The Comparative Evaluation of Free Fat Graft Sorvival in Pigs

Human adipose tissue transplantation was first attempted in 1983 by Neuber and subsequently it was used widely as a surgical method to correct surface depression or to augment soft tissue during the period of the 20th century. But the fat grafts lost about the 50% of their weight and volume and complication has been discovered. Recently, with introduction of the suction-associated lipectomy and the minced free fat injection technique, there has been revived interest in using suctioned adipose tissue for transplantation to correct contour deficiences.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate adipocyte survival in pigs under 3 different conditions as follows ;

1) Type of grafts : Lump (Excised) & minced(libposuctioned).

2) Beneficial effects of insulin : the addition to the specimens and not.

3) State of Donor site ; old scar bed and fresh bed.

The biopsy specimens from 8 groups were taken after 4 and 8 weeks and routinely measured their survival weights and prepared for microscopic examination.

The results shows ;

1) The differences between the specimens of 4 weeks and those of 8 weeks were revealed in the survival weights and histologic findings.

2) While the survival adipocytes in lump and minced groups did not differ histoligically, there was statiscally significant increasing of survival weights in minced groups(2.3±0.34, 2.0±0.26) compared with the lump groups.

3) Insulin did not show any effects on survival weights and histology.

4) There was no statiscally significant differences between specimens of scar bed groups and those of non-scar bed groups(P-value>0.05).