Breast augmentation is a very requested procedure in aesthetic surgery. Over time, various techniques of breast augmentation have been described, both through the use of alloplastic materials and autologous tissues: implants, fat grafting, flap surgery, and injectable fillers. According to the international current trend to perform minimally invasive procedure, injectable fillers have progressively increased their uses and notoriety in aesthetic medicine. Among the various available products, hyaluronic acid is likely to be the most popular synthetic filler all over the world. Nowadays many brands are on the market and this paper focuses on Macrolane which is a NASHA-based (stabilized hyaluronic acid of non-animal origin) filler. However, although highly biocompatible, as any material, foreign to our body, also hyaluronic acid fillers undergo a process of degradation and disposal. In our work, we report the first case in literature of migration of Macrolane in an axillary lymph node in a 45-year-old woman three years after injection for breast augmentation and its related management. The aim of the paper is to discuss and underline further complications and their treatment besides the ones already described in literature in order to provide a deeper knowledge concerning the use and the side effects of injectable fillers in aesthetic medicine.

Background: Autogenous fat grafting (AFG) is a well-known procedure utilized in addition to breast augmentation (BA) to improve breast appearance. Plastic surgeons usually estimate the ideal AFG volume relying on their personal experience based on similar previous cases: inaccurate predictions could result in incorrect evaluation of donor sites and even needless fat transfer. The purpose of this paper is to describe and prove the validity of our surgical technique and provide a simple and easy-to-use mathematical formula to assess the adequate proportion, between the volume of the implants and of the AFG, in order to obtain a natural shape and a proper volume in BA.Methods: One hundred and twenty-two patients (244 breasts) were subjected to primary/secondary hybrid BA (HBA). A formula was utilized to assess the volume of fat graft. Data about their age, body mass index (BMI), incision and implants were collected. Follow-up for analysis was fixed at less than 15 days, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months for analysis. Preoperative photographs were compared with postoperative at 12 months. Pre and postoperative Breast-Q © were administered to every patient. A statistical analysis was performed comparing Breast-Q © preoperative means with postoperative ones through t-student test. We globally defined the patients as follows: "very dissatisfied" if total score 0-25; "somewhat dissatisfied", score 26-50; "somewhat satisfied", score 51-75; "very satisfied", score 76-100.Results: All patients received Ergonomix-style Motiva Smooth/SilkSurface with low/high projection (range, 120-225 mL, mean 170 mL) and an average AFG volume of 600 mL (range, 480-720 mL). Breast-Q © analysis showed a statistically significant difference between preoperative and postoperative modules. 122 (100%) patients were "very satisfied". Thirteen cases of complications presented in 12 patients (10.65%): 5 hypertrophic scarring (4.09%), 3 wound dehiscence (2.46%), 3 hematomas (2.46%), 1 seroma (0.82%), 1 fat necrosis (0.82%).Conclusions: Our surgical technique proves low complication rate and short recovery times. Our mathematical formula to calculate the AFG seems to be both predictive and a precise guide for surgical decision-making in planning the treatment of patients candidated for HBA. In fact, the analysis of Breast-Q © questionnaires shows a high grade of satisfaction among patients. Further investigations should be performed in order to study a wider population and different type of implants.

Background Body contouring surgery is increasingly requested by patients, both for aesthetic and post-bariatric purposes. There has also been a rapid increase in demand for noninvasive aesthetic treatments. While brachioplasty is burdened by numerous complications and unsatisfactory scars, and conventional liposuction is unsuitable for all patients, nonsurgical arm remodeling performed with radiofrequency-assisted liposuction (RFAL) allows to effectively treat most of patients, regardless of the amount of fat and ptosis of the skin and avoiding surgical excision. Methods A prospective study was conducted on 120 consecutive patients who presented to the author's private clinic and required upper arm remodeling surgery for aesthetic purposes or after weight loss. Patients were classified according to the modified classification of El Khatib and Teimourian. Pre- and posttreatment upper arm circumferences were taken after 6 months of follow-up to assess the degree of skin retraction obtained by treating the arm with RFAL. A satisfaction questionnaire regarding the appearance of the arms (Body-Q upper arm satisfaction) was administered to all patients before surgery and after 6 months of follow-up. Results All patients were effectively treated with RFAL, and no cases required conversion to brachioplasty. The average reduction in arm circumference was 3.75 cm at 6 months follow-up, and patients’ satisfaction increased from 35 to 87% posttreatment. Conclusions Radio frequency is a valid tool to treat most patients with upper limbs skin laxity, with significant aesthetic results and a high degree of patient satisfaction, regardless of the degree of skin ptosis and lipodystrophy of the arm. Level of Evidence IV This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these evidence-based medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

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