Fat transfer

Fat transfer also referred to as fat grafting or fat injection has become extremely popular in the recent years. This facial enhancement procedure involves taking the fat from one area of the body, usually where there is abundance of it, such as abdomen, flanks and thighs. The fat is then transferred to a different area of the body that needs volume to improve the contour or to rejuvenate. Most popular areas for fat injections are the face, breasts, buttock and hands.

Fat Injection to the Face

Fat is transferred to the face for two main reasons: either to add volume to areas of the face that lost fullness with aging, or in order to decrease appearance of grooves, wrinkles and scars.

Areas of the face that loose volume with aging are usually cheeks, temples and lips. Deep lines form around the mouth and on the chin. Patients form smile lines and fine wrinkles throughout their face. All of those areas can be filled with fat injections.

Benefits of using fat for facial rejuvenation:

• Minimally invasive procedure with only small scars.
• Can be combined with other procedures.
• Using your own fat (as opposed to filler material) minimizes the risk of allergic reaction.
• Produces natural long lasting results.
• Fast recovery.
• Produces improvement in skin quality.
• Procedure does not preclude from other surgeries to be performed later.

Fat Injection for Breast Augmentation

If you already have a nice shape to your breasts but desire a modest increase in your breast size, than fat grafting to the breast may be a solution for you. However, if you need a large increase in breast size, augmentation with an implant is a better option. Also, if you need improvement in breast sagging, then breast lift procedure will more likely give you a result you are looking for.

Fat Injection for Buttock Augmentation

Fat injection has become extremely popular in the recent years in the Brazilian butt lift procedure. It is ideal for women who desire improvement in their buttock shape and roundness and have fat tissue to be borrowed from their flanks, abdomen or thighs. Fat grafting to the buttock is not ideal in women who are extremely thin as there is lack of sufficient fat to be harvested from other body areas for this procedure.

Fat Injection for Hand Rejuvenation

Fat grafting to the hands can be done in order to add volume to the wrinkled areas of the hands and cover the appearance of veins and tendons. Adding fat under the skin of the hands can also improve the quality of the skin and make it thicker and healthier.

Fat Grafting Consultation and Planning

During your consultation your surgeon will ask you about your medical history and perform an exam. Your surgeon will then advise if fat grafting surgery can achieve your ideal result and may recommend some adjunct procedures. Your surgeon will go over the procedure and discuss risks involved.

Do I need to gain weight for at fat grafting procedure?

It is best that the patients undergoing fat grafting procedures are at their ideal body weight and at a weight they are comfortable with and are able to maintain for a lifetime. Any fluctuation in the weight in the future will affect the grafted areas as well. Therefore, if a patient loses weight after their procedure, the fat injected area will decrease in volume. And if the patient gains weight, the fat injected area will become larger.

Fat Grafting Procedure Description

Fat transfer is performed in our certified outpatient surgery center usually under general anesthesia. Length of procedure depends of how much fat is harvested and which area is injected. Small amount of fat grafting to the face may even be performed under local anesthesia.

Where and how is fat harvest?

Fat can be harvested from a number of areas and you can discuss where you would like fat harvested with your surgeon prior to your procedure. The healthiest and best suited fat for injections is considered to come from the abdomen. However, other areas where fat can be taken from include the flanks, outer and inner thighs, arms and chin.

Fat is harvesting usingliposuction technics. There are several different methods to perform liposuction but in our facility our preferred method is using a power assisted liposuction (PAL).
When the fat is harvested there is also an added benefit of contouring the body area that is the donor site for the fat.

How is fat processed?

There are several different means to process the fat and technique used varies widely between surgeons. Some surgeons simply wash the fat and let it settle with gravity while others will use a centrifuge to spin the fat. Still others will use a more sophisticated commercial devices to process the fat. There is currently no consensus on which process gives the best fat for injection. Surgeons will use a technique that they are most comfortable with and one that provides the best result for their patients in their hands.

How is fat injected?

After fat is processed it is filled into syringe for injection. A needle or a blunt tip cannula is used for the injection back into the body. The surgeon will inject the fat where it is needed. It can be injected deep and/or more superficially, depending what defect is being addressed. Surgeon may massage the area to contour the fat and make the area smooth.

Fat Grafting Recovery

Patient usually experience minimal pain from fat grafting procedure, and pain is well controlled with oral over the counter or prescription pain medications. Recovery is also fairly quick with most patients being able to return to work in just a few days. Compression garment should be worn on the body areas that are donor sites, and no compression is recommended to fat injected areas. Ice may be used to alleviate pain and swelling over the injected areas. Most patients are able to return to full activities in about 2 weeks.

Fat Grafting Results

Not all of the fat that is transferred to a new area will stay. Some fat will be absorbed by the body. Immediately after surgery the operated area will be larger than the ultimate result due to swelling. It usually takes 3 to 4 months to see the final results from a fat grafting procedure. If additional volume is needed, it can be added with a second operation.