“I inject about 150 to 200 cc of pure fat for each side of the breast. For every 200 cc of fat, as a rule, you gain a cup size more. The surgery takes about two hours. The recovery is faster—about two or three weeks. You wear an elastic garment support over the area where the fat was harvested and in the breast. The support is worn for four weeks. It will have to be retouched after three to six months, until you reach the desired cup size,” explains Valerio.
He estimates it would take two more procedures get a C-cup from an A-size. “You can only inject 200 cc of fat at a given time. Fat has to survive, otherwise it will liquefy.”
This procedure is still in its infancy stage in the country; accurate, enduring results of fat transfer to breasts still have to be observed. Nonetheless, the initial results have been softer, more natural-looking breasts, though the repeated touch-ups may seem time-consuming compared to implants, which are replaced every 10 years.
Gel implants are still preferred by women. Now on its sixth generation, the USFDA-approved gel implants cost about P37,500 a pair and won’t leak or slosh. However, Valerio cites the drawbacks of implant augmentation, such as breast hardening or capsular contraction, implant deflation, and infection.
“You’re talking about a foreign body versus your own tissues. Choose between the two,” he says.
Nose lifts
Even in nose lifts, Valerio has been a proponent of using the patient’s own tissues instead of implants. In rhinoplasty, he uses the patient’s cartilage taken from the back of the ear, which regenerates after a month.
“Traditionally, we used silicon or Gortex implants, which are synthetic materials, to augment the bridge of the nose. By using the conchal (external ear) cartilage, you avoid complications like the rejection of the implant. There’s also faster recovery.”
Most of cases Valerio handles are either repairs of botched surgery or people who want to feel more secure about their looks.
Still, a case close to his heart is that of Lea Cabanillas, an indigent patient who expressed her desire to look normal in the TV show “Wish Ko Lang.” She was born with hemangioma, a tumor in the blood vessel. Surgery was done at a young age using cryo or dry ice therapy.
Although she was healed, the cryo surgery brought about defective skin growth, noticeably in her cheek. The vestiges of the procedure made her look emaciated.
Valerio plumped up Cabanilla’s face by transplanting fat over the cheeks, jawline, nose, chin and lower eyelid. But the biggest reward went beyond her physical transformation. It restored her confidence.
“Her eyes are now happy,” he says with a smile.
Ref: dailyinquirer
