Body
Fat Transfer
Facts
- Average Treatment Cost
- Costs vary depending on treatment area
- Inpatient/Outpatient
- Outpatient
- Recovery Time
- Can range from a few hours to a few days
- Procedure Time
- Varies depending on the procedure treatment area
- Anesthesia
- Some doctors will use a topical anesthetic depending on the extent of the procedure, or local, monitored sedation or general anesthesia will be utilized
- Duration of Results
- Results are permanent, but not all of the fat will remain after being injected. It varies from patient to patient. Generally, 30 to 50 percent of the fat cells persist long-term.
What you should know
What is a fat transfer?
A fat transfer involves taking fatty tissue from one part of the body and redistributing it to another part of the body for a youthful rejuvenation or to add volume.
What does a fat transfer involve?
A fat transfer involves three primary steps: First, a donor area is selected where the fat will be taken from. Next, that fat is harvested and processed, and lastly, it is injected into the site where the fat will be added to.
How is the fat removed?
A specialized and precise form of liposuction is used to remove fat from the donor area. This fat is often referred to as “harvested fat.”
How is the fat processed before it’s reinjected?
After liposuction, the harvested fat is processed, cleaned and inspected to ensure all of the fat cells taken from the donor area were left undamaged during liposuction. Damaged fat cells are removed from the healthy fat cells and discarded. Only healthy, viable fat cells are prepared and used. They are then placed in a syringe and injected into the treatment site or sites.
Which areas are most commonly treated with a fat transfer?
· Face: Fat is an organic facial filler that can treat signs of aging like volume loss and tissue thinning and doesn’t require repeat visits to the doctor like other injectables may.
· Breasts: Breast augmentation can also be performed with natural fat transfer for a subtle increase in cup size. It can also be particularly helpful to correct mild breast asymmetry.
· Hands: Fat is effective for natural-looking hand rejuvenation, especially in older patients who have experienced volume loss, leaving a skinny, veiny appearance with prominent tendons. Fat injected into the upper part of the hands also results in reduced skin laxity.
· Buttocks: Fat transfer can be used to add fullness to the buttocks in a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) and/or to contour the outer hips to produce a more hourglass-like figure. However, BBL surgeries come with serious risks, and even death, if fat is inadvertently injected into a vessel, causing a fat embolism. New surgical recommendations include
guidelines on the proper placement of fat in the superficial subcutaneous space—above the muscle—and not in the deeper muscles where large blood vessels exist.
· Other Treatment Areas: These can include the abdomen or thighs to correct contour defects caused by previous surgery, like liposuction, cancer removal or trauma.
How much of the injected fat remains permanently?
The amount of fat that stays in the body is highly dependent on patient anatomy and the surgeon’s specific technique, as well as experience. Typically, you can expect approximately 30 to 50 percent of the fat to remain after transfer, but long-term results are dependent on how well the patient maintains their weight, general medical condition and a healthy lifestyle after the treatment.
