Sponsored by MTF Biologics
Containing the same growth factors, collagen and proteins present in autologous fat, Renuva adipose allograft matrix from MTF Biologics (Edison, N.J.) is being used to volumize naturally. Wherever injected, the bio-compatible agent acts as a scaffold, allowing the body to replace it with fat, restoring volume over several months.
According to Sheila Nazarian, MD, founder of Nazarian Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, Calif., Renuva is injected into the subcutaneous fat. “Following injection, adipocytes, collagen, blood vessels, and whatever else would naturally be there, form. Renuva can be used anywhere fat naturally exists.” Patients will often experience transient edema and erythema and possibly some firmness or tenderness, but because the injection bypasses the dermis, bruising is unlikely.
“Essentially, once injected, Renuva is replaced with your own fat,” said Beverly Hills-based plastic surgeon Leif Rogers, MD. “Your body will repopulate the area with its own adipocytes. There are nuances to dilution and injection based on the application, but in general, volume replaced will equal about 50% of what was injected. Data from mouse studies suggests that the volume replaced may be greater than when using autologous fat itself.”
“I believe Renuva will be most commonly used on the face instead of fat grafting,” Dr. Rogers continued. “Rather than harvesting fat from the body and placing it elsewhere, you can open a box of Renuva and you are ready to go. This is easier and more efficient, much more cost-effective with small volumes, and there is in my opinion a secondary benefit because the material also improves the texture, elasticity and thickness of the skin above the area you treat. This is probably due to the naturally occurring growth factors. Injected fat will also do that.”
Dr. Nazarian uses Renuva on the buttocks primarily, but for many other areas as well. “I will use Renuva to fill liposuction divots from other surgeons, to smooth out cellulite in conjunction with other procedures, and anywhere aging or genetics has caused lack of volume. I have extensive fat grafting experience so I use it the way I would use autologous fat,” she added. “For me the technique is very similar.” The off-the-shelf nature of Renuva is a distinct advantage. “You don’t have to go through the process of harvesting fat, which is costly and involves downtime. And many patients don’t have enough fat to transplant, especially if you’re going for larger volumes.”
Renuva also provides an extracellular matrix around which fat can populate. “This is not just replacement by fat, but anything that sup- ports the fat as part of the body’s response to the presence of naturally-occurring growth factors, on the backbone of the extracellular matrix to which the growth factors are bound,” Dr. Rogers explained. “The growth factors remain in the area where injected. Otherwise, if you just inject growth factors they will rapidly dissipate to the rest of the body.”
“With Renuva we can restore volume with the patient’s own fat and collagen, therefore we anticipate much longer lasting results than what we’d expect from fillers,” Dr. Nazarian added, “because fat cells have a lifespan of about ten years, after which they are generally replaced. Fillers typically last a year at best, so you could not achieve volumization using fillers and expect a persistent result.”
