What Is a Fat Transfer?
By George Solomon | Published on April 1, 2010 | 0 Comments
Cosmetic surgeon Dr. George Solomon is an anti-aging expert at AgeLess MediSpa in Port Orange, Florida. He has won awards for his excellence in the field of cosmetic dermatology and surgery, and serves as a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, the International Medical Spa Association, and the American Society of Bariatric Physicians, among other respected organizations. In this piece, Dr. Solomon tells us what a fat transfer procedure is.
Fat transferring is a procedure where we will carefully take the fat tissue from particular an area of a patient’s body by doing liposuction manually or using a syringe, and transfer that fat to another area on the body, such as the breasts.
It is important when doing a fat transfer on a patient that we do the liposuction procedure manually or using a syringe to get the fat cells out, because if you use a laser — which is what most people do in common liposuction procedures these days — then the fat cells are going to break down and melt into oils, which you obviously can’t use in the transfer.
So to transfer the fat cells to another area of the body, they have to be kept live and in good condition. And the only way that we can keep fat cells in live and good condition is to get them out of the body using a manual liposuction technique or a syringe.
By transferring the fat manually with a syringe, we can actually aspirate these fat cell. And at that point not only are we taking the fat cells from the body, but we are also taking with them what we call stem cells. These stem cells can eventually differentiate into fat cells, and once they become established, they can actually take on the traits of other cells. The transfer gets what is called angiogenesis or blood supply to it, and also to the fat cells, and they start to grow as if they have always been there.
As result, we are now able to transfer fat from one area of the body — such as the buttocks or the thighs — to another area, such as the breasts. You can use the fat from the buttocks or thighs to transfer to the face, as well, to really create a rejuvenated, full look for some older patients.
In recent years, the effectiveness of these fat transfer procedures has really improved. Whereas when we first started doing these procedures, the initial take on of the fat — which is how much fat remains in the new area, such as the breasts, once we place it there — was about 50%, now we are continually increasing that percentage as we get better with our techniques and develop new methods to ensure that more and more of the fat is transferred properly.
More things are available now that we can add to the fat — like RPR, which is rapid plasma regain, that stimulate the stem cells — which can increase the success rate of the procedure. In addition, several other things are on the market that some surgeons use now, like growth factors for example, to increase the survival rate of these fat cells and the stem cells in the new area of the body where they have been injected.
Once the fat has been transferred successfully, it can probably last in its new location forever. You may need a touch-up procedure in a year or two years after the initial transfer. But in essence once the fat is in the new area of the body, that is where it is going to stay. Some of the fat cells may get necrosis and die at the beginning, but whatever stays is going to stay for good.
When it comes to fat transfers, there are a couple of things that people should know. For one, people should know that we are getting better at doing this procedure all the time. And in addition to that, I want my patients to understand that a fat transfer is a permanent procedure as well, since one misconception people still have is that the fat that they have transferred is going to mysteriously disappear over the course of time.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
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*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.