Fat Autografts & Cell-Assisted Lipofilling for Skin Reconstruction

Skin reconstruction is an advanced field of plastic surgery used in medical soft tissue reconstruction and cosmetic anti-ageing augmentation techniques. Fat autografting is a description often used interchangeably with lipofilling, autologous fat grafting, and sometimes simply “fat injections”. In reality, it is a nuanced and highly specialised area of surgical expertise. Cell-assisted lipofilling includes specialised cells that aid the body in accepting the fat in its new location.

For rejuvenating surgeries that enhance your natural beauty, and for reconstructive procedures that help you heal, you can rely on Plastische Chirurgie am Klosterstern in Hamburg. Dr Dalia Tobbia is a plastic, aesthetic and reconstructive surgery specialist with additional sub-specialties in breast surgery, microsurgery, super microsurgery and lymph node surgery. She is an internationally known surgeon who completed her undergraduate degree in her home country of Ireland, and now provides premium plastic surgery services to the people of Hamburg. If you are interested in finding out if fat autografting and cell-assisted lipofilling is right for you, we can help! Call +49 (0) 40 46 091 076 or contact us online for further details.

Before & After Photos

Before and After Photos

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The Science of Fat Autografting

A fat autograft is harvested from patients themselves, therefore making it a safer, more natural method of reconstruction for a specific area. After all, no person can be allergic to their own tissue! A donor area of fat is selected, targeted for removal, and grafted to the recipient area for reconstruction. Cell-assisted lipofilling (CAL) refers to the addition of specialised cells to the donor tissue that improves the success rate of the fat graft. By enriching the graft with stromal cells, the fat graft survival rate improves.

Autologous fat transplantation has been one of the most popular procedures performed by plastic surgeons since the 1980s. ⁽¹⁾ A patient’s own tissue can be used in a wide variety of cosmetic and non-cosmetic surgical procedures. Fat Autografts can address the following medical conditions:

They can also be used effectively in cosmetic surgeries such as:

Unfortunately, in the past, fat grafting has been known to result in high reabsorption rates. Doctors noticed they had the disadvantage of unpredictable results due to varying resorption rates in different patients. ⁽²⁾ However, since the discovery of cell-assisted lipofilling, the fat autograft success rate is much higher!

What is Cell-Assisted Lipofilling?

Stromal Cells

Cell-Assisted Lipotransfer (CAL) is an autologous fat transfer enriched with stromal cells. ⁽³⁾

Stromal cells, sometimes known as mesenchymal stem cells, are self-renewing and multipotent (able to turn into any other type of cell). During a fat autografting procedure, there is a lower likelihood of tissue rejection with the addition of these special cell types.

CAL is most widely used in soft tissue reconstruction and cosmetic augmentation and was first described in detail in 2008. In this literature, the breast and the face were the two main surgical sites studied in detail. ⁽¹⁾ One of the key factors in the success of lipofilling is how well the body works to vascularise the area. Neovascularisation refers to the creation of new blood vessels once the fat has been grafted. It is essential for fat survival in the area for treatment! The research confirmed CAL to be an effective way of encouraging tissue acceptance, reinforcing it as “the gold standard for fat grafts.” ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾

Fat Autografting & Cell-Assisted Lipofilling Benefits

There are some clear benefits to fat grafting and cell-assisted lipofilling, which include:

Find Dr Dalia’s praxis just a short walk from Klosterstern U-bahn station in Hamburg! Contact us today via telephone at +49 (0) 40 46 091 076 or complete an online form to get in touch. You can also learn more about the plastic surgery services offered by Dr Dalia Tobbia by reading her blog!

Candidates

During fat autografting, a patient has unwanted fat harvested from one area and reintroduced into another, to enhance volume and improve contour. Candidates for fat autografts and cell-assisted lipofilling are in good overall health and have a suitable amount of fat for transfer. Ideally, you should not have any illnesses of the circulatory system that could affect the success of your treatment, such as cardiovascular conditions.

If you are looking for a way to enhance aspects of your body naturally and effectively, fat autografting and cell-assisted lipofilling could be a solution!

Personal Consultation

A personal consultation is a chance for you to be open with Dr Dalia about the aspects of your body you wish to change. She is a consummate professional who takes pride in getting to know her patients individually, and possessing the technical surgical skills to help every patient realise their cosmetic goals. To get in touch, please call our Hamburg offices at +49 (0) 40 46 091 076 or use our convenient inquiry form on our website for more information about fat autografting, cell-assisted lipofilling, and other treatment options.

Procedures with Fat Grafting and Lipofilling

Facial Fat Grafting

Some areas of the face lose volume over time, resulting in a “hollowing” effect in areas such as the eye and cheek regions. Moreover, some facial features gain fat with age, such as the jawline and jowls. A Facial Fat Graft treatment at Plastische Chirurgie am Klosterstern with autologous fat can address these issues with a natural look and feel and rejuvenating results!

Dr Dalia meticulously harvests donor fat from the target area and carefully injects it into the areas of the face you want to improve. Usually this procedure is performed under general anaesthesia, however very small volumes of fat for more subtle surgeries can be transferred under local anaesthesia.

Natural Breast Augmentation

Dr Dalia can restore and enhance your breast shape using autologous fat in a Natural Breast Augmentation. This technique results in minimal scarring and a more natural appearance. A natural breast augmentation can restore lost volume to the breasts in two stages; liposuction, and fat transfer. 

By carefully harvesting fat through liposuction, and reintroducing it to the breasts, you can rejuvenate your womanly chest contours. The most common donor areas are the abdomen, back, thighs and hips. You can gain a bigger bust without the hassle of implants and slim down donor areas at the same time!

Hand Rejuvenation

Avoid wrinkling, volume loss , age spots and prominent veins on the backs of your hands with a Hand Rejuvenation procedure by Dr Dalia. It can involve both surface and subcutaneous treatment. To address skin discoloration, you may opt for a Chemical Peel to renew texture and tone. To deal with volume loss, fat can be grafted or dermal fillers added to restore a more youthful appearance to your hands.

Wrinkled & Damaged Skin

Stem cells are the cells from which all the other specialised cells are derived. Nanofat, also known as fat-derived stem cells, can be used in cosmetic procedures to improve skin quality in a variety of wrinkled and damaged areas. In addition to procedures in the face, breasts, and hands, Dr Dalia frequently performs cell-assisted treatments to the neck and chest.

Corresponding & Complementary Procedures 

Dr Dalia offers a wide selection of cosmetic and reconstruction services at her praxis in Hamburg. 

Face

For patients who want to enhance the results of their facial fat grafting, Dr Dalia offers a number of surgeries, including Brow Lift, Eyelid Lift, and Thread Lift procedures. If you’re looking for a more substantial facial revamp than facial fat transfer, consider a Facelift procedure.

Breasts

Fat autografts can create a natural-looking, subtle contour to the breasts. If you want to explore other breast surgery options at Plastische Chirurgie am Klosterstern, look no further. Dr Dalia offers Breast Augmentation with Implants as well as Breast Augmentation with Lift, otherwise known as a Mastopexy procedure to increase breast volume and emphasise your chest contours.

Body

If you are interested in other surgical procedures to enhance your body aesthetically, consider other similar treatments such as Liposuction, Lipoedema surgery (to address abnormal fat build-up in the legs and arms), and Ultrasonic Liposuction surgery to further tone and tighten skin.

Cost of Fat Autografts in Hamburg

Each autologous fat grafting procedure is different and varies in complexity and goals. Please contact Dr Dalia to set up a personal consultation and discuss the cost of your surgery further.

FAQ

References

1. Simonacci, F., Bertozzi, N., Grieco, M. P., Grignaffini, E., & Raposio, E. (2017). Procedure, applications, and outcomes of autologous fat grafting. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 20, 49–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2017.06.059 
2. Kim, J. B., Jin, H. B., Son, J. H., & Chung, J. H. (2018). For Better Fat Graft Outcome in Soft Tissue Augmentation: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Archives of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 24(3), 116–127. https://doi.org/10.14730/aaps.2018.24.3.116 
3. Laloze, J., Varin, A., Bertheuil, N., Grolleau, J. L., Vaysse, C., & Chaput, B. (2017). Cell-assisted lipotransfer: Current concepts. Annales de Chirurgie Plastique Esthétique, 62(6), 609–616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anplas.2017.03.011