By Dr. Canta Pier Luigi
There is much talk today about plastic surgery and the new techniques which, thanks to research, allow this discipline (which sits at the crossroads of science and medical art) to constantly improve by crossing new frontiers. In particular, in the last few years, attention of the general public for cosmetic surgery which aims to improve the physical shape and form of the body has increased significantly. The excessive accumulation of fat in certain areas such as the abdomen, buttocks, waistline, hips and arms is often responsible for bodily blemishes. But obtaining a perfect body is not always about removing excess fat. It is also important to view every aspect of the female figure when making decisions. The latest novelty in this field is focused on one superficial liposculpture technique that is revolutionising the concept of whole-body sculpting. 3D body sculpting allows the surgeon to work on retouching all the major and minor issues with the body, until obtaining that perfect balance in shape and size which is difficult to achieve with older techniques.
Three-dimensional (3D) liposculpture, in fact, represents the most recent and innovative evolution in the classic lipoaspiration procedure which has led to a global and much more precise approach to the blemishes caused by fat accumulation. The really major novelty is represented by the possibility of remodelling the body by removing excess fat and reinserting it where it is missing. Thanks to an accurate and personalised pre-operative programme based on analysis of the figure of the individual patient, a balanced alternation of protrusions and indentations that make up the natural shape of a typically harmonious body can be achieved. Much attention is paid not only to reducing size but also redistributing volumes and to the points of light and shadow that define the body profile. The ankles must be thin, for example, in such a way as to emphasise the roundness of the calves, the knees and the central part between the slightly dug thighs. Laterally reducing the padding on the buttocks makes this line appear slimmer. The entire leg is slimmed down, emphasising the natural protrusion of the lower back: eliminating the unsightly fat pad under the buttocks. You obtain a rounder and protruding backside. As for the upper part of the legs, the removal of fat affects the entire thigh, so as to redraw a smoother profile. The effect on the inner thigh is twofold: in addition to reshaping volume, it increases tissue tone.
Indeed, the elimination of excess adiposity is performed by aspirating not only the deep fat but also any fat in the middle layers, and above all the superficial layers, located just below the surface of the skin. It is this superficial remodelling that above all allows for excellent definition of the treated areas that are actually “sculpted” by the surgeon after eliminating the excess fat and making the skin more mobile. This superficial liposculpture also guarantees a better redistribution of the excess skin and leads to excellent results even in those patients with thin and flaccid skin. Precisely for this reason, this technique is also indicated for patients over 40-45 years with equally excellent results. In many cases, there is also an improvement in cellulite and the orange-peel appearance of the skin, which is recompiled and smoothed.
This new liposculpture technique has many advantages compared with classic liposuction. In fact, the limits of liposuction were most obvious when viewing the lack of retraction in the skin, which, if dry in a deep plane, tended to expand. Aspirating just under the skin instead allows for retraction guided by the tissues with lifting and rotation of the buttocks.
In addition, the suction cannulas used in liposuction were too large in diameter, between 5 and 10 millimetres, and this sometimes led to unsatisfactory results due to the irregularities of the skin surface that were created as a result of too deep an aspiration and therefore never sufficiently precise. In 3D liposculpture, the cannulas used range from 3 to 6 mm in diameter, resulting in less trauma so that the tissues suffer as little damage as possible.
The three-dimensional approach is a real revolution because it takes fat away where necessary and reintroduces it where it is missing, for example in the buttocks. The fat is used to fill the depressed or slightly protruding areas: it is taken with a cannula and the purified fat cells are reinjected into the new area. This procedure called “lipofilling” (i.e. filling with fat) creates smooth and harmonious curves without the risk of rejection or allergic reactions that could occur using synthetic filling materials. It is the ideal solution for patients who want to obtain new fuller and firmer shapes without resorting to prosthetics, with a very natural aesthetic result. Filing in the right places on and around the buttocks is enough to not only make the buttocks firmer and smoother but also harmonise their shape.
In most cases, the operation is carried out under local anaesthesia and the patient will be able to safely return home a few hours after the operation. Returning to normal activities may vary depending on the extent of the intervention but a full recovery should only take a few days. The scars are practically invisible and the results of 3D liposculpture are permanent because the fat cells cannot reform. If the patient then puts on weight again, she would do so without any of the defects she had complained about before the operation.
Like a true sculptor, the surgeon is therefore able to shape and create new curves and more harmonious profiles, redistributing the residual adipose tissue according to artistic concepts for a better definition of the female silhouette with an increasingly sophisticated technique based on understanding of the aesthetic needs of the patient.
About Dr. Canta Pier Luigi
State Medical Board: 28797 Naples
Dr. Luigi Canta is a physician specialising in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery with honors. He currently works at his own Center for Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery and at the Athena Aesthetic Surgery Clinics in Curitiba, Brazil. He is a member of many important scientific associations including S.I.C.P.R.E., AICPE, ISAPS, ICAPS, SIACH.