Are fat transfer results permanent?
Yes, fat transfer results are permanent but not all fat will survive. It's important for the plastic surgeon undergoing your treatment to be well versed in the surgery and have a good understanding of how to ensure the fat survives. Harvesting is important to fat transfer, therefore it's important for a proper evaluation to be made by an expert who understands the process.
Between 50 - 70% of the transferred fat is retained long term, and wil last just like normal fat. It will even grow with weight gain. With time, however, it will begin to wane alongside your other fat deposits. This should not happen before many years, however.
Some factors will impact the longevity of your results:
- The skill of your surgeon - How the fat was harvested and purified, and how and where it was injected all impact longevity. The more skilled the surgeon and the better his/her understanding of the technique, the longer lasting the results.
- The technique employed - A process called microfat grafting, although labor intensive, is the best way to ensure that the highest percentage of grafted fat will take.
- How well your body adapts to the transferred fat - The injected fat must establish a new blood supply from your bodyand receives the nourishment it needs forsurvival. When this happens, results can and often are permanen; however, there may be a percentage of fat that does not take, which is why touchup procedures are sometimes necessary. Lifestyle factors such as smoking can impact this.
Generally, fat survives best when put into areas with its own abundant blood supply. The face, which is so well vascularised, picks up a new suppply quickly and the majority of the fat survivies. Results are often at their best i the facial region, as a result.
What are the side effects of fat transfer?
There are a few side effects to watch out for when undergoing a fat transfer, although the procedure is generally safe there will always be a few underlying risks. These fat transfer side effects include, but are not limited to:
- Minor bruising and swelling
- Small scars which usually fade through time or with over the counter products
- Temporary numbness
- Loss of some fat from the injected area
At the Cadogan Clinic we offer comprehensive advice surrounding any concerns an individual might have with the side effects of fat transfer. We seek to reassure people this is a safe procedure and are able to answer any questions, simply write to us via the contact form on our website where a qualified specialist will get back to you.
What does the fat transfer procedure look like?
The fat transfer procedure involves the transfer of fat from one area of the body in which you have excess fat such as the belly or outer thighs, into an area that may be lacking volume such as the breasts or buttocks.
The surgery starts through harvesting fat for removal via liposuction, with the area targeted discussed by you and your surgeon at your consultation. A small incision is then created in the area, a cannula connected to a syringe is inserted to carefully extract fat (a procedure commonly known as liposuction).
After this, the surgeon will undergo purification of the fat, preparing it for transfer to a small syringe which is used for fat injection.
Finally, the area designated to receive the new fat is prepared and a needle inserted into the incision point. The injection needle is passed in and out of the area multiple times whilst new fat is carefully deposited within the natural tissue. This process is repeated until the desired connection is achieved and all fat is in place within the new area.
At the Cadogan Clinic our surgeons are able to assist individuals with the fat transfer procedure along with all after care required. To find out more about how we can help, get in touch with us via the contact form on our website.
