Fat Grafting
Fat grafting or fat transfer describes the procedure of transferring fat from the body to the areas that have lost fat through aging or injury. Not only can fat grafting be used to rejuvenate and improve the contours of your face, but it can also be used to fill defects caused by an injury or pervious surgery. Fat grafting is commonly used to rehabilitate traumatic injuries from automobile accidents, dog bites, birth defects or other accidents. In addition, fat can be used to correct deformities from breast implants or to reconstruct breasts after cancer procedures.
ENHANCING YOUR APPEARANCE WITH FAT GRAFTING
Fat is one of most well-tolerated fillers available to aesthetic surgeons. It’s safe, lasts a long time and the result appears natural. Fat grafting can be used to restore fullness in the cheeks, reestablish volume beneath the eyes, enhance the contour of the jaw line or brow, and fill scars and other depressions.
FAT GRAFTING RECOVERY
Swelling is commonly seen after fat injection. The degree of swelling is dependent on the injected area. Your surgeon may request that you don’t sit or lie on injected areas for a given period. A massage program after the procedure may be beneficial to patients. Swelling and bruising usually resolve within 2 to 3 weeks.
HOW LONG DOES THE RESULTS FROM FAT GRAFTING LAST?
The fat grafts that “take” become a permanent part of your facial soft tissues like the fat tissue that is naturally present there. The new blood supply to the fat grafts takes several months to grow. It usually takes about 6 months after surgery for patients to start seeing the final results. By this time the grafts finally have a robust blood supply that allows the fat cells to become fuller. This process continues until about 12 to 18 months after surgery.