It’s a completely natural procedure and doesn’t involve putting any synthetic materials into the body.
What is it?
Autologous fat grafting is the process of removing excess fat from areas such as the stomach, thigh or hip and injecting it into other areas of the body that are lacking in volume.
What is fat grafting used for?
The technique of fat grafting can be used for a variety of things. The most popular include:
- Facial fat transfers
- Breast augmentations
- Buttock augmentations
A facial fat transfer involves injecting the fat into the face to plump up wrinkles and fine lines.
Although implants are used during most breast augmentations, fat can also be used to add volume.
Fat can be injected into the buttocks to give them a rounder and more voluminous appearance.
What’s the process?
Once an area with excess fat has been selected, the surgeon will use local anaesthetic to numb the area of extraction. When the anaesthetic has taken affect, a small incision is then made and a cannula that is connected to a syringe is then inserted. The fat is extracted through this cannula.
Once extracted, the fat is cleaned to remove impurities and then distributed into several smaller syringes. These syringes are used to inject the fat into the areas of the body that are lacking in volume.
Finally, the prepared fat is injected into the predetermined areas through a cannula. The cannula is drawn in and out of the site being augmented several times in order to distribute the fat cells evenly.
The process is carried out until the desired results have been achieved and bandages are then applied.
How will I feel after a fat grafting procedure?
Like any other invasive procedure, you are likely to feel some pain or discomfort after the procedure has been carried out. However, the smaller the procedure, the less painful the recovery will be.
For example, a facial fat transfer will be significantly less painful that of a breast augmentation. This is because less incisions are made and the incisions are smaller in size.
What are the side effects?
Initially, there will be bruises around the areas the fat was injected into. Scarring is common when you’ve healed from the procedure and in some cases, sensation can be lost temporarily in the areas that have been injected.
How long do the results last?
The results of a fat graft are permanent however, the body can sometimes absorb some of the injected fat. There is a risk that the reinjected fat will not survive meaning that several treatments may be needed to receive the desired result.
Book a consultation
If you would like to undergo autologous fat grafting, call us on (804) 560-5260 to book your consultation with Dr. Lynam.
