Tim Blackburn introduces Microfat facial transfer

After carefully monitoring the literature on this exciting new facial rejuvenation treatment for several years and visiting to observe the pioneers in Belgium, Tim Blackburn introduced the technique to both Manchester Royal Infirmary and Spire Cheshire hospitals in 2014.

Now that long term results are published by the Belgian pioneers of this technique, and suitable FDA approved and CE marked surgical products are available to perform the technique within UK’s safe regulations, Tim Blackburn was the first surgeon to introduce the technique to both Spire Cheshire and Manchester Royal infirmary facial plastic surgery service.

The technique has 4 improvements on the previously established technique of Coleman fat transfer:

a) the harvesting cannula for liposuction has design improvements allowing smaller parcels of fat to be harvested with less physical trauma and lower vacuum pressure (both physical and barometric [pressure-related] trauma will burst some fat cells reducing the potential for successful transfer).

b) the processing of the fat parcels is more gentle – with a special filtration membrane within a closed plastic bag allows washing of the fat to ensure more of the desired fat parcels and less of other material (e.g. blood cells) are included in the transferred volume. The older technique of centrifuging or rapidly spinning the fat is arguably more traumatic to the fat parcels.

c) the washing technique uses FDA approved and CE marked special double layered bags (the inner layer has a semipermeable membrane / filtration layer which contains the fat and allows other materials e.g. blood cells to be washed away through the membrane). This arguably reduces the potential for bacterial contamination because it can be performed in an almost completely ‘closed’ system – the harvested fat is transferred from the syringe to the bag with twist-lock connectors containing compressible silicone valves which only open as the syringe is screwed into the connector. The older technique of centrifuging fat required the fat to be open to the air during centrifuging / spinning and transfer to smaller syringes.

d) the use of smaller fat parcels allows more refined and blended facial sculpting during the lipoinjection to the face. From basic principles, using smaller fat parcels should allow the fat parcels to survive by successful diffusion of oxygen from neighbouring tissues to the cells in the centre of the fat parcel simply because they are smaller in size.

Fat cells contain stem cells and release growth factors which are beneficial for the facial skin – generally clients also notice an improved skin tone after a fat transfer which may be explained by these biological processes.

So microfat transfer is an exciting addition to the range of techniques available for rejuvenating facial appearance for a natural look and using only your own tissue (no artificial products) with a semi-permanent effect.

It is important to stay close to new developments introducing them as soon as they are shown to be both effective and, more importantly, safe. i.e. balancing the two positions of

“don’t be the first to jump on a bandwagon” and “don’t get left behind – change is here to stay”!

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