A Filipino cosmetic surgeon has built a new facility that promotes non-invasive aesthetic procedures to enhance physical features, using the patient’s own body fat.
at Empire Centre for Regenerative Medicine.’
Dr. Alfredo Callanta, a world- renowned plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon, is an expert in the field of non-surgical fat grafting for facial and bodily rejuvenation.
With Singaporean partners sinking in at least $1 million, Callanta and his partners established Empire Center for Regenerative Medicine, considered as the pioneer in minimally invasive cosmetic treatments.
“Empire is committed to providing highly specialized procedures to people in and around the globe who have the preference for non-invasive treatments at relatively no downtime at less than normal fees other medical facilities overseas charge,” says Callanta.
Empire, located in the business district of Quezon City, began operations in 2014 and has since then become a go-to place for cosmetic procedures in the Philippines, helping drive the growth of medical tourism.
The facility’s popularity has encouraged foreign tourists to flock into the country to undergo cosmetic procedures.
The fat grafting procedure is the facility’s most popular cosmetic treatment that allows patients to ‘roll back’ the years lost through a technique using their own fat.
The use of fat is also fast becoming the procedure of choice for women looking to enhance their body such as the breasts or the butt, says Callanta.
“There is definitely a growing demand for regenerative medicine here in the region and cosmetic surgery continues to be an ever-evolving industry here in the Philippines,” Callanta says.
He cites the results of recent studies showing that fat has the highest potential to stimulate the growth of stem cells.
In one of his seminars abroad, Callanta met fellow plastic surgeon Dr. Roger Amar, who created the so-called fat autograft muscle injection fat graft technique. FAMI fat graft seeks to restore the lost volume by utilizing fat from the patient’s body.
The technique is touted as a very specialized discipline that only a select group of surgeons across the globe are proficient in it, each handpicked by Amar himself. Callanta is the only one in Asia that is able to administer the FAMI technique.
Callanta holds a degree in Medicine from the University of Sto. Tomas and has done his internship and residency at the Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City where he became chief resident for general surgery.
over the world who seek minimally invasive cosmetic treatments.
Empire offers select rejuvenation processes to restore the natural tautness of facial, breast and butt muscles that are normally subject to lack of elasticity and firmness as part of the aging process.
The facility offers butt augmentation via fat graft, which is commonly referred to as the ‘Brazilian Butt Lift’ and has been a procedure gaining fast popularity.
This procedure is more tricky as it requires the procedure to be in proportion to other body parts.
Callanta, a pioneer in facial rejuvenation process, also noticed that traditional facelift which usually cuts off excess or sagging skin is not aesthetically pleasing as observed by more discerning clients.
“The method oftentimes results in stiff and somewhat overstretched look of the facial skin. Our facial rejuvenation procedure is very natural with surprisingly less down time,” he says.
He says Empire clients can undergo a procedure on a Friday and come back to work on a Monday, after three to six hours of non-invasive procedure.
Even young people in teens and young adults have come to embrace the technology of cosmetic procedures to enhance their physical appearance, he says.
“What needs to be understood is that our hospitals and medical clinics are already at par with top-notch institutions in Europe and America when it comes to cosmetic procedures. A lot of doctors, if not most, are internationally trained with extensive experience in their respective medical fields,” he says.
“I have been doing cosmetic procedures for more than a decade now and each patient I have is a testament to how effective, safe, and reliable fat grafting is. The Philippines has so much potential in this particular medical field and we at Empire are positive that the local medical tourism will continue to grow in the coming years,” he says.
He says the Philippines has emerged as one of Asia’s most advanced nations in the field of healthcare. With many countries offering advanced healthcare services, the competitive edge of the Philippines is its lower cost, he says.
“We will soon be the hub in aesthetic medical procedures in the region. I’m quite positive that we have the perfect blend of expertise and pricing that will, all the more encourage people to come to the Philippines and have their procedures here,” says Callanta.