Answers to common questions about fat grafting
Mountain Brook Plastic Surgery is committed to your health, safety, and aesthetic goals. Some questions we often get from patients are answered here.
What is fat grafting?
Fat grafting is a surgical procedure to collect fat using liposuction. The liposuction can occur anywhere on the body but most commonly in the abdomen, sides, and thighs. The fat is processed into a form that allows it to pass through a cannula (tube) and be injected into the desired soft tissue.
Why is fat grafting used?
The use of fat grafting has helped improved the medical and aesthetic results of many plastic surgery procedures. Its most common applications are for:
Breast reconstruction
It is very common for any form of breast reconstruction – whether implant-based or using the patient’s own fat tissue (known as autologous) – to have areas that poorly match the adjacent chest, abdomen, or arm pit area. These areas may appear as hollow areas, dimples, crevices, or simply an abnormal transition into the surrounding soft tissue. The injectable fat is used to fill in these areas, to create more normal aesthetic results.
Facial aesthetics
Fat grafting provides impressive results with facial rejuvenation. It can be used to fill hollow temples, upper and lower eyelids, and cheek areas. Fat grafting can be combined with and enhance a face lift or used by itself. Fat is superior to fillers, because the fat lasts forever, while fillers last no more than 18 months. In addition, fat has a softer, more natural appearance when compared to fillers.
Body contouring
Fat grafting is most commonly seen as part of a Brazilian butt lift (BBL). With a BBL, the liposuctioned fat is injected into the soft tissue of the buttocks to enhance their volume and shape. Fat grafting is also commonly used for breast aesthetics. Patients who want their breast implants removed but wish to maintain some degree of increased volume often benefit from implant removal, along with a breast lift and fat grafting.
What are the risks and possible complications of fat grafting?
If you are interested in fat grafting, make sure your surgeon is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, to minimize risk and obtain the most effective results.
The risk of major and minor complications is low. The most common complication is fat necrosis, which can go undetected or result in minor scarring, firmness, or a low-grade infection. If fat grafting to the breast is performed and necrosis occurs, it sometimes can be difficult to differentiate from breast cancer on mammograms, which may prompt further diagnostic studies.
While not necessarily a complication, not all of the fat will “take” to the intended soft tissue in some cases. As much as 50% of the fat may be absorbed within six months. The amount of fat absorbed varies greatly among patients and can be unpredictable. This may result in additional rounds of fat grafting if the desired volume is lost by absorption.
A BBL does carry a risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) if the fat is injected into the buttock muscle. Board-certified plastic surgeons know this very well and perform fat injection into the soft tissue of the buttock (and not the muscle) to avoid this potentially fatal complication.
This is another reason why it’s extremely important to choose a reputable, well-trained team like Mountain Brook Plastic Surgery to address your aesthetic concerns. Our team performs these procedures routinely, receives regular continuing medical education, and will create a treatment plan specifically for your body and goals.
How do I schedule a consultation?
Please call 205-871-4440 to schedule a consultation with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons, to discuss a personalized approach to your wellness, self-care, and rejuvenation.