Fat Transfer

Description
In addition to skin changes and sagging, volume loss from the face has become increasingly recognized as an important component of the aging process. Fat transfer involves the use of your own fat cells to restore facial volume. Using fine cannulas, fat cells are typically taken from a donor site such as the abdomen, buttocks, or thighs. Using even finer cannulas, those fat cells are then transplanted to volume-depleted regions of the face. Volume restoration using your own fat may be permanent, although this is variable.

Fat Grafting / Facelift

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Fat Grafting / Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty

The Aging Process
As part of the normal aging process, the face undergoes multiple changes concurrently including the loss and redistribution of facial volume. Over time, facial volume depletion leads to a loss of the appearance of facial fullness and the gentle convex contour that accompanies youth. In regions of repetitive facial movement, this volume loss coupled with strong muscle activity contribute to the appearance of wrinkles and lines which may deepen over time. As fat is redistributed from the upper face (midface and cheeks) to the lower face (jowls and neck), the shape of the face gradually changes. A characteristically youthful face that is full, soft, smooth, and bears an inverted triangular-shape appears with age to become increasingly deflated and square-shaped. Volume loss is particularly pronounced around the eyes, cheeks and jaw line. In those locations, Fat Transfer may have the greatest impact.

At the time of your consultation, Dr. Pearson will assess your face and develop a customized treatment plan which incorporates your preferences and his recommendations.

Candidates for Fat Transfer
You may be a candidate for Fat Transfer if you are dissatisfied with the appearance of your face, especially related to facial volume loss, and/or the diminishment of softness and/or the gentle convex contour which characterizes a youthful face. In addition, you may consider fat transfer if you are concerned about hollowing around the eyes which may include the development of apparent dark circles underneath the eyes.

Furthermore, individuals who have been treated successfully with temporary dermal fillers but who would like consider a potentially more permanent solution may be good candidates for Fat Transfer.

Procedures - Non Invasive
Temporary dermal fillers such as Juvederm, Restylane or Sculptra may be employed by Dr. Pearson to restore facial volume. However, the costs involved with using large volumes of dermal fillers limit their desirability for many patients.

Fat Transfer Procedure
Fat Transfer entails using your own fat cells to restore volume to the face. During your consultation, a donor site for fat harvest is selected. Depending on the individual, fat may be transferred from the abdomen, buttocks, or thighs. The fat is gently retrieved from the donor site using fine cannulas. The fat is then gently purified prior to transfer to the face. The technique uses strategically-placed tiny incision sites (less than 2 mm) to transfer fat cells to facial areas where volume has been lost. Fat transfer is typically performed at the same time and in conjunction with a Facelift as part of a comprehensive rejuvenation strategy for the face.

Limitations of Treatment
The goal of treatent is for long-lasting facial volumization. However, survival of grafted fat is not predictable. Appropriate surgical technique may enhance fat survivability. The health status of the patient influences fat survival, including nicotine usage, fitness level, blood surgar control for diabetics. Even in ideal circumstances, only some of the transferred fat will survive. One must have realistic expectations about potential results and accept this unpredictability in order to undergo this treatment.

There are not long-lasting results from off-the-shelf dermal fillers. Furthermore, the substantial cost of dermal fillers limits the cost-effectiveness of their use. Since long-term results from alternative volumization methods are limited, fat grafting's potental for even some long-lasting results is advantageous.

Complementary Procedures
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) may be combined with transferred fat to facilitate healing and potential fat survival. PRP treatment uses your own blood plasma that has been enriched with platelets. As a concentrated source of your own platelets, PRP contains several different growth factors and other cytokines that can stimulate healing of soft tissue.

Also, as noted above, fat transfer is often undertaken in combination with a lifting procedure or other surgery. In addition, skin resurfacing procedures may be performed at the same time to improve skin surface changes.

Recovery after Fat Transfer
Following fat transfer, you may expect a few days of swelling and soreness which is well-controlled with oral pain medications. Fat is insterted through needle-size skin punctures, which heal without sutures. Makeup can be used to camouflage any bruising. Swelling and bruising generally subside by 1-2 weeks. You can resume most normal activities after a couple of days, except for intense exercise, which may be resumed at about 2-3 weeks. Most people are able to return to work by 1-2 weeks.