The company
It all started in an operating theatre (as all good surgical stories do), I was there fat grafting a patient's breasts following removal of implants, using a top brand of disposable fat grafting cannula when the cannula hub broke again. Two hubs had already cracked and I was on my third one! Although expensive, that wasn't my major concern - my major concern was that there were only 2 left in the box and that there was another breast to go. The problem was that once fat got into the hub, because it was plastic it tended to come undone by itself during use and in trying to tighten to the point where friction would hold things in place the hub would split. Standing in the theatre with me was my now friend and business partner Dan, an industry rep working in the field of fat harvest and grafting. I explained to him what I thought of the cannulas in a few words and it was then that we decided to do something about it.
We both believe passionately that fat is the future in medicine be it in stem cell technology, wound healing, breast/soft tissue reconstruction or aesthetics. It is free to source, it is entirely autologous and unlike implants and synthetic fillers it doesn't leave scarred tissue planes (indeed it can be used to treat scar). On top of this there seem to be some genuine antiaging properties associated with it, producing improvements in both skin appearance and quality even in the face of previous radiotherapy. To be able to use fat to its fullest extent however you need the right tools!
Tools - our ability to manufacture them to meet our needs and then utilise them to our advantage is one of the fundamental things that sets us apart from animals. Every surgeon has used blunt instruments at one time or another and although there is the old adage 'that a bad workman blames his tools' it is also true that a blunt scissors or blade does more harm than good! What sets a surgeon apart is the tools he or she chooses to use.
With this in mind we set out to create the best disposable fat grafting equipment available and to price it so that it was within the reach of all practicing in the field of medicine. On top of this we wanted to spread the word about the benefits of fat grafting to clinicians who might not have otherwise considered its use (for example as a low cost definitive solution in the field of chronic wounds where prolonged care with expensive dressings makes the financial burden of care extremely costly).
We took our time and worked out what made hubs comfortable to use and easy to secure to the syringe. We examined which type of bevelling worked best for harvesting cannulas and which produced least connective tissue in the aspirate. We looked at how we could refine the fat and how we could reinject it safely without risk of hub fracture and minimal unwanted cannula bend. Solid hubs, friction bonding and reusable grade stainless steel were the answer after looking at a lot of combinations. Generously weighted and solid in hand they truly provide control and comfort when using them.
The Liquid Lipid range of fat harvesting and fat grafting instruments represents the realisation of our vision. We hope you find them a pleasure to work with.
