Lipofill. An information guide

Transcription

1 TO PROVIDE THE VERY BEST CARE FOR EACH PATIENT ON EVERY OCCASION Lipofill An information guide

2 Lipofill What is lipofill? Lipofill or lipomodelling is also referred to as fat grafting. It is used to improve the appearance, shape or size of the breasts. What does the procedure involve? The operation is carried out under a general or regional anaesthetic. The surgeon will remove fat from your own body, usually from the abdomen, thighs or hips, using a special needle and syringe. This does entail having small cuts into the skin. The fat is then centrifuged to obtain a concentrate of fat cells which are then injected into the area(s) to be treated. What are the risks? bruising is very common to the site where the fat is placed and there may also be some swelling of the area where the fat has been removed. The bruising can sometimes be severe but usually settles within a couple of weeks infection may occur. This is only a small risk and can occur after any surgical procedure. Please observe for any signs of infection such as redness or inflammation (reddening of the skin), the area being warm to touch, or any yellow or green discharge. If any of these occur please either contact your clinical nurse specialist - breast or General Practitioner (GP) for any further advice. Antibiotics may occasionally be necessary as may regular dressings until an improvement is noticed the treated area may be over-corrected and appear larger 2

3 the treated area may be under-corrected. Also, up to 40% of the fat can be re-absorption into the body. This may result in the procedure needing to be repeated several times. Extremely rarely complete resorption can occur your breast may continue to appear uneven until the complete treatment has finished scarring may be visible. However the incisions (cuts) made to remove the fat are small and usually hidden within your natural skin creases there may be altered sensation in the area where the fat has been taken from as well as the area where it is injected there is a small risk that the transferred fat could interfere with future mammograms but this risk is deemed extremely small. Scar tissue can also have the same effect fat necrosis can occur. This is a hard lump and will require assessment in the breast clinic. Fat necrosis is a benign condition and can occur when fat cells within the breast may become damaged and delay wound healing. It is usually painless although sometimes the area can become swollen and may become painful. An ultrasound scan is often carried out to confirm the diagnosis and it may be necessary to have a needle inserted to drain off the collection of greasy fluid. Rarely the skin can die if you have an implant in place this could be damaged from the procedure a pneumothorax (air that is trapped next to a lung) can occur and may require treatment such as a chest drain a fat embolism could occur 3

4 your breast may never be the shape or size that you desire even after the treatment has been completed there is a theoretical risk that the fat transferred could activate some cancer cells although this is unproven injury to the abdominal organs could occur. If you have severe pain, vomiting or feel generally unwell then you must attend the accident and emergency department urgently. The operation and post-operative care the operation will be carried out as a daycase procedure in the operating theatre. You will need a capable adult to stay with you for 24 hours after the procedure on the day of your operation before your surgery the surgeon will use a special marker to indicate the position where the fat will be removed from and where it will be placed the procedure will take approximately two hours depending upon the size of the deficit (area to be filled) and the amount of fat to be injected dissolvable stitches are used. Steristrips (adhesive paper strips) may also be used. The waterproof dressing placed over the top may be removed 5 days post-procedure. Try to leave the steristrips in place when removing the outer dressing. These will gradually fall off over the next few days you must wear a special abdominal supportive garment postoperatively to help to reduce any swelling you may be uncomfortable after the procedure. You will be provided with painkillers should you require them 4

5 you should be able to drive after one week as long as you are comfortable. You may wish to check with your insurance company that your insurance is valid. How long will it take to recover? You should rest for the rest of the day after your operation. Following this you should increase your activity. After two to three days you will be able to return to your normal activities. Heavier activities will take longer. If you have any queries concerning this procedure please contact the clinical nurse specialist - breast on or

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8 If English is not your frst language and you need help, please contact the Ethnic Health Team on Jeżeli angielski nie jest twoim pierwszym językiem i potrzebujesz pomocy proszę skontaktować się z załogą Ethnic Health pod numerem telefonu For general enquiries please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on For enquiries regarding clinic appointments, clinical care and treatment please contact and the Switchboard Operator will put you through to the correct department / service Date of publication: October 2014 Date of review: October 2017 Ref: PI_(SU) 874 The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Wood pulp sourced from sustainable forests