Fat Grafting

Add volume and fill lines and wrinkles the natural way

What is a Fat Grafting?

As we mature, we tend to lose volume, especially in the area of the face.  Gravity also plays a significant role—it is a wonder we don’t sag more!

Fat grafting, or fat injections, has become an integral tool in the plastic surgeon’s armament of cosmetic procedures, either as an adjunct to facelift surgery or as a procedure performed on its own. Fat Grafting Plastic Surgery Palm Beach also has a role in improving aesthetic contour irregularities where the absence of tissue needs to be filled. Therefore, depressed scars may indeed benefit from fillers like fat.

I will very often perform fat grafting in conjunction with a facelift.  There are areas of the face which a facelift generally does not address, such as the sides of the lips, the area between the lower lip and the chin, and in the nasolabial fold area (wrinkles which run from the corners of the nose to the corners of the mouth).  Blepharoplasty, or eyelid lift, will correct the lines and/or depressions above the upper eyelids and beneath the lower eyelids.  Often, these tear trough areas need volume replacement and autologous fat grafting is performed in these areas.

Who is a Candidate?

Most patients who wish to increase volume or smooth out lines and wrinkles that are in good health are candidates for fat grafting. Another reason patients may choose fat grafting over injectable fillers is because fat grafting is completely natural, using your own fat that is processed and purified. Fat grafting also provides longer-lasting results than other dermal fillers that typically dissolve within 12-18 months.

How is the Fat Grafting Performed?

Areas of contour, or lack of contour, are also best addressed with fat transfers. For example, if the cheekbone areas seem a bit weak they can be gently strengthened with fat to give that beautiful, youthful, and cherubic look. Using a syringe and special cannulae or needles, the fat is removed from an area where one has excess fat, such as the thighs, abdomen, or buttocks. The fat is then “spun down”, decanted, and delivered into the areas previously decided upon by the patient and myself.

Fat grafting can improve the creased and sunken areas of the face and add fullness to the lips, cheeks, and hands. Fat grafting also plays a role in scar correction and even in breast reconstruction. Buttock and breast enlargement can be performed with fat transfers. Full face fat grafting, when the patient is a candidate, can produce benefits similar to a facelift and can be performed under local anesthesia, or with/without oral sedation.

Recovery and Results

Potential risks of fat grafting are minimal, and I have never had a post-op infection related to fat grafting. One of the many benefits of fat grafting over other fillers is that fat generally lasts much longer than other fillers. I have seen it last more than 5 to 6 years in my patients, whereas other fillers like Juvederm and Restylane will not generally last more than 6 to 12 months.

Fifteen and twenty years ago, most women underwent cosmetic plastic surgery. I have seen a great increase in the number of men undergoing all plastic procedures, with a surprisingly equal number of men and women desiring fat grafting. Fat grafting is very attractive to some because of the very short downtime and fast recovery time. Men tend to be quicker at healing and enjoy the fact that fat grafting has a much shorter recuperation time.

Dr. Berman is a plastic surgeon and ENT, double-board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery. He provides state-of-the-art digital computer imaging at his practice in Boca Raton, Florida to demonstrate to patients what they can realistically expect from treatment. His surgical center is accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities since 1995.

Dr. Berman has patients in South Florida, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. Call today to schedule a consultation or with any questions. We’d be happy to hear from you.

Dr. Jonathan Ross Berman is a Boca Raton plastic surgeon who has been certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery with over 30 years of service experience specializing in Breast Augmentation, Rhinoplasty, Face Lift, Liposuction, and many other types of plastic surgery in Boca Raton, FL.

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