Fat Filling

Aging is an irreversible process. We humans are very much concerned when aging affects our external appearance. Majority of us wants to look younger and stay younger. Anti-aging methods have started to develop even from medieval era and is still advancing, with more and more methods being added in this field. Fat filling is such a method that is undertaken by a considerable number of patients.

Since the phrase ‘lipo’ means fat, lipo filling is yet another name for this treatment.

Either general or local anesthesia can be given for lipofilling. The choice depends on the portion that needs to be treated. 3 important steps are involved in this procedure. They are Liposuction, centrifugation and finally lipofilling. During liposuction, a specific amount of subcutaneous tissue is removed with the help of a suction device and specific cannulas to avoid traumatic conditions. The fat globules required for liposuction are taken from inner thigh or abdomen. The procedure is to be carried out by applying gentle aspiration so as to avoid the general cellular disintegration and disruption. Liposuction is followed by centrifugation procedure. The suctioned fat is placed in 10cc syringe & is kept in a centrifuge and the centrifugation is performed for 3 minutes or so at a rotary speed of 3000rpm. This process is essential for maintain a proper cell viability. Centrifugation bifurcates the fat in syringe into 3 layers. The upper layer consists of oily substance from the fat, the middle is composed of lipoaspirate material and the 3rd layer contains cell debris and blood products. Middle layer is used for injection.

Lipofilling is done after these 2 methods. The lipoaspirate material is filled into the different layers. Various kinds of cannulas having different designs can be employed for this purpose.

A question can arise as to what happens to this injected material. These newly injected materials need nutrients and oxygen to survive. Survival of these cells for 48 hours can be done through a process known as diffusion. Diffusion involves direct intake of oxygen from the environment. However, this process is short-lived and may need re-vascularization. Re-vascularization is done through angiogenesis, which is the generation of new blood vessels from the existing ones.

Lipofilling commonly requires a number of incisions that are 3mm to 5.5mm in size.

Fat filling is mostly performed in the portions of the face.