Fat Grafting

Fat grafting is the procedure of fat transplantation from one place of the body into another place of the body after special treatment. Fat grafting surgery is performed in order to add volume in a certain area of the body and/or to make form corrections, to smooth out deeper wrinkles, to correct the defects of the body, and to rejuvenate the skin. Patient’s own fat is removed for grafting procedure. In many cases the fat grafting surgery is performed in combination with liposuction.

Aging is a process of certain individual physiological and biological changes in human body or separate parts thereof. Aging results in losing skin elasticity, firmness, vanishing fat cells, and saggy skin.

Fat grafting surgery is performed in order to smooth out wrinkles, to rejuvenate face skin, to correct the defects of the body after various injuries or diseases, as well as improvement. Regenerative-stem cells existing in fat positively affect tissues, regenerate them and slow down the aging process. The transplanted fat reacts to the shape of the body (e.g. corrects face oval shape), enlarges the size of certain areas and/or corrects their shape (e.g. enlarges breast, corrects their shape); fat is also used for correcting various defects on a human body. Fat tissue is used for correcting the following parts of a human body:

• Face;
• Breast;
• Hands;
• Male chest;
• Male and female abdomen;
• Buttocks;
• Shins;
• Penis;
• Female genitalia.

Tests: just like before any surgery certain blood and urine tests have to be done.

Surgery: the scope of the surgery depends on desired changes. Special cannulaes – i.e. hollow stainless-steel tubes, different in their form and size, with one or several suction holes – are used for fat liposuction. During surgery asymmetric 0.5-2 mm size incisions are made. The cannulae is inserted into the incision and used for fat liposuction. In order to reach all unwanted fat deposits, sometimes it is necessary to make additional incisions. In order to separate out the stem fat cells, special technique is used for their preparation – centrifugation. The amount of fat that is usually sucked out varies from 100-200 ml, however this quantity depends on the scope of correction. Since not all quantity of fat catches on, more fat is injected. Several stitches are made on small incisions.

Duration of the surgery: depends on the scope. It may take from a few tens of minutes to several hours.

Anaesthesia: the surgery is performed under general anaesthesia however local anaesthesia can also be applied. If general anaesthesia is applied, you will be sleeping during the entire surgery.

Post-surgical period: post-surgery pain can be easily relieved by medications. Usually, pain lasts one or two days. Swelling is possible on the area of fat grafting on the first week after surgery. Bruising and pain may appear on both areas of fat grafting: donor and recipient areas. Swelling subsides significantly faster and pain disappears on the second week. After surgery the skin may become uneven. If prior to the surgery your skin was rough, i.e. damaged by cellulite, it will remain the same after surgery. In certain cases, when the quantity of fat removed during the surgery exceeds the shrinking ability of the skin, it can become flaccid. It is possible that about 30 percent of fat that was injected during surgery may be resorbed after a certain period of time. Although you will recover in one or two days after surgery, but the doctor will advise you, how to return to ordinary routine. When swelling relieves and you do not feel any discomfort and your condition is perfect, shortly you will be able to return back to work and continue ordinary routine.

Complications: the patient’s own fat cells are used for fat grafting surgery, therefore the risk of rejection, allergic response or immunoreactions is reduced significantly. Scientific studies have proved that regenerative-stem cells positively affect tissues, regenerate them and slow down the aging process. The main risk of fat grafting surgery is the resorption, loss and reduced volume of the transplanted tissue. It is related to individual features of the patient’s body. The volume of transplanted fat tissue that can be accepted by human body varies from 30-70 percent. Therefore, sometimes it is required to undergo an additional minor surgery to achieve the desired result. The volume of engrafted fat directly depends on changes in weight – the volume may decrease due to a weight loss. Fat for grafting procedure is extracted by using a special syringe, not an apparatus, in this way the tissue is less transformed. The plastic surgeon performs liposuction on the parts of the patient’s body, where fat concentration exists. Centrifuged fat is injected into the desired area. After fat grafting surgery, sometimes the excess of hanging skin may remain; it is resulted by insufficient elasticity of skin or the remaining fat tissue. Irreversible pits on skin surface may also occur. Other complications that have been explained by the doctor in as much detail as possible may also appear. The risk of complications can be reduced by strict adherence to doctor’s instructions on post-surgery care.

Scars: usually the scars are scarcely visible and disappear quickly. A scar always remains after surgery. Scars gradually vanish until they become barely noticeable.

Socially presentable: more active physical activity will be allowed in 1-3 weeks only. The final results of the surgery are noticed after 3-6 months. In order to ensure better healing, you should avoid excessive physical activity, massage and solarium procedures, and follow any other instructions given by the doctor.

Important: fat grafting surgery allows achieving a stunning, natural, aesthetic and long-lasting result by using the patient’s own fat cells. It depends on the patient’s lifestyle, nutrition, and physical activity. Fat grafting can be applied to men and women at the age over 35.

Prices

  • Fat grafting
    from 750 €