Facial Fat Grafting
Conveniently located in Southwestern PA, south of Pittsburgh, and easily accessible from central PA, West Virginia, and eastern Ohio
Introduction to Fat Transfer to the Face
When people imagine the signs of aging, they usually think of wrinkling or sagging skin. However, the underlying cause of these problems is facial volume loss.
Fat transfers come to mind for people with thin, wrinkled lips as well as the loss of precious fat. Also called fat grafting, fat transfer is a minimally invasive surgical procedure which helps to restore skin volume and give the appearance of more youthful skin.
Dr. Pautler can restore fullness to the lips, cheeks, and other areas of the face with fine, precise injections of your own fat. Taken from other areas of your body – commonly the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks – the results of fat transfer can be quite long lasting, all without the risk of an allergic reaction.
Let’s discuss the procedure of facial fat transfer in more detail.
How Fat Transfer Works
Preparation for the Procedure
Prior to surgery, you will need to schedule a consultation with Dr. Pautler. During this time, she will perform an initial examination of your body and ask about your medical history. This information is used to determine if you are a suitable candidate for the procedure.
During this time, a donor site will be determined to harvest the fat necessary for the procedure. The areas will be selected based on the amount of fat present and your overall aesthetic goals. Finally, Dr. Pautler will mark the areas on the face where the fat will be reinjected. Pictures will also be taken to have a clear before and after reference point.
The Fat Transfer Procedure
The first step in facial fat grafting is harvesting fat from a predetermined donor site. Dr. Pautler will determine the area of the body from which fat will be harvested. This is usually the hips, thighs, abdomen, buttocks or flanks. Before beginning, the area will be numbed and small incisions made on the site. If there is a need for larger volumes of fat, you may be recommended sedation or general anesthesia. A gentle liposuction technique will then be used to remove the desired amount of fat
Once the fat is harvested, it will then need to be purified before reinjection. This is a fairly quick step and takes about 10-15 minutes.In the final step, Dr. Pautler will use advanced injection methods to reinject fat into the desired locations on the face.
The procedure takes about an hour and depends on the size of the area being treated. Since it is performed as an outpatient procedure, you can safely return home the same day the treatment is performed.
Fat Transfer to the Face
Fat transfer to the face is a plastic surgery technique where fat is usually harvested from the abdomen and/or inner thigh and reinjected into the face – usually the cheeks around the eyes, temples, or along the jawline. Sometimes the lips can be augmented with fat as well. Very small instruments are used, and small amounts of fat are transferred in several layers to increase the amount of “take.” This can be done alone, or it can be done in conjunction with upper and lower eyelid surgery and/or facelifts.
First, the fat is aspirated with a 10 mm syringe and a small harvesting cannula. The syringes are left upside down so that any blood or bodily fluids are separated so the fat is purer. Then a very small cannula, larger than the needle used for Restylane® or Juvederm® but still very small, is used to inject the fat with multiple passes.
Bruising is extremely common after this, as is swelling. Several treatments may be needed to get the desired results since there is always a chance that some of the fat will be resolved. Prior to any surgery, patients should be non-smoking and in good health, able to tolerate some level of anesthesia, and free from any infection going on in the face. It is also preferable that the procedure be done several months before or after any kind of dental procedure or laser treatment where there is going to be some inflammation and stretching of the face.
Recovery and Results
As facial fat grafting is a minimally invasive procedure, the downtime required is quite limited. The results also show up relatively quickly. In fact, most people will see an improvement almost immediately. As time passes and natural collagen production increases, results will become more pronounced.
Most patients are able to resume daily activities the same day as surgery. In cases where a high amount of fat was harvested and transferred, there may be a need for a brief recovery period. It is advisable to avoid the sun for at least 48 hours after surgery. Minor swelling, bruising and reddening are to be expected. This is perfectly normal and will diminish as you heal.
You may also be advised to wear a compression garment on the areas from where the fat was removed.
Contact Our Office
To learn more about the non-surgical procedure of Facial Fat Transfer, please contact Dr. Pautler’s plastic surgery office for a consultation.
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* Prices are subject to change on all treatments and products.
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Facial Fat Grafting Photos
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