Fat Grafting – A Truly Innovative Cosmetic Surgery Technique

A new approach has evolved in the field of cosmetic surgery, where innovation and craftsmanship come together to redefine the possibilities of aesthetic enhancement and promise revolutionary outcomes. Fat transfer in NYC is an innovative procedure that offers patients a natural alternative that complements their own biology, marking a break from conventional methods. This novel technique, which can be used for breast augmentation or face rejuvenation, uses the body’s natural resources to sculpt, improve, and restore your appearance.

Plastic surgery is also performed to enhance or replace lost volume in areas like the breasts, buttocks and face, and the standard solution is to use implants. However, with more patients seeking natural-looking results, fat grafting has also evolved as an alternative. The procedure involves using the patient’s own fat removed through liposuction to enhance areas of the body that need subtle improvement. In addition to providing a natural look and feel, augmentation using autologous tissue has also turned out as a great option to improve specific features without having to insert foreign material in the body.

WHAT IS FAT GRAFTING IN NYC AND HOW IS IT PERFORMED?

It is a procedure designed to move fat from one part of the body to another. Enhancing or adding volume to the area where fat is injected is the surgical aim. Adipose fat is removed via liposuction, processed, and then the purified fat is reinjected into the area that has to be improved.

This minimally-invasive procedure can be performed in the surgical suite of a plastic surgeon’s office. It is the ideal option for women who want to avoid the use of implants or artificial fillers and has fat to spare in identified donor sites.

• The patient is administered local anesthesia
• Liposuction is performed to extract fat from the donor site – where it is abundantly available
• The removed fat cells are purified and processed
• The fat is injected into the site that needs enhancement, which could be the breasts, buttocks, lips or face.

There is virtually no scarring associated with the procedure. Removal and injection of the fat require just micro incisions which fade away after a few months.

WHO WILL GAIN THE MOST FROM FAT GRAFTING?

Patients who wish to enhance or fill in volume-deficient areas can benefit from fat grafting. The hands (hand rejuvenation), face (facial rejuvenation), and lips (lip augmentation, larger lips) are the most often treated locations. Fat augmentation of the breasts and buttocks can result in a very noticeable improvement.

The ideal candidate is one who is healthy, without any pre-existing medical problems and must have realistic objectives regarding the results of this procedure.

FAT INJECTIONS FOR VARIOUS BODY AREAS

• Buttocks – The rising popularity of Brazilian butt lift proves just how effective fat transfer or fat grafting can be. In NYC plastic surgery practices, the surgeons use safe VASER technology to remove the fat. This technique breaks up fat selectively, while preserving other structures such as blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue.
• Breasts – Fat grafting is also used to add volume to the breasts in the composite breast augmentation procedure. This is an ideal solution for women who want a natural-looking improvement for breast size and shape. This technique offers the best of both worlds by combining fat injections and implants. When you have insufficient breast tissue it may be difficult to hold the implants, and this combination treatment becomes effective and gives an attractive-looking outcome. Fat injections are also used in lip and cheek augmentation.
• Face – Areas of your face that are wrinkly or hollowed down can be given volume. It helps the area behind your eyes and the nasolabial folds regain their youthful appearance. Additionally, it enhances the appearance of your skin and adds volume to your cheeks.
• Lips – You can significantly improve lip volume and definition. It provides results that look natural. Long-lasting results are possible with fat grafting for lip augmentation, and each patient’s specific aesthetic preferences can be catered to.

AFTER THE PROCEDURE

The access sites heal in a few days. You may be able to return to work a week later, depending on the areas addressed. The areas that were injected may have to be dressed. Compressive dressings or tapes may be used in conjunction with these dressings. Your surgeon may ask you to avoid sitting or lying on the injected areas for a specified amount of time. After the treatment, your surgeon may also give you instructions on how to begin a massage regimen. Any bruising and swelling normally go away in about three weeks and you can get back to your usual routine.

Leading NYC surgeons provide fat transfer along with liposuction treatment – women who come in for lipo are asked whether they would like to have the removed fat transferred to areas that need more volume like the breasts and buttocks. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) millennials accounted for 41% of buttock augmentations with fat grafting in 2022.

The attractiveness of fat as a filler is that it is easily available, inexpensive, and long-lasting, provides a natural look and feel, and has reduced rejection risks. There are new methods for extracting and preserving fat. Adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells (ADRC) extracted during liposuction can be cryogenically frozen and stored for later use. Using stem cells to enhance the fat before it is injected into the body can make the results last longer.

At a meeting, top-tier surgeons of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery conceded that fat grafting is revolutionizing plastic surgery. They discussed new fat grafting techniques, their uses and combined procedures to produce natural results. A report on the discussion highlighted the views of leading surgeons on the possibilities, applications and unique features of fat transfer.

• In addition to the breast and buttocks, fat grafting is proving useful to create more definition in earlier neglected areas such as the shoulders, legs, pectorals and stomach.
• When the patient’s own tissue is used, the chances of the body rejecting it are minimal, which improves the rate of success of the procedure.
• Fat transfer treatment offers flexibility to contour the overall body. This is because fat can take on the physiologic component of whatever it is adjacent to, such as the bone or muscles.
• As more people now prefer a prettier and perkier look with good shape and proportion to an increase in size, fat transfer can do a lot more than implants.
• While implants are useful only for augmentation, fat is an ‘artistic sculpting tool’ as it can fill in defects, contour and reshape.
• Grafting complements implants such as in composite breast augmentation, the ideal method when a patient wants significant augmentation or enhanced cleavage that fat or an implant alone cannot provide. Fat transfer also helps in breast lift surgery.

As with all advanced aesthetic treatments, results would depend on the plastic surgeon who performs the liposuction-fat transfer procedure. Surgical expertise and the use of the right technology and techniques are paramount for safe treatment and pleasing outcomes. Fat transfer in NYC is a safe and effective way of removing fat and reinjecting to a desired area to restore your appearance.