FAT GRAFTING
Fat grafting is a relatively new procedure. Liposuction is performed (usually of the abdomen) and then that fat is concentrated, strained and rinsed very gently and finally injected using a small, blunt-tip needle made specifically for fat grafting into an area of the body with a volume deficiency. This can be injected above an implant or in the skin of a mastectomy reconstruction to help the reconstruction look more natural. It can also be injected into an indented scar, the face (especially the cheeks and chin) or into radiated tissue to help release the tightness.
Fat grafting is unfortunately an imperfect tool. Some of the fat always takes, and some of the fat always re-absorbs. The range of graft survival is from about 30% to 70%. This is because each droplet of fat has to have enough blood supply to live as a graft. This is why adding more fat to compensate actually makes the blood supply worse. I do not like fat grafting as a “stand alone” procedure because it is not worth the inherent unpredictability of the outcome.
There are very few risks to fat grafting. The area which donates the fat will be bruised and tender for a few weeks; more than with usual liposuction because I don’t pre-treat the area with lidocaine and epinephrine. The use of these medications can destroy fat cells. The resultant bruising always resolves eventually. There is less than a 1% risk of infection. The main concern is the re-absorption rate which is unpredictable, although we know that smokers and patients with radiated tissue do not heal as well, and resorb more.
It will be a pleasure to discuss fat grafting with you. Please feel free to call my office with any questions you may have (804-320-8545).
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