Are there any side effects with Fat Transfer? Is it safe?

This treatment is particularly appealing due to the low risk it presents and that we use the patient’s own tissue is used to reshape and re-contour their body in a natural way. We not using implants or artificial filler, which for some people is important.

The procedure Fat Transfer (Fat Grafting, lipofilling)has the usual issues of temporary bruising and swelling, but infection is uncommon. We would ask you not to exercise strongly for a week to so whilst the new fat graft takes up a new blood supply.

Patients do need to discuss with their consultant the range of possible results carefully before surgery. Expectations vary. Some will be happy with a slight improvement and others will need a huge change to be satisfied.

Fat embolisation was a  possibility in the early days of fat grafting of the face before the risk of injecting fat into an artery was appreciated by the untrained surgeon. The risk was blindness, stroke and death. This emphasizes the importance of establishing your surgeon's credentials. It will always be a risk, in untrained hands. The Cadogan surgeons will avoid injecting in certain areas and use safer cannulas.

Recontouring the lower body by a combination of liposuction and buttock augmentation (Brazilian Buttock or Butt lift) give remarkable results, but sadly the untrained surgeon has raised problems by injecting fat into the muscle of the buttocks and without thought into large arteries. Several patients have died as a consequence of fat emboli (nodules of fat) travelling round to block vessels of the heart and lungs. 1 in 3,000 patients have died, mostly it seems, in the USA and Turkey, where extremely large volumes were injected. We have a strong protocol at the Cadogan Clinic and take part in an International Study Group.  We have had no problems despite having done a large number over several years. This will allow us to continue safe treatment in the near future.

Is Fat Transfer safe?

Fаt Trаnѕfеr is a vеrу ѕаfе рrосеdurе when реrfоrmеd by a Board Cеrtіfіеd Plastic Surgеоn, all our surgeons at the Cadogan Clinic are. Thе mоѕt common trеаtmеnt area fоr a Fat Trаnѕfеr іѕ thе fасе аlthоugh fаt mау bе injected іntо ѕеvеrаl аrеаѕ tо rеѕtоrе уоuthful vоlumе аnd contours, whіlе also rеjuvеnаtіng thе ѕkіn. Cаndіdаtеѕ for thіѕ рrосеdurе ѕhоuld bе іn gооd physical hеаlth with rеаlіѕtіс еxресtаtіоnѕ. Risks аrе rаrе but wоuld bе dіѕсuѕѕеd durіng a соnѕultаtіоn depending uроn what аrеа of thе bоdу thе fаt іѕ being еxtrасtеd аnd trаnѕfеrrеd to.

This treatment is particularly appealing due to the low risk it presents – a patients own tissue is used to reshape and re-contour their body, thus, the risk of infection is greatly reduced. Possible complications include the risks associated with the prescribed medication administered following a surgical procedure which your surgeon will outline thoroughly for you during your consultation.

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