title: The role of cannula diameter in improved adipocyte viability: a quantitative analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fat injection for soft tissue augmentation is a common procedure in plastic surgery. Because the limitation of fat injection is its resorption, understanding how different handling techniques affect adipocyte survival is crucial to optimizing long-term results.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study; we sought to determine the effect of aspiration and injection cannula diameters on adipocyte viability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fat aspiration samples were obtained from 6 female patients undergoing abdominoplasty. Viable adipocytes were counted at fat suspension, which was obtained with 2-, 3-, and 4-mm-diameter aspiration cannulas and injected with 1.6-, 2-, and 2.5-mm-diameter injection cannulas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A greater number of viable adipocytes were detected using a 4-mm-diameter aspiration cannula (419 x 10(4) cell/1 mL, P < .05) and a 2.5-mm-diameter injection cannula (410 x 10(4) cell/1 mL, P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of wider-diameter cannulas can potentially improve fat graft survival and reduce fat graft resorption.
authors.forename: Zafer
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ozsoy
authors.forename: Zekeria
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kul
authors.forename: Ayhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bilir