Simple lipoaspirate washing using a coffee filter

Background: Lipoaspirate contains noxious substances derived from liposuction. Therefore, extensive washing is recommended before the lipoaspirate is processed further for culture or fat grafting. Washing a small amount of lipoaspirate may not pose a problem, but washing a large volume of lipoaspirate may be cumbersome, time consuming, and requires a lot of phosphate buffered saline (PBS).

Objective: To introduce a simple method for lipoaspirate washing using fine-mesh stainless-steel tea or coffee filter, a small tea spoon, and a porcelain bowl.

Methods: The filter was used to collect the adipose tissue fragments. Further washing of the fragments was achieved by soaking the adipose tissue containing filter in a PBS containing porcelain bowl and stirring using a small tea spoon to transfer the contaminating materials to the PBS. Enzymatic processing to dissociate the cells from the tissue and primary cultures was conducted as usual in MesenCult.

Results: Using the equipment mentioned above, the adipose tissue fragments were readily separated from the blood, free lipids, anesthetics, and other noxious material in the liquid portion. This simple method saves time and PBS compared with previously described methods. Further enzymatic processing produced sufficient cells to be cultured, and culture results showed plastic adherent cells on day 2 that became confluent on day 6.

Conclusion: Lipoaspirate washing using a fine mesh stainless steel filter is time saving and produced cells that grow well in MesenCult.