. Methods Fat grafts in cluster form were labeled with cadmium-telluride (CdTe)-QD 770 and transplanted subcutaneously in a murine in vivo model. Photoluminescence levels were serially followed in vivo. Results Tracing of fat grafts was possible for 50 days with CdTe-QD 770. The remaining photoluminescence was $4.9%{\pm}2.5%$ for the QDs marked fat grafts after 30 days and $4.2%{\pm}1.7%$ after 50 days. There was no significant correlation in the relative course of the tracking signal, when vital fat transplants were compared to non-vital graft controls. Conclusions For the first-time fat grafts were tracked in vivo with CdTe-QDs. CdTe-QDs could offer a new option for in vivo tracking of fat grafts for at least 50 days, but do not document vitality of the grafts.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.266-274
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• 2022

Background Many authors have researched ways to optimize fat grafting by looking for a technique that offers safe and long-term fat survival rate. To date, there is no standardized protocol. We designed a "hydraulic system technique" optimizing the relationship among the quantity of injected fat, operative time, and material cost to establish fat volume cutoffs for a single procedure. Methods Thirty-six patients underwent fat grafting surgery and were organized into three groups according to material used: standard, "1-track," and "2-tracks" systems. The amount of harvested and grafted fat as well as material used for each procedure was collected. Operating times were recorded and statistical analysis was performed to establish the relationship with the amount of treated fat. Results In 15 cases the standard system was used (mean treated fat 72 [30-100] mL, mean cost 4.23 ± 0.27 euros), in 11 cases the "1-track" system (mean treated fat 183.3 [120-280] mL, mean cost 7.63 ± 0.6 euros), and in 10 cases the "2-tracks" one (mean treated fat 311[220-550] mL, mean cost 12.47 ± 1 euros). The mean time difference between the standard system and the "1-track" system is statistically significant starting from three fat syringes (90 mL) in 17.66 versus 6.87 minutes. The difference between the "1-track" system and "2-tracks" system becomes statistically significant from 240 mL of fat in 15 minutes ("1-track") versus 9.3 minutes for the "2-tracks" system. Conclusion Data analysis would indicate the use of the standard system, "1-track," and "2-tracks" to treat an amount of fat < 90 mL of fat, 90 ÷ 240 mL of fat, and ≥ 240 mL of fat, respectively.