Fat Transfer
The fat transfer procedure harvests fat from one part of the body where an excess exists and then places it in another part of the body where the additional bulk is used for cosmetic and aesthetic purposes. Fat transfer—which is also known as fat grafting, fat autographs, autologous fat transplantation, fat injecting or microlipoinjections to physicians—is being used in cosmetic plastic surgery to:
- Smooth and repair aged hands
- Fill wrinkled, creased faces
Fat transfer can also be used in reconstructive procedures especially breast reconstruction where it can be used as a secondary contouring procedure to enhance symmetry between the breasts.
Fat is withdrawn from the patient in one of two ways: with a syringe that has a large-bore needle or with a liposuction cannula. The fat is prepared according to the practitioner’s preferred method and then injected into the patient’s recipient site. The preparation process clears the donor fat of blood, pain killers and other unwanted ingredients that could cause infections or other undesirable side effects.