For years, many women have wished to transfer excess fat from one area of the body to other areas. Now, with fat transfer (also called fat grafting or fat injection), it’s possible.
Some patients may want to consider fat injections, which use fat harvested from the patient's own body which can then be re-injected to enhance fullness, fill creases or build up shallow contours.
The procedure is typically performed by removing fat from one area of the body using low-pressure liposuction, which is washed with saline and then injected into the desire areas.
How fat injections are administered
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"donor area" must be determined (such as the abdomen or buttocks) and liposuction is used to extract the fat. The suctioned fat can then be transferred to the face, breast, buttock as a graft.
Fat injection results
The grafted fat then has to redevelop a blood supply in order to survive. About 50% of the fat injected will survive, and the surviving fat will last forever.
In the face, most of the transferred fat usually survives, but the results can be a bit less predictable. Typically, multiple fat transfer procedures will be needed to achieve desired results.
The use of fat transfer involves additional discomfort in the donor area.
Pre-Operative Care
Our team will evaluate your medical history to check for conditions that may delay the surgery or the healing process. Some of the common conditions are:
- Bleeding tendencies – problems with blood clotting, or lack of clotting
- Scarring problems you have had in the past – like keloid scars and hypertrophic scars
- Hypertension (High blood pressure) – particularly if it is not under control.
- Smoking – this may affect your reaction to the anaesthetic and prolong the healing process. Please stop smoking 4 weeks prior to surgery.
Please avoid aspirin and brufen-containing medication for two weeks prior to surgery to eliminate the chance of post op bleeding.
On the day of the procedure
Your doctor will mark the areas where fat will be removed and injected. Depending on whether any other procedures are being performed at the same time, you may receive general anesthesia, local sedation, or local anesthesia (where only the area of the body being treated is numbed).
A fluid will be injected into the area of the body to be treated with liposuction to make it easier to remove fat cells and lessen bleeding. Liposuction will then be used to remove fat through a suction device. Once removed, fat cells will be isolated, cleansed, and prepared for injection.
Through a series of injections, fat will be added until the desired volume is achieved.
Post-Operative Care
Recovery After a Fat Transfer/Grafting Procedure
After the procedure, the areas of the body treated will be covered in a compression garment and bandages to help minimize swelling and provide support during the healing process.
After returning home, you’ll wear your support garment around the clock and take any prescribed medications for pain and to prevent infection. Your doctor will advise you to take it easy during the initial healing process. While pain typically subsides within the first week, you may have soreness, bruising, and swelling for a few weeks in the areas treated with liposuction. Your doctor will advise you on when to resume normal activity and exercise.
Small amounts of oozing and bleeding after surgery are normal. If serious bleeding occurs, apply pressure and call us. Contact our office, if you have the following symptoms:
- Fever greater than 100o F or 38.5o C.
- Fresh bleeding, other than that of a minor nature.
- Excessive and sudden swelling.
- Bandages seeming too tight.
If you have any side effects to medications; such as, rash, nausea, headache, vomiting.
