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Expansion vibratory lipofilling has been introduced to allow for higher fat graft transfer volumes. To appreciate why expansion vibratory lipo filling offers such an advantage over fat grafting, we must consider the physiology of fat grafting. Fat must be transferred in small packs, typically 1 cc or smaller, to ensure that the fat cells can re-establish blood flow in the delivered area.
This process relies on microscopic blood vessels, called capillaries, to attach to and support these cells. Unfortunately, if the area where the fat cells are transferred is too tight, these small blood vessels will be compressed shut.
If the fat cells are packed too tightly in a small space, then the collapse of these capillaries is inevitable, and fat cell death results. Instead, expansion vibratory lipo filling allows for percussion oscillating motion cannulas with a basket tip that is used to dilate any tight spaces in the soft tissues.
What is Expansion Vibratory Lipofilling?
Dr. Del Vecchio introduced this process, allowing BBL surgeons to pack generous or modest fat volumes in these areas. When small volumes of fat transfer are desired, expansion vibratory lipofilling is not as critical. However, when larger volumes are desired, then expansion vibratory lipofilling has a critical role.
Three patient populations are most affected by the need to perform expansion vibratory lipofilling. The first includes the patient who desires generous mid-buttock and lateral hip filling. In these patients, the lateral gluteal depression must be expanded to allow for larger volumes of fat transfer.
The other includes the patient who desires generous central buttock projection, which will require dilation of a central buttock cheek that is often narrower than that desired for maximum fat injection. A final group includes patients with buttock implants who subsequently desire further buttock augmentation with fat grafting.
Due to the compression of the buttock implant on the gluteus muscle and overlying soft tissues, both layers are thinned out. This results in an even narrower space to graft fat and the risk of inadvertently grafting fat into or even under the muscle. Intramuscular and, more importantly, submuscular fat grafting must be avoided as it can result in detrimental fat emboli.
In summary, expansion vibratory lipofilling provides buttock surgeons the luxury of safety and more effective fat graft into the buttocks. Expansion vibratory lipofilling allows surgeons to transfer larger amounts of fat and ensure that the fat graft takes are high. Interestingly, fat graft take can vary depending on the harvesting technique, processing technique, and whether expansion vibratory lipofilling is utilized.