Comparative Analysis of a New Automatic System and Four Existing Techniques for Autologous Fat Grafting.

Background: Autologous fat grafting is increasingly used worldwide and is a very attractive technique in many ways. However, treatment duration and postinjection tissue resorption remain problematic elements, which are largely related to the preparation method used. Moreover, few scientific studies objectively compare different fat preparation methods. This study analyzes the efficiency and quality of lipoaspirates prepared with a new filtration/centrifugation system (Adipure) in comparison with several existing techniques. Methods: Patient lipoaspirates were processed by five different techniques: decantation, centrifugation, Macrofill, Puregraft, and Adipure. Adipose tissue was evaluated in vitro for tissue resorption and oil formation, as well as in vivo after subcutaneous injections in immunodeficient mice. Adipose grafts were collected after 1 month, weighed, and analyzed by histology with a detailed scoring method. Results: Decanting gives inferior results to all other techniques, in terms of amount of tissue and oil in vitro, or graft weight and histological analysis in vivo. Methods using classical Coleman centrifugation (1200g), or a modified one (400g) associated with washes (Macrofill) produce very similar results, both in vitro and in vivo. Techniques using filtration systems (Puregraft and Adipure) produce less oil overall and have a higher grafting efficiency. The best results regarding grafting efficiency and oil quantity are found with the Adipure device. Conclusions: A combination of filtration and very low-speed centrifugation potentiates the advantages of these techniques, in terms of graft efficiency. The adipose tissue purification being done in a few minutes, in an automatic way, undoubtedly provides a strong advantage for the use of this new system.

Refined Method of Lipofilling following DIEP Breast Reconstruction: 3D Analysis of Graft Survival.

BACKGROUND: The deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap technique gives good clinical results, but aesthetic surgical adjustments are often necessary. Lipofilling represents a good complementary method, but fat resorption within the few months after surgery limits its use. Recently, a new protocol was introduced and successfully evaluated on murine models. This study aims to evaluate this protocol following a DIEP procedure by three-dimensional analysis. METHODS: Within a period of 4 months, every patient having undergone breast reconstruction with DIEP and who required a lipofilling adjustment was invited to take part in this study. All surgeries were performed using the Adip'sculpt disposable medical device MACROFILL (Laboratoires SEBBIN, Boissy-l'Aillerie, France). Fat resorption was analyzed using a three-dimensional photography system. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients were included, with a total of 25 breasts operated on. Injections were carried out on irradiated breasts in 73% of cases, and average injection volume was 124 mL (SD = 39 mL), whereas average operating time was 68 minutes (44-96 minutes). At an average follow-up of 5 months (4-8 months), 70.9% of projection gain afforded by the lipofilling was still present. CONCLUSIONS: It is now clear that particular rules should be respected for an efficient lipofilling, particularly regarding aspiration cannula characteristics, vacuum used, and the necessity of washes and soft centrifugations. We demonstrate here that by following a specific protocol that addresses these precautions, while using material that is specifically adapted, a 70.9% fat survival rate can be achieved, even in the very unfavorable case of postirradiation DIEP breast reconstruction.

Effect of adrenergic stimulation on cutaneous microcirculation immediately after surgical adventitiectomy in a rat skin flap model.

Chronic sympathetic denervation leads to the development of supersentivity to adrenergic agents. Free flap surgery results in the disruption of the autonomic nerve fibers running along the anastomosed vessels. We therefore investigated the early effect of surgical sympathectomy on the reactivity of cutaneous microcirculation challenged to adrenergic agents. Two epigastric flaps were elevated and exposed in 15 rats. On the right flap (Side A), a circular adventitiectomy of the feeder vessels was realized to provide surgical sympathectomy. On the left flap (Side N), vessels were kept intact. The following drugs were then given intravenously successively: phenylephrine (10 and 15 microg kg(-1)), norepinephrine (10 microg kg(-1)), prazocin (1 mg kg(-1)) followed by norepinephrine (10 microg kg(-1)). Cutaneous microcirculation was assessed using Laser-Doppler Flowmeters simultaneously on the two flaps after each drug administration. Mean arterial pressure was also measured. On side N, phenylephrine and norepinephrine resulted in a transient increase in cutaneous microcirculation followed by a more prolonged reduction. On side A, only the initial increase was observed, which was greater and longer as compared with side N, and paralleled the increase in mean arterial pressure. After prazocin pre-treatment, norepinephrine produced a transient increase in cutaneous microcirculation similar on both sides, and parallel to the changes in arterial pressure. No decrease in cutaneous microcirculation was observed. Immediately after surgical adventitiectomy, the vasoconstriction produced by alpha-adrenergic agents is prevented. No denervation-induced hypersentivity is observed. Surgical sympathectomy might protect cutaneous flaps from vasoconstriction induced by endogenous catecholamines release.

New approach to vascular injection in fresh cadaver dissection.

Vascular injection techniques for anatomic studies are often complementary. Use of colored gelatinous mixtures with methylene blue provides precious data about descriptive anatomy by the contrast that it produces in the tissues. The introduction of radiopaque medium, such as lead oxide, into the gelatinous mixture can be used as a complement by means of x-ray examination, in order to facilitate and to reduce the time of investigation. Addition of rhodamine B to the radiopaque mixture keeps the advantages of the contrast medium, but also permits further dissection to demonstrate some details shown by prior x-ray examination. This article compares these different injection techniques in the study of the nasal vascular network. Moreover, it depicts a new injection approach that allows the investigation of vascular territories depending on thin caliber arteries by selective reinjection, defining microangiosomes. Each above-cited technique was used in ten facial territories of fresh cadavers. The patterns of the vessels shown by these techniques were identical, with a constant visualization of infra-millimetric arteries. However, selective reinjection was the only method that permitted characterization of the proper vascular territory of the lateral nasal artery.