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Lipofilling or Coleman lipostructure
Lipomodelling involves reinjecting your own fat cells to balance body contours and fill hollow areas. The technique was greatly improved by Dr Coleman’s discoveries in 1995, hence its other name: Coleman lipostructure.
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Why consider lipomodelling?
Coleman lipostructure can treat many hollow areas, whether naturally occurring, caused by injury or resulting from medical treatment. It can therefore be used in both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.
Uses in cosmetic surgery:
- Filling and softening facial wrinkles
- Restoring fullness to a face affected by weight loss or ageing
- Complementing a face and neck lift to improve facial balance
Uses in reconstructive surgery:
- Filling a tissue depression following injury
- Correcting irregularities after liposuction
- Correcting fat loss following combination antiretroviral therapy in HIV-positive patients
The aims of surgery
Fat is taken from areas where it is in excess and reinjected where volume is lacking.
This restores fuller, more balanced contours. The transfer of purified fat cells also improves skin quality.
The procedure offers three benefits:
- It balances volume without introducing a foreign body
- It improves skin quality in the injection area
- It also treats unwanted localised fat deposits in the donor area.
The importance of your first consultation
Like any cosmetic surgery procedure, lipomodelling involves risks you need to understand, preoperative examinations and protocols to follow.
Your surgeon will first assess whether you are a suitable candidate. Very slim patients with insufficient fat reserves may not achieve an optimal result.
You will then agree on the areas to be treated and the areas from which fat will be collected.
A careful clinical and photographic assessment will help your surgeon recommend the most suitable surgical plan.
How is the procedure performed?
Fat is collected using a very fine cannula to avoid damaging the fat cells.
It is then centrifuged to remove impurities and collect as many living cells as possible for grafting.
The purified fat cells are reinjected with microcannulas at different levels and in several directions through one-millimetre incisions.
This is a graft of living cells, and the fat cells that survive remain permanently.
+ What type of anaesthesia is used?
Depending on the procedure, local anaesthesia, local anaesthesia with intravenous sedation or general anaesthesia may be used.
This will be discussed with your surgeon during a consultation.
+ Where is the tiny incision made?
The incision is hidden in the natural folds of the donor area.
+ What about scarring?
The incision scar remains almost invisible.
+ How long does surgery take?
The procedure can take 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the amount of fat transferred and the number of areas treated.
What is recovery like?
Postoperative pain is generally mild. Bruising and swelling develop in the treated areas. Physical recovery and a return to social activities are usually quick; adjust your activities according to your comfort. Avoid exposing treated areas to UV light for at least four weeks to prevent skin pigmentation.
What complications are possible?
As with any operation, complications can occur, either related to the surgical procedure or to anaesthesia.
Although complications affect only a small percentage of patients, you need to be aware of them. Your surgeon will explain all possible complications in detail during your consultations.
What results can you expect from lipofilling?
Volume is restored and hollow areas are filled, creating more balanced contours in the face and body.
Results begin to appear two to three weeks after surgery, with the final outcome visible between three and six months.
Over time, the result gradually changes as the tissues continue to age naturally.
