'Lipo' fat can be used to sex up private parts

WHAT happens to the fat extracted from people who undergo a liposuction?

Are these used as skin moisturizers? Or are these transferred to reed-thin or malnourished people?

No, but the fat can be transferred elsewhere in the body. These can be used for augmentation procedures, that is, fat sucked out of a patient can go to other body parts that need enhancement.

According to Dr. Anna Marie Kare, cosmetic surgeon and OB gynecologist, "new methods allow excess fats" to be used as implants in breasts "instead of the silicone gel."

From abdomen to breasts

Such was the case of her recent patient, a "flat-chested" woman who last February underwent liposuction. Fats extracted from her abdomen were later infused into her breasts. So far, according to the doctor, the woman is doing very well.

Well-known cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Manny Calayan, said the majority of his fat transfer cases involved penile enlargements.

According to him, the process involves using transfer syringes to suck the fats and setting aside these syringes to allow for the separation of fats and liquids, after which the fats are injected into the part for augmentation.

'Fillers for dents'

Fats to be transferred should come from the same person, Dr. Calayan emphasized, or these would be rejected by the body which would detect a mismatch.

Other than the breasts and penis, fats can be used for cheeks and butt augmentation as well as "fillers for dents" like the lines on one's forehead.

If a patient wants both the liposuction and augmentation, he or she does not need two or more separate sessions for the procedures. In fact, Dr. Kare, discourages it, saying that "is more costly."

Dr. Calayan says doing both procedures take about one and a half hours to two hours and then the patient can go home.

Biological wastes

And what if the excess fats have no other use for the liposuction patient? According to Dr. Kare, "our patients don't want to see their fats so we put these in sterile bottles and dispose them" like other biological wastes which are placed in biodegradable waste bins. She added that "there is nothing toxic" about these fats.

But she had cases when patients asked for their fats, so these were placed in bottles and filled with formalin.

In Dr. Calayan's clinic, they have incinerators to burn the disposable fats.

Contouring procedure

Liposuction is a procedure that can sculpt the body by removing unwanted fats from areas that do not respond to dieting or exercise. It is not intended as a substitute for weight loss, but rather as a contouring procedure.

For women, frequently treated areas are the abdomen, hips, thighs (saddlebags), knees and chin. While commonly treated areas for men are the hips (love handles), abdomen, breasts and chin.

The best candidates for liposuction are normal-weight people with firm, elastic skin with pockets of excess fat in certain areas. Ideally, one must be physically healthy. Although age is not a major factor, older patients may have diminished skin elasticity and may not achieve the same results as a younger patient with tighter skin.

During liposuction, fluid is lost along with the fat, which is why it is important for this fluid to be replaced during the procedure to prevent shock.

Origin

The first major advance toward liposuction was led by Italian gynecologist Dr. Giorgio Fischer in 1974 when he used a spoon-like surgical instrument attached to a suction apparatus to remove fats. Four years later, French plastic surgeon Dr. Yves-Gerard Illouz made use of pressure vacuum to suck the fats. In the 1980s liposuction reached the United States where doctors developed methods to make the procedure safer.

Fatality

In the Philippines, a botched liposuction killed a 36-year-old woman in 1996. Despite this, the procedure continued to gain popularity after several movie stars underwent the procedure, including popular comedienne Ethel Booba, a patient of Dr. Calayan.

Despite the rather prohibitive rates (P30,000 to P40,000 for liposuction; P20,000 to 25,000 for nose lift; P90,000 to P120,000 for breast augmentation), patients lining up to undergo the procedures come from all social classes as exemplified by the 28-year-old maid who recently underwent a nose job.