What is fat grafting?
During a fat grafting procedure, fat is removed from areas of excess with conventional liposuction. This is done by making a series of small (2-3mm) incisions and repeatedly passing a cannula, or blunt hollow tube through the fat. The fat is then removed with suction and collected. The fat that is removed is then re-injected with very small (1-2mm) cannulas into the area of desired volume augmentation or in areas of hollowing in breast reconstructions.
What are the benefits?
The plastic surgeons at Optum Plastic Surgery in New York strive to provide you with personalized care and beautiful, natural results. After a fat grafting procedure, you can expect:
- Improved contours to the region(s) where fat is removed, though this is patient-specific
- Improved volume and possibly smoother contours to the areas grafted
- Stable, permanent volume augmentation using all one’s own tissue without prosthetic implants
- Minimal scarring
Who is the ideal candidate?
Ideal candidates for a fat grafting procedure have both pesky pockets of excess fat that would benefit from liposuction, and region(s) of the body that would benefit from modest volume augmentation. Additionally, ideal candidates are in good physical health, of stable weight, and are non-smokers.
What can I expect from recovery?
Most of the recovery following a fat grafting procedure results from liposuction and not the grafting of fat. You should, however, expect to be sore in both the area(s) where liposuction was performed and the area(s) where the fat grafting was performed. This soreness should improve significantly in the first 1-2 weeks after surgery but may take 1-2 months to completely resolve. You should also expect some bruising which will resolve in 1-2 weeks. Final results from both liposuction and fat grafting can take upwards of 6 months.
What options and techniques are available?
The fat grafting technique itself does not change from one area of the body to another, though the volume of fat grafted may. There are, however, numerous applications of fat grafting. Most commonly fat grafting is used to:
- Replace volume loss secondary to aging or augment existing volume in facial rejuvenation procedures
- Replace lost volume or augment existing volume in aesthetic breast procedures
- Smooth artificial contours or regions of hollowing in breast reconstruction procedures
Frequently asked questions
What are the risks associated with fat grafting?
In addition to the general risks of surgery including unpredictable scaring, infection, asymmetry and bleeding, some specific risks or fat grafting include contour irregularities in the regions where both liposuction was preformed and where fat was grafted, loss of grafted volume over time (particularly with weight loss), and areas of firmness in the grafted regions (fat necrosis or oil cysts) that may be felt through the skin.
What results should I expect after a fat grafting procedure?
At least 30-60% of the grafted fat remains the first few weeks after surgery, so you should expect some initial volume loss in the areas of fat grafting. In cases where large volumes of fat are required, multiple fat grafting procedures may be required to achieve the results you seek. All fat that survives in the area(s) where it was grafted is permanent, though large fluctuations in weight may result in shrinkage (or enlargement) of the grafted fat volume.
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