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Autologous Fat Transfer

Plastic Surgery

Autologous Fat Transfer, or fat grafting or fat injection, is a plastic surgery technique that involves harvesting a patient's fat from specific body areas, such as the abdomen, thighs, or buttocks. The fat is then processed and injected into areas requiring volume enhancement or contour improvement. This technique is widely used in Hong Kong plastic surgery and is commonly applied for facial rejuvenation, body contouring, and reconstructive procedures.

Technical Principles and Process

Fat Harvesting:
- Fat is extracted from areas with excess deposits (e.g., abdomen, thighs) through minimally invasive liposuction techniques.
- Fine needles and low-pressure techniques are used to preserve the integrity of fat cells.
Fat Processing:
- The extracted fat is processed through centrifugation, filtration, or purification to remove blood, oil droplets, and excess fluids, isolating pure fat cells.
Fat Injection:
- Processed fat cells are injected evenly into the target areas using multi-layer and multi-point injection techniques.
- The emphasis is placed on distribution across layers to ensure fat survival and a natural appearance.

Scope of Application

Cosmetic Procedures

Facial Rejuvenation: Fills hollow areas such as cheeks, tear troughs, forehead, or temples, reducing wrinkles and enhancing contour lines to create a youthful appearance.
Lip Augmentation: Increases lip fullness and improves shape for a natural and soft aesthetic result.
Nose or Chin Augmentation: Fat injections refine the nasal bridge or chin profile, offering a natural and lasting effect.
Breast or Buttock Augmentation: Used to enhance the volume of breasts or buttocks moderately, improving the shape and overall aesthetics.

Reconstructive Procedures

Scar Repair: Fills sunken scars caused by trauma, surgery, or other factors, improving appearance and boosting patient confidence.
Breast Reconstruction: Used for partial or complete breast reconstruction after mastectomy, restoring the natural look of the breast.
Congenital Defects: Repairs structural issues caused by craniofacial underdevelopment or other tissue deficiencies, enhancing function and appearance.

Suitable for

Patients need to fill facial or body depressions.
Individuals with cosmetic needs for minor volume enhancement.
Patients with localized fat deposits desire an improvement in overall contour.
Those allergic or resistant to artificial fillers (e.g., hyaluronic acid, silicone).

Advantages

Natural Filler: Utilizes the patient’s tissue, eliminating the risk of rejection or allergic reactions.
Versatility: Achieves dual benefits of fat removal (e.g., abdominal liposuction) and volume enhancement in targeted areas.
Long-lasting Results: Surviving fat cells integrate permanently into the injection site, providing sustained improvements.
Minimally Invasive: Small incisions result in minimal trauma, shorter recovery time, and inconspicuous scars.

Risk & Limitations

Fat Survival Rate Variability:A portion of the injected fat may be absorbed by the body, with a typical survival rate of 50-70%, potentially requiring multiple sessions.
Risk of Infection:Although the procedure is minimally invasive, strict sterile techniques are essential.
Fat Hardening or Calcification: Small lumps or calcifications may develop at the injection site.
Limited Volume Control: It cannot achieve significant volume enhancement compared to artificial fillers such as silicone.

FAQ

Successfully retained fat cells will remain permanently, but the outcome depends on the survival rate of the transferred fat.

Since the transferred material is the patient's fat, the risk of rejection is generally low. Fat tissue integrates well with the surrounding area. However, the procedure should be performed by an experienced and professional doctor to ensure safety.

The typical recovery period is 1-2 weeks, with localized swelling potentially lasting several weeks.

If conditions allow, it can be performed with other cosmetic procedures, such as liposuction or facelift surgery.