The Skinny on Fat…Grafting

“Fat Grafting” definitely does not sound very SEXY.

Brazilian Butt Lift, Natural Breast Augmentation, Facial Fat Transfer, Lipo Lift and Augmentation Contouring.  These are sexy names and yes, they are all Fat Grafting!

Nobody really wants a procedure that is called fat grafting.  It sounds messy and the term is certainly not very chic, but it can be a tremendous tool in surgery and help solve many problems that patients need or want taken care of.  Here is the skinny on fat grating. 

Simply put, fat grating is when:

1. Fat is harvested using liposuction.
2. The fat is processed (washed and purified).
3. It is then injected back into where it is needed using a special technique.

Fat grafting is NOT:

• A stem cell transfer. Fat has the most amount of stem cells in your body but anyone in the US that claims to do stem cell transfer must have a special FDA pharmaceutical license.  The FDA does not like it when practitioners do things without the proper authority!  That said, fat transfers or fat grafting can help to rejuvenate an area because of the presence of stem cells.
• A panacea.  Unfortunately fat grafting has a “take” of about 80%.  What this means is that only about 80% of the fat that is transferred will survive and the rest is absorbed by your body.  As a result, the procedure is somewhat imprecise.

Brazilian Butt Lift 

Nationally, one of the most common fat grafting procedures is a buttock augmentation using your own fat.  The sexy name for this procedure is a Brazilian Butt Lift.

The goal is:

• To create a more shapely rear end (and we are not talking about car design!)
• To have less sag and make your buttock area less flat.

The more fat you have the more fat that can be harvested and then transferred.  This can result in impressive results.  Unfortunately, a lot of women seeking this are very thin, and these thin patients do not have enough fat elsewhere to accomplish the results that they would like.

Brazilian Butt Lift vs Gluteal Implants

Gluteal implants are gaining in popularity but as compared to fat, they are firm and require a lot more post op care.

Facial Revolumizing of Fat as a Filler for Your Face

Over the last 10 to 12 years there has been an explosion of fillers for the face.  Treating facial wrinkles with Botox and fillers is the most sought after cosmetic fix in the world.  Generally, these treatments require repeat injections on a 3 to 18 month basis. 

For those that do not want to rent their fillers, fat or the long term filler, Bellafill are both great alternatives.  They are also a great adjuncts to facelift procedures.  Where large volumes are needed fat is probably the best solution for the deflated face.  Where smaller amounts will suffice, then Artefill, which has the advantage of not losing any volume after injection like fat, is my preferred filler.  Artefill is simply more precise. 

Fat Grafting for Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation using your own fat sounds perfect.  Remove those unwanted fat pockets and increase your breasts with your own tissue!  Hold on.  It’s not that perfect.

• Most women do not have enough fat to get the breast results they want in term of size.
• The procedure requires wearing a Brava for 6 weeks prior to the procedure.  This is a suction device that expands the tissue of the breast making it more prepared to accept that fat transfer.
• Frequently two procedures are required to get reasonable breast volumes making the final result quite expensive.

Fat Grafting to Fix Unsatisfactory Liposuction

If too much fat was removed when you had liposuction you can have some put back!  This is not an uncommon problem especially for patients who had liposuction early in the evolution of this procedure or patients who see an inexperienced surgeon.  Indentations or asymmetries can be fixed.  Either fat grating or on instances where small amounts are needed, I have also used Artefill or Bellafill with great success.

If you are interested in a fat grafting procedure please give us a call (425) 366-8222 for questions or a consultation.  We look forward to hearing from you.  

Until next time, all the best.

Dr. Brian Windle