Fat Grafting & Fat Injections in Orange County & Newport Beach

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Procedure: Improvement of facial wrinkles, folds, depressed cheeks, poorly defined jaw lines, and lips; improvement of body contour irregularities following poorly performed liposuction; improvement in breast mound volume and shape in patients who have failed either breast augmentation with breast implants and patients who require revision of their breast mound shape following reconstructive surgery.

Length: Ranges between 1 to 5 hours depending on volume of fat grafting required.

Anesthesia: General anesthesia or intravenous sedation depending on the volume of fat grafting required

Place of Treatment: Outpatient surgical suite or hospital operating room.

Recovery: The recovery period for fat grafting surgery with a return to most daily activities ranges from 1 to 2 weeks. Patients are asked to forego physical activities/exercise for approximately 2 weeks following surgery. Finally, patients are asked to forego important social engagements for approximately 1 month until all surgical swelling is resolved.

Duration of Results: Patients who have undergone fat grafting surgery can expect aesthetically pleasing results for life. Patients will observe 30 to 40% volume loss over the first year following surgery. However, volume corrections observed one year following surgery is considered permanent.

Side Effects: Side effects are events that may be experienced by patients as a result of your surgery and should not be considered adverse events. Our patients are counseled regarding these effects and if experienced they are tolerable and often temporary in duration.

1. Prolonged swelling up to 2 to 3 weeks is not uncommon due to over filling of fat that is performed to compensate for an expected 30 to 40 % of fat graft loss that is observed over the first year following fat transfer. Most patients will notice aesthetically pleasing results at 2 weeks following surgery and stable volumes of correction and filling at one month following surgery.
2. Temporary bruising is often associated with fat grafting surgery due to the extent of tissue trauma that is created by fat harvesting and injection techniques. Bruising is minimized by compression dressings and ensuring that patients due not have any blood clotting disorders. Most bruising subsides within 1 to 2 weeks following surgery.
3. Temporary numbness is not uncommon and secondary to inadvertent injury to small sensory nerves which are traumatize by the mechanical action of fat harvesting and injection cannulas.Fortunately, patients should expect a full return of sensation; even when traumatized, these nerves will regenerate and re-establish sensation.
4. Under-correction of void spaces, wrinkles, folds, contour deformities, or breast mound shapes is not uncommon as patients should expect 30 to 40% loss of initial volume gain that becomes apparent over the first year following surgery. Despite this expected volume loss, most patients are ecstatic with their postoperative observed volume corrections.

Risks: Risks are unwanted events that may occur during or following surgery. These events are recognized as “complications” but their occurrence is minimized by appropriate patient selection, proper surgical decision making, effective surgical technique, and thorough preoperative and postoperative patient management.

1. Local skin or fat infection is uncommon and associated with individuals with poor healing tendencies secondary to medical illnesses. Diabetes, nutritional deficiencies, and smoking are to blame for local infections. Well-controlled sugar levels in diabetic patients, optimizing nutrition, and cessation of smoking are critical to avoiding infections.
2. Skin tissue compromise leading to skin loss is rare following fat grafting surgery and is associated with filling of scarred tissues due to increased degree of undermining and tunneling required to transfer fat cells. Smokers are urged to stop smoking for 4 weeks prior to and for 6 weeks following surgery in order to minimize skin tissue compromise.
3. Fat emboli syndrome is a rare risk factor that can be life threatening if not detected in the early postoperatively. This condition is caused by transferred fat cells entering major blood vessels and being dispersed and getting clogged in life sustaining organs. Patients may present with a multitude of symptoms ranging from uncontrolled hypertension, to chest pain, lightheadedness, confusion, and difficulty breathing. Patients require immediate admission to a hospital for supportive therapy with intravenous fluids and possible respiratory support until these fat cells self dissolve.
4. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) may occur in the legs immediately following surgery requiring general anesthesia. DVT refers to the clotting off of leg veins which may result in compromised blood flow return from the legs; a more critical consequence may develop from this clot if it is dislodged and travels to the lungs causing a pulmonary emboli. Although rare, pulmonary emboli are the leading cause of death following surgery. Measures are taken intra-operatively to avoid such a complication.