Fat Implants

The Basics
Initial attempts to inject the autologous fat for facial rejuvenations were discouraging because of absorption of significant amount of fat. In the medical terms, the fat injection procedure is known as autologous fat transplantation or microlipoinjection. It involves extracting fat cells from the patient’s abdomen, thighs, buttocks or elsewhere and re-injecting them beneath the skin

The interest in fat injection for facial rejuvenation has reemerged in recent years as a result of refinements of techniques designed to secure more predictable results.

Indications
Fat is most often used to fill in "Sunken" cheeks or laugh lines between the

nose and mouth, to correct skin, depressions or indentations, to minimize forehead wrinkles and to enhance the lips.

Other indications are:

  • To camouflage the skin folds in the patients who want alternative to extensive face-lift procedure.

  • As an adjunct to face lift procedure or laser resurfacing.

  • To build up lost cheek fat in hollow cheek syndrome.

  • Can also be used to augment breasts to limited extent.
The Procedure
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia. The donor site is usually the abdomen.

Both recipient and the donor site are injected with local anesthetic after preparation with antiseptic solutions. The fat is aspirated using special suction syringe and cannula. The fat is washed several times with saline. The injection is performed with a fat injection gun, which deposits fat in small quantities at different site. This ensures better vascularisation of injected fat and less absorption subsequently.

As with collagen, "overfilling" is necessary to allow for fat absorption in the weeks following treatment. When fat is used to fill sunken cheeks or to correct areas on face other than lines. This over correction of newly injected fat may temporarily make the face appear abnormally puffed out or swollen.

POST OP
Recipient site is taped for couple of days and a small waterproof dressing is applied, which is removed next day, slight tenderness on the abdomen is expected and usually subsides with routine painkillers. There may be swelling and bruising on recipient site, which subsides the couple of week’s time.

If a larger area was treated you, may be advice to curtail your activity for a brief time. However, May patients are able to resume normal activity immediately.

The severity of these symptoms depends upon the size and location of the treated area. You should stay out of the sun until the redness and bruising subsides- usually about 48 hours. In the meantime, you may use makeup with sun block protection to help conceal your condition.

The swelling and puffiness in the recipient site may last several weeks, especially if a larger area was filled.

Results:
The duration of the fat injections varies significantly from patient to patient. Though some patients have reported results lasting a year or more, the majority of patients find that at least half of the injected fullness disappears within 3-6 months. Therefore, repeated injections may be necessary. Your doctor will advice you on how to maintain your results with repeat treatment.

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