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2. Author's personal copy
Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery (2010) 63, e850ee851
CORRESPONDENCE AND COMMUNICATION
Luer lock drain bottles. A simple
and practical device for fat
harvesting
Dear Sir,
A personal technique for fat harvesting is presented. Minor
operative details can make the operative technique neater
and tissue manipulation easier. Infiltration of the donor
region selected is performed with a standard Klein solution
(xilocaine 0.1%, epinephrine 0.65 mgs/liter, sodium bicar-
bonate 10 mg/liter) administered locally with an infusion
cannula at least 20 min before fat harvesting in order to
maximise the effect of the epinephrine reducing blood loss.
Figure 1 Assembly of the suction device. Black arrow is
The amount of blood present in the harvested fat is then
where negative pressure is connected. Orange arrow is where
minimal and the tissue is ready to be centrifuged (see
the fat transits to enter the container. Pink arrow is the indi-
picture). Negative pressure is provided by a standard aspi-
cator of vacuum in the container.
rator. Negative pressure is set at a maximum of 4 negative
atmospheres as previously described.1,3 Viability of fat
grafts harvested with this technique remains unknown nor
is it the objective of this brief communication, but our
clinical results remain encouraging. The operation is per-
formed under local or general anaesthesia according to the
specific requirement of the case. A drain bottle (Figure 1)
model dren 250, manufactured by Lucomed s.p.a., Carpi,
Italy is connected to a negative pressure aspirator at
a maximum of 0.4 atmospheres in order to minimise
damage to the adipose cells.1 Aspiration of fat is performed
with standard 2 and 3 mm liposuction cannulas. An escape
valve is changed into an infusion line terminal. The luer
lock valve of the dren 250 bottle is connected to the aspi-
rator with the available tubing (Figure 2). Negative pressure
in the bottle determines the deposit of the harvested fat
tissue in the container.2 The indicator of negative pressure
indicates the vacuum while harvesting fat tissue. Occlusion
of the tubing system that determined failure of the
procedure or enlongation of the operating time was never
encountered. Once the desired amount of fat harvested is
achieved the container is disconnected from the aspirator.
The luer lock syringes are applied directly to the dren 250. Figure 2 Luer lock syringe adapts to the robinet of the dren
The syringes are then standard centrifuged (3000 RPM for bottle and fat is harvested and ready to inject in one single
passage.
1748-6815/$ - see front matter ª 2010 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2010.07.033

3. Author's personal copy
Correspondence and communication e851
3 min).3e5 Fat is not left exposed on the side table. Passage 4. Coleman SR, Saboeiro AP. Fat grafting to the breast revisited:
from harvesting to injecting device is convenient. Subse- safety and efficacy. Plast Reconstr Surg 2007 Mar;119(3):
quently the fat is injected in the desired amount and 775e85. discussion 786e7.
anatomical region according to the surgical plan. 5. Coleman SR. Structural fat grafting: more than a permanent
filler. Plast Reconstr Surg 2006 Sep;118(3 Suppl):108Se20S.
Acknowledgements L.M. Lapalorcia
UO Chirurgia Plastica, Presidio ospedaliero di Umbertide,
Special thanks go to Mrs Anastsasia Iliana Economou for ASL 1 Umbria, Italy
language revision and picture editing.
Plastic Surgery Department, Gent University Hospital,
Gent, Belgium
Conflict of interest
ASL 1 Umbria, Presidio ospedaliero di Umbertide,
The Authors disclose no financial interest in Lucomed, SPA Via dei narcisi 61 R, 06126 Perugia, Italy
or any other institution. E-mail address: luigi.lapalorcia@gmail.com
M. Hamdi
References Plastic Surgery Department, Gent University Hospital,
Gent, Belgium
1. Prado A, Castillo P, Gaete F. Does vacuum pressure extraction of
fat affect the infranatant cellularity of liposuction specimens? D.B. Rosenberg
Plast Reconstr Surg 2005 Nov;116:1832e3. Private Practice, 115 East 61st Street,
2. Sanchez A, Benito-Ruiz J, Fontdevila J, et al. New system of New York, NY 10065, USA
collecting fat with a bottle of Redon drainage. Plast Reconstr
Surg 2010 Jan;125:34ee5e. M. Cordellini
3. Coleman SR. Structural fat grafts: the ideal filler? Clin Plast Surg UO Chirurgia Plastica, Presidio ospedaliero di Umbertide,
2001 Jan;28:111e9. Review. ASL 1 Umbria, Italy