Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Optimizing harvesting for facial lipografting with a new photochemical stimulation concept: One STEP technique™

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Journal of Plastic Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Facial fat grafting for rejuvenation is one of the most popular facial aesthetic procedures in plastic surgery. It is always challenging and since there are a lot of techniques for adipose tissue (AT) harvesting, there are no standard procedures that guarantee natural and long-lasting results. We developed the selective tissue engineering photo stimulation technique (One STEP™) in which we used a novel infrared 1210-nm wavelength laser diode for fat preserved harvesting and direct fat injection that we named PicoGraft™, with no fat manipulation.

Methods

This is a retrospective descriptive study in which we included all senior author’s patients that got facial fat grafting using the One STEP™ technique. We compared the AT aspirated, after laser emission (STEP-PicoGraft) and the standard assisted liposuction samples (SAL) in cultures. We study the mitochondrial activity of the ASC between STEP and SAL in fresh samples and after 24 h. The evaluation of the results included subjective changes regarding wrinkles, grooves, palpebral bags, hyperchromic spots, and fat hypotrophy of our patients.

Results

Between July 2013 and May 2018, a total of 245 patients underwent facial fat grafting using this novel technique. We observed adipocytes preserved after STEP harvesting comparing morphologic changes in SAL samples with a high concentration of inflammatory particles in cultures. ASC mitochondrial activity shows an important difference of more than 7 times in STEP samples in fresh analysis that increase 12 times in 24 h. The subjective results show a good improvement in the periorbital area. The changes on the skin and subcutaneous tissue are seen from the second month and continue to improve up to 12 months.

Conclusions

Facial fat grafting using the PicoGraft™ obtained by One STEP™ technique gives excellent volumetric and regenerative results in a single treatment without volumetric hypercorrection, and it is a good alternative for facial rejuvenation. The fat graft obtained with this novel technique is homogenous, without lumps, and has high concentration of viable stimulated ADSC and a high number of viable adipocytes.

Level of evidence: Level III, therapeutic study.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Stuzin JM, Baker TJ, Gordon HL (1992) The relationship of the superficial and deep facial fascias: relevance to rhytidectomy and aging. Plast Reconstr Surg. 89:441–449

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Coleman SR (1997) Facial recontouring with lipostructure. Clin Plast Surg 24:347

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Coleman SR (1995) Long-term survival of fat transplants: controlled demonstrations. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 19:421–425

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Carraway JH, Mellow CG (1990) Syringe aspiration and fat concentration: a simple technique for autologous fat injection. Ann Plast Surg 24:293

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Zuk PA, Zhu M, Mizuno H et al (2001) Multilineage cells from adipose tissue: implications for cell-based therapies. Tissue Eng 7:211–228

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Zuk PA, Zhu M, Ashjian P et al (2002) Human adipose tissue is a source of multipotent stem cells. Mol Biol Cell 13:4279–4295

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Rigotti G, Marchi A, Galiè M et al (2007) Treatment of radiotherapy tissue damage by lipoaspirate transplant. A healing process mediated by adipose-derived adult stem cells. Plast Reconstr Surg J 119:1409–1422

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Cantarella G, Mazzola RF, Domenichini E et al (2005) Vocal fold augmentation by autologous fat injection with lipostructure procedure. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 132:239–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Lo Cicero V, Montelatici E, Cantarella G et al (2008) Do mesenchymal stem cells play a role in vocal fold graft survival? Cell Prolif 41:460–473

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kaufman MR, Miller TA, Huang C et al (2007) Autologous fat transfer for facial recontouring: is there science behind the art? Plast Reconstr Surg. 119:2287–2296

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Ersek RA (1991) Transplantation of purified autologous fat: a 3-year follow-up is disappointing. Plast Reconstr Surg. 87:219–227

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Niemz M (2007) Laser-tissue interactions. Fundamentals and Applications. Springer-Verlag, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  13. Centurion P, Noriega A (2013) “Laser stimulation on adipose stem cells (ASC) and adipocytes“. IPRAS Journal 12th Issue. ISSN:2241–1275 p 46.7

  14. Centurion P (2014) “New evidences in liposculpture: liposuction-laser stimulation-lipo filling: One Step technique”. 3rd International Society of Plastic Regenerative Surgery Congress Miami

  15. Centurion P (2015) Enxerto de Gordura na Face“. 34 Jornada Carioca de Cirurgia Plastica. Sociedad Brasileira de Cirurgia Plastica – Regional do Rio de Janeiro. 5 a 8 de agosto

  16. Centurión P, Romero C, Olivencia C, Ronald G, Paul K (2014) Short-scar facelift without temporal flap: a 10-year experience. Aesthetic Plast Surg 38(4):670–677

  17. Mazzola RF (2006) Fat injection, expanding opportunities. Panel. 17th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Plastic Surgeons. Istanbul

  18. Centurion P, Noriega A (2013) Fat preserving by laser 1210-nm. J Cosmet Laser Ther 15:2–12 3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Centurion P, Ramirez O (2018) New concept in liposculpture: the One S..T.E.P. technique. ISAPS 24 World Congress. Miami. 30 oct-4 nov.

  20. Conde´-Gree A, de Amorim NFG, Pitanguy I (2010) Influence of decantation, washing and centrifugation on adipocyte and mesenchymal stem cell content of aspirated adipose tissue: a comparative study. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 63:1375–1381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Rohrich RJ, Pessa JE (2007) The fat compartments of the face: anatomy and clinical implications for cosmetic surgery. Plast Reconstr Surg. 119(7):2219–2227 discussion 2228–31

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Fisher C, Grahovac TL, Schafer ME, Shippert RD, Marra KG, Rubin JP (2013) Comparison of harvest and processing techniques for fat grafting and adipose stem cell isolation. Plast Reconstr Surg. 132(2):351–361

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Rodrigo de Faria Valle Dornelles, Adriano de Lima e Silva, Juarez Missel, Patrício Centurión (2013) Laser lipolysis with a 980-nm diode laser: experience with 400 cases. 28(1):124–129. Revista de Sociedad Brasileira de Cirurgia Plastica. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1983-51752013000100021

  24. Anderson RR, Farinelli W, Laubach H, Manstein D, Yaroslavsky A, Gubeli J et al (2006) Selective photothermolysis of lipid-rich tissues: a free electron laser study. Laser Surg Med. 38:913–919

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Wassmer B, Zemmouri J, Rochon P, Mordon S (2010) Comparative study of wavelengths for laser lipolysis. Photomed Laser Surg. 28(2):185–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Organogenesis (2010) Jan-Mar; 6(1): 11–14. Isolating adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells from lipoaspirate blood and saline fraction. Michael P Francis, Patrick C Sachs, Lynne W Elmore and Shawn E. Holt

  27. Zocchi et al (2019) Regulatory, ethical, and technical considerations on regenerative technologies and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Eur J Plast Surg 42:531–548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Tonnard P, Verpaele A, Peeters G, Hamdi M (2013) Nanofat grafting: basic research and clinical applications. Plast Reconstr Surg 132(4)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru

    Patricio Centurión, Ronald Gamarra, Gonzalo Caballero, Paul Kaufmann & Pia Delgado

Authors
  1. Patricio Centurión
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ronald Gamarra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gonzalo Caballero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Paul Kaufmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Pia Delgado
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Patricio Centurión.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

Dr. Patricio Centurion has ownerships of both One STEP technique and PicoGraft technique.

Dr. Centurion has technical support of DMC Laser-Brazil. Dr. Centurion is the owner of the One STEP™ technique and PicoGraft™. The rest of the authors do not have any conflict of interest to declare.

Dr. Patricio Centurion has received technical support from DMC GROUP-BRAZIL.

Funding

No Financially support was received for this publication by any of the authors.

Ethical approval

This study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. If doubt exists whether the research was conducted in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration or comparable standards. However for this retrospective study formal consent is not required.

Informed consent

Patients provided written consent before their inclusion in this study. Additional consent was obtained for the use of their images.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Centurión, P., Gamarra, R., Caballero, G. et al. Optimizing harvesting for facial lipografting with a new photochemical stimulation concept: One STEP technique™. Eur J Plast Surg 43, 733–742 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-020-01643-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-020-01643-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation