Correction of Atrophic Limbs

Atrophic limbs are body extremities that, during the organism’s development in childhood and adolescence, experienced a disease or injury, resulting in delayed or abnormal growth. They are usually found in the lower limbs and the calf area (gastrocnemius). The correction procedure requires sedation or light general anesthesia, and post-operatively, the patient remains in the hospital for one night. Bandaging of the limbs is required for one week, and any intense physical exercise or sports should be avoided for several weeks.

The plastic surgeon examines the patient and, depending on the degree of atrophy, the pre-existing condition that caused it, the location where it is found, and the patient’s age, decides on the method of correction.

Thus, a combination of specially designed silicone expanders (a balloon with an external silicone shell that is gradually filled with saline, causing expansion of the area) and their immediate replacement with silicone implants, custom-made for the area and the patient, may be necessary. Sometimes, however, correction can be achieved with fat transfer. Fat has been a useful tool in the hands of plastic surgeons in recent years for correcting volume deficits. Fat is harvested with a special cannula from areas of the body where it is stored, such as the anterior and lateral abdominal area, buttocks, and lateral thigh areas. It is then washed and processed to be placed with many small and atraumatic cannulas into the affected area. This method corrects atrophy and restores the correct proportions of the limbs, while also restoring symmetry to the body’s contour.