Facial Fat Transfer
A facial fat transfer is a procedure commonly employed as an alternative to dermal fillers or a facelift. It can be used to augment the lips, cheeks, and smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, including nasolabial folds and crow’s feet.
At M-E CLINIC, we make sure to fully understand the patient’s unique facial anatomy prior to treatment so that the results come out extremely natural looking. It is helpful if patients bring in a photo of themselves when they were younger in order to aid in this process.
About Fat Transfer
A fat transfer is a procedure that utilizes the body’s own fat for augmentation of features including the buttocks, breasts, lips, cheeks, and hands. It also has the added benefit of slimming down the parts of the body where the patient has excess fat, including the abdomen or thighs. Fat transfer is also sometimes called fat grafting because the process involves transplanting fat from one part of the body to another part. For these reasons, the procedure can help give the body enhanced proportion and contour.
A fat transfer is a three step process where fat is:
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Liposuctioned from the body for contouring
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Purified to separate the fat from the liquid portion
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Reinjected into the body for augmentation
A fat transfer is an extremely safe procedure, since it utilizes fat from the patient’s own body. This means that there is no chance for an allergic reaction. Furthermore, the results appear natural and are long lasting.
The Fat Transfer Procedure
The fat transfer procedure can frequently be performed as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia. In some cases, including larger fat transfer procedures, it may be performed as an inpatient procedure or under general anesthesia. Prior to surgery, the patient and their doctor will go over all of the specifics of their procedure so that they can properly prepare.
The fat transfer procedure is performed in three steps. First, the fat is harvested from the predetermined donor location using liposuction. The doctor will make small incisions on the liposuction locations for a thin cannula to be inserted, from which the fat graft will be retrieved.
In the second step of the procedure, the fat is purified by separating out the solid fat from the liquid components.
In the final step, the fat is reinjected into the part of the body that is to be augmented. This is performed by injecting the fat at varying depths. By using this method, the fat has the greatest chance of surviving in its new location. Since not all of the fat will take to the desired location, the doctor will slightly overcompensate with the amount of fat initially injected so desired long term results are achieved.
Consultation
The consultation is an extremely important part of every treatment we perform, including a fat transfer procedure. The first goal of the consultation is to determine whether or not the patient is a good candidate for the procedure they have in mind. In the case of a fat transfer procedure, one of our doctors will examine the patient for potential donor locations. They will also ask the patient about their medical history, including prior surgeries, medications and supplements they take, and medical conditions they may suffer from. Preexisting medical conditions will likely not affect the patient’s candidacy, but it is important for our doctor’s to have a full understanding of the patient’s health prior to any treatment. In some cases, our doctors may recommend alternative or additional procedures that may be useful in helping the patient achieve their desired results.
At this time, we will also be able to discuss the pricing particulars of the patient’s case. There are a variety of factors that can impact the cost of a procedure, including anesthesia, overnight care, and other specifics regarding the procedure. Since a fat transfer is such a highly customizable procedure, a consultation is necessary before we can offer a price estimate. In order to determine one’s candidacy for a fat transfer procedure.
