Portrait de face d'une femme afin d'illustrer la chirurgie esthétique pour le visage pratiqué chez Concept Clinic, clinique de chirurgie esthétique à Genève par le Docteur Schlaudraff
Face surgery

Facial lipofilling

A lasting and natural alternative to lifting, lipofilling or lipostructure uses your own fat to enhance your face and correct the many signs of ageing. A genuine aesthetic remodelling technique, the fat graft recreates volume in the cheekbones, chin, eye contour and any other parts of the face where it is necessary. By means of this sampling technique, the fat is processed and reinjected into the desired area of the face. Conventional fat grafts often give poor results, since the fat transferred does not systematically develop sufficient blood flow to survive. Consequently, the transplanted fat does not integrate properly into the targeted face area. This is why, at Concept Clinic, Dr Schlaudraff offers stem cell-enriched fat grafting.

Portrait de face d'une femme afin d'illustrer la chirurgie esthétique pour le visage pratiqué chez Concept Clinic, clinique de chirurgie esthétique à Genève par le Docteur Schlaudraff
  • Consultation and
    surgical procedure

  • Recovery and
    results

During your consultation, Dr Schlaudraff will ask you what you would like to improve about your face, and your expectations regarding facial liposuction. Dr Schlaudraff will then carry out a thorough physical examination and thorough assessment of the quality of your skin, fatty tissue and underlying muscles, to decide if you are a candidate for stem cell-enriched fat grafting (healthy body weight, regular exercise, balanced diet). Based on this information, Dr Schlaudraff will work with you to create a tailor-made care plan that allows you to reach your personal goals and recommend any additional treatments or alternatives to lipofilling.

Dr Schlaudraff carries out stem cell-enriched fat grafting under a general anaesthesia, in Concept Clinic state-of-the-art surgical centre, which meets with the highest standards of comfort, safety and hygiene. In most cases, lipofilling will be preceded by ultrasound-assisted liposuction, in order to effectively and gently remove excess fatty tissue. Dr Schlaudraff then uses VASER® Hi Def™ liposuction to sculpt and redefine the target areas. The fatty tissue removed will then be divided into two samples. One will be treated with a special instrument from Cytori Celution® to extract stem cells and regenerative cells from the adipose tissue. The remaining fatty tissue will be washed and the cell fragments and other impurities removed, which will produce a sample of viable purified fat cells. The highly-concentrated sample of stem cells and regenerative cells will then be combined with the purified fat, thereby creating the cell-enriched fat graft. By means of a small cannula, Dr Schlaudraff will introduce this into the desired areas of the face. Lipostructure takes from two to five hours, depending on the quantity and complexity of the areas to be treated.

After lipofilling, some patients may suffer from bruising, swelling and pain in the areas treated with liposuction, or the areas where the fat has been transplanted. These sensations will disappear within approximately two to six weeks after the procedure. You will be able to resume light activities a few days after the procedure, and return to a normal level of activity within seven to ten days following the procedure. The improved areas will be completely natural, both to the naked eye and to the touch. The transplanted fat integrates into the surrounding fat, creating the desired shape and volume for your face and lasting aesthetic improvements without using foreign materials and with no risk of rejection.

Complementary procedures to face lipofilling

Stem cell-enriched fat grafting is also used in corrective or aesthetic surgery for other parts of the body, except for the breasts. For example, it can correct many signs of ageing, reshape a natural curve, increase the volume of the buttocks or correct unsightly scars. It is also possible to restore volume on the backs of emaciated hands, or repair and tone up the soft tissue that sags on the arms and legs.

For patients who might not have enough surplus fat, Dr Schlaudraff may recommend an alternative treatment or a combination with cell-enriched fat treatment, in order to achieve the desired results.

Stem cell-enriched fat grafting

Dr Kai-Uwe Schlaudraff is the first plastic surgeon in Switzerland to have offered stem cell-enriched fat grafting. He collaborated in the development of this technique, and therefore has the experience and expertise required to treat patients successfully. In a normal graft, when the fat is transplanted, the establishment of a new blood supply is essential for providing the Oxygen and nutrients necessary for its survival. Without this blood supply, the transplanted fat cells die.

In aesthetic surgery, cell-enriched fat grafting improves upon traditional fat grafting due to a new technology developed by Cytori Therapeutics. Fat or adipose tissue contains high concentrations of stem cells, called regenerative cells. These facilitate healing and are essential for establishing blood flow. By combining purified fat cells, stem cells and regenerative cells from adipose tissue, forming a cell-enriched fat graft, the survival of the transplanted fat is achieved. The fat integrates into the patient’s body, regenerating or increasing the soft tissue volume, and eventually functions as normal fatty tissue in the body.