Calf fat transfer in Tunisia

What is calf fat transfer?

Calf augmentation by  fat injection is a cosmetic surgery increases the calves that can take your own fat in a body area (saddlebags, abdomen, flanks...) liposuction, and then reinject it to (re) give volume to your calves and reshape the better.

Increased Muscle volume relates to the relief of the internal or external twin calf muscles.

Lipomodelling of The calf is a recent technique that is gradually replacing the use of calf implants.

Calf anatomy

The curve of the calf is defined by three muscles of the posterior compartment of the leg:

• Two twin muscles (gastrocnemius internal and external)
• a soleus muscle (soleus).

Calf augmentation abroad

What causes insufficient volume of calves?

The calf hypotrophy is due to insufficient development of the calf muscles, and is very unsightly.

The problem may be:

• More often than constitutional (underdevelopment of the calf muscles).
• Or sometimes secondary to a disease or a neurological or muscular trauma (polio sequelae ...).

The problem may be bilateral or unilateral.

Calf fat grafting indications

Aesthetics calves increased by fat injection has its best indications as well in women than in men:

• Who have thin calves, undeveloped, with a default curve.
• Who want more shapely calves, bigger, more harmonious and more accentuated reliefs.
• Who does not want a foreign body (implant or prosthesis calf).
• Who have a localized excess fat (saddlebags, abdomen, flanks).

Calf fat transfer limits

The injection of grease allows the calves in a moderate increase in the volume of the calf, because of the systematic elimination of part of the injected fat (30 to 40%).

This technique is possible only if the patient has a sufficient fat donor site.

The skin located in the legs is generally firm and slightly extensible. The amount of fat to be injected is limited. However few milliliters can be enough to restore the curve.

A second or third speech session six months later, could then afford to get a greater volume similar to calf implants.

Calf fat transfer advantages 

Like breast augmentation fat transfer, the increase in calves by lipofilling is an excellent intervention to reshape the thin calves and has several advantages:

• No risks of implants or prostheses calves: infection, implant failure, rejection of the prosthesis, the prosthesis visibility ...
• refinement of the silhouette with liposuction of donor areas.
• No risk of rejection of the injected fat: the fat from the patient's own.
• Absence of scar (just the micro-incisions scars).
• Consistency very natural to touch the calf.
• very natural appearance of the calf.

The increase in calves by lipofilling allows a natural and permanent increase in the terrain with calf fat patient, without calf prosthesis.

Calf fat transfer disadvantages 

• Need large amount of fat to be taken (at least 1 liter of pure fat).
• longer Surgery: long and careful work.
• Possibility to make one session of lipofilling calves if the donor areas do not allow a second session.
• Asymmetric fat resorption Risk of a calf to another, which may give an unbalanced result and requiring retouching.
• Risk of bad "engraftment", resulting in fat necrosis with formation of nodules of "fat necrosis" spontaneous resorption often.
• Risk of oil cysts, which may lead to their surgical removal.
• Need 2 or 3 calves lipofilling sessions spaced six months, if the fat reserves of the patient permits, to create more volume and achieve the desired contour.

You should know that "too much fat injected immediately" increases the risk of necrosis and oil cyst, but also unnecessarily consumes fat reserve of the patient.

Before calf fat transfer surgery

• A preoperative blood test is required
• Medical guidelines to follow are:
  • Stop taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, or oral anticoagulants 15 days before surgery.
  • Stop oral contraceptives (pills) one month before the procedure.

Type of anesthesia and hospital stay

This is a conventional general anesthesia.

The intervention requires 1-2 nights postoperative hospitalization (depending on the amount of fat removed).

Calf fat grafting procedure

• 1st time: Collection of fat by liposuction:
  • The selection of sampling areas of fat depends on donor sites available, the amount deemed necessary fat and desires of the patient.
  • This is a real liposuction performed in the most atraumatic as possible, with small incisions hidden in the natural folds using a thin suction cannula.
• 2nd time: Treatment of fat by centrifugation according to the method of Coleman or washing and filtration of the fat to separate the intact fat cells, which are grafted, elements that are not transplantable (oil, serum).
• 3rd time: careful injection of fat on the calves:
  • transfer of fat cells occurs through micro-incisions of 1 to 2 mm.
  • The fat is then injected "drip" using thin cannulas in different planes (the gastrocnemius to the skin) and according to several paths to allow to increase the area of contact between the transplanted cells, and thereby a better "engraftment". The fat is injected mainly in the upper part of the calf.
  • The injected volume is variable depending on the amount of fat available and your desires.
  • The fat is injected to shape the calf in all its dimensions (deep, superficial and lateral).
  • over-correction should be sought to prevent fat absorption (melting fat or loss of the graft is from 30 to 40%).

Post operative of calf fat transfer

• Moderate pain the first few days at the most important areas sucked. Analgesic treatment will be prescribed.
• The edema (swelling) put 1-3 months to subside.
• The bruising (bruises) are resorbed within 10-20 days.
• Difficulty walking the 1st week.
• A fatigue.
• A compression sleeve must be worn day and night for six weeks after liposuction.
• Prescription of anti-coagulants to prevent phlebitis.
• Wear compression stockings during one month to improve engraftment and outcome.
• The work stop time is from 12 to about 15 days.
• The resumption of normal daily activity is done after about 2 weeks.
• The resumption of sporting activities is allowed after two months.
• The final result (volume and shape of the breasts) is observed after 3-6 months.

Calf fat grafting results

The end result is observed between 4 to 6 months. It is usually very satisfactory: regalbés calves and improved silhouette.

A second or even third session lipomodelling calf is possible after six months if the patient wants more volume, and if the donor areas of fat permit.

The engraftment is estimated at 60-70% depending on the patients. There is therefore a fat absorption of 30 to 40%.

Lipostructure calf is a definitive method: grafted the cells remain alive.

However, you should know that fat cells have a genetic memory: when the patient grows or loses weight, breast size varies in the same way.

Calf fat grafting risks

Complications of augmentation surgery calves by fat injection are fortunately very rare.

• The thromboembolic events (phlebitis, pulmonary embolism).
• The infection is exceptional.

• Cystostéatonécrose by bad "engraftment".
• Oily cysts.
• Result Imperfections: asymmetry, excessive resorption, insufficient volume, irregularities
• At the level of sampling areas: all risks of liposuction.

In all, one should not overstate the risks, but just be aware that surgery, even seemingly simple, always has a small share of hazards.