How long does fat transfer last?
Do fat transfers work?
Does fat transfer to breast last?
How painful is a fat transfer?
Is breast fat transfer safe?
What are the side effects of fat transfer?
Fat transfer risks are few, rare, and minimal. Soreness and swelling are possible, but they’re not experienced by every patient. The most significant down-side of the procedure is that your face or lips may simply reabsorb all or most of the fat injection. The chances of this happening can’t be predicted for a given individual, but it happens in up to half of all patients who receive fat injection treatments.
Rare but possible fat transfer risks and complications include an allergic reaction to the local anesthetic, permanent discoloration caused by a ruptured blood vessel at the treatment site, calcification, a distorted look if overcorrection is done, peri-operative bleeding, a blood clot at the treatment or donor site, a blood-borne infection (perhaps from another cosmetic or dental procedure), scar tissue, and a fat embolism caused by a fat injection mistakenly directed into a blood vessel.
Being disappointed with the results of a fat transfer procedure could also be considered a “risk.” The placement of the fat transfer may not be adequate; the duration of the effect of the fat injection may not be as long as you’d like; or your face may not “take” the fat transfer. Your face or lips may not look exactly as you’d hoped. Discuss all your concerns and desires with a cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist before undergoing a fat transfer procedure.
Read more about : Liposuction Podcast with Dr. Afshan shah
Read more about : Abdominoplasty Podcast with Dr. Afshan shah
Read more about : Bbl surgery Podcast with Dr. Afshan shah
Read more about : Lipomatic surgery , before and after surgery Video
Read more about : Liposuction and tummy tuck , before and after surgery videos
Read more about: fat transfer for eye in Iran
How long does fat transfer last?
When patients first hear that the fat transferred to the face can be essentially permanent, they’re typically very excited—and a little skeptical. Other types of facial volume restoration (such as synthetic fillers) often need to be repeated in order to maintain results. Fat transfer is different because the cells are able to live and thrive in their new environment, offering rejuvenation that is essentially permanent. However, this doesn’t mean that all the fat will survive or the same level of rejuvenation will be maintained forever.
When the procedure is performed, the plastic surgeon will slightly overfill the treated area. This is because not all of the fat transferred to the face will survive permanently. Some of the cells will die within the first 6 months, which will make the volume levels dip somewhat. Once the six month mark has passed, however, the remaining cells should be permanently established.
Of course, even cells that have become established can’t fight off further aging forever. While the cells may be permanent, other structures in the face and skin will continue to deteriorate with age. As time goes on, patients may want to consider additional treatments to continue looking youthful.
Despite these drawbacks, fat transfer is an all-natural, permanent enhancement to facial volume, and most patients are thrilled with the results!
Read more about: How much fat do you need for fat transfer breast augmentation?
Do fat transfers work?
A fat grafting procedure, or fat injection, transfers fat from areas in which you have excess fat, such as the outer thighs, and injects it into areas that may be lacking in volume, such as your face, hands, breasts or buttocks. This safe, long-lasting, well-tolerated procedure produces natural-looking results. Every year, thousands of people undergo successful fat grafting and are pleased with the results.
When to Consider Fat Transfer
- If you have facial areas that appear creased and sunken
- If you desire more permanent correction than is provided by temporary fillers
- If you wish to improve your body contour, revise scars, fill bodily depressions and rejuvenate your hands and face
- For use in breast reconstruction, to fill in contour irregularities or hide obvious signs of breast implants
Pros
- Autologous fat (from your own body), as opposed to dermal fillers, replaces “like with like,” reducing the chance of allergic reactions to foreign substances.
- Fat transfer results are natural, long lasting and safe.
- Fat transfer is a noninvasive method for achieving facial rejuvenation.
Cons
- It is time consuming to prepare fat tissue before transferring it, compared to dermal fillers, which are prepackaged.
- Though longer lasting than dermal fillers, fat transfer costs more.
- For augmentation, you may require multiple sessions to achieve your desired breast or buttock size.
These are the top three pros and cons to weigh when considering fat transfer. If you wish to focus on what is unique to you, please consult with your aesthetic plastic surgeon.
Read more about: Fat transfer to breast how long does it last
Does fat transfer to breast last?
Initially, approximately 60% of the fat cells survive in their new location and approximately 40% do not. This is perfectly normal. The cells that don’t survive are metabolized and eliminated from the body naturally. The studies that have been done involve fewer than 100 women and the average follow-up time is less than 4 years.
It’s also important to know that in many cases, the fat injected into the breast area may be reabsorbed by the body over time and the breast may lose some volume. This is why some plastic surgeons initially may add more fat than you think you need.
Over time, the body changes but implants do not, so they can look even more unnatural as you get older and lose volume in the rest of your breast tissue. Our skin changes as we age, and the glands in the breasts shrink down in size, making breast implants very noticeable.
Fat transfer results are more resilient to changes in the body as we age. The transferred fat cells remain, and only significant changes in weight affect their size. Fat transfer breast augmentation provides fullness in the breasts that changes shape as our skin and tissues change with the aging process, so the look remains natural.
Read more about: Success rate of fat transfer breast augmentation
How painful is a fat transfer?
Fat transfer is not a painful procedure. You will be under the influence of anaesthetic or fully sedated during the procedure and will not feel anything.
Afterwards you will be given paracetamol to manage any mild discomfort you may experience.
For patients worried about pain, it is always possible to have the procedure either fully sedated or under general anaesthetic.
Read more about: Facial fat transfer after 5 years
Is breast fat transfer safe?
Fat transfer breast augmentation is both safe and effective. It’s common after a surgical fat transfer to have:
- significant bruising and swelling.
- temporary numbness.
- small scars these will fade, but will not completely disappear.
- loss of some of the fat from the injected area during the first few months.
Read more about: Exercise after fat transfer to breast