[Use of lipofilling in pediatric patients]

Abstract

Objective: To Present the benefits of free autologous fat grafts in different pathologies of children.

Material and methods: Retrospective study was performed on 18 patients who received a treatment with an autologous fat graft during the 2009-2012 period. The surgical technique consisted in removing fat from a donor region, processing the fat in order to purify it by centrifugation and grafting injection. The following variables were analysed: age, sex, pathology, complications of the technique, visual aspects results, subjective results (by rating satisfaction from 1-4 in examination room, and by telephone), donor sites and number of sessions.

Results: Eighteen patients were studied. Eleven patients had scars (2 were burn sequelae, 8 were side effects of a previous surgery and 1 was postraumatic), 2 patients had breast asymmetry, 1 patient had bilateral breast agenesis and 4 patients had facial asymmetries (Parry-Romberg syndrome in 2 cases, Treacher-Collins and monorhinia). There were no complications with the surgical technique except for fat resorption in 11 patients that needed a new reinjection. All patients with scar sequelae showed considerable improvement. The patients with breast pathology, experienced objective improvement, with practically full symmetry and natural aesthetics. Three to four patients affected by facial asymmetry, achieved good results in contour and symmetry. In order to obtain optimal results, 7 of the patients required just one session and the rest of patients, needed more sessions. The donor area was the abdominal region in 12 patients and the calf region in 6. Similar results were achieved regardless of the donor area. The assessment of patient satisfaction showed these results: very satisfied in 12 patients, satisfied 4 patients, scarcely satisfied 2 patienst and no one was not satisfied.

Conclusions: This study suggests that the use of autologous fat grafts is feasible in the pathologies mentioned previously due to the technical simplicity, the good cosmetic results and the absence of complications in our series.