Fat Transfer

Lips, Nasolabial Folds, Chin, Cheeks

Fat injection, or fat grafting, has broad applications in plastic surgery. It can be used to create fuller or more defined lips, fill minor creases between the base of the nose and the corners of the mouth (nasolabial folds), correct facial asymmetry or enhance cheeks for a more prominent contour. It produces safe, long-lasting, and naturalappearing results as volume is replaced to tissues where fat is diminished.

Understanding the procedure

Fat grafting usually involves removing the fat from one part of the body such as the abdomen, hips or thighs; then purifying it and carefully re-injecting it with specially designed instruments into the areas requiring augmentation. The procedure is done on an outpatient basis under sedation and local or general anesthesia.
Fat is harvested with a special liposuction cannula using sterile techniques. Once enough fat is removed from the donor area, it is then purified—excess fluid, blood, and other components are removed. The fat is then placed into the areas requiring augmentation. The injection needle is usually passed carefully in and out of the areas to be augmented a few times. This creates a ‘grid’ of threads of fat graft. The area that was injected is then massaged to create a soft contour.

What to expect

After the fat injections, the transferred fat will usually “take” and stay in the area for years to come. Since the fat graft is not a foreign material, there is no risk of rejection. Swelling is commonly seen after fat injections and usually resolves within 2-3 weeks. The degree of swelling is most dependent on the area injected. Dr. Heinrich and his team will give you specific post-care instructions to follow. Recovery time is approximately one week, however you may be will be swollen in the affected area for up to 30 days.

Results vary from patient to patient. Depending upon the patient, this procedure may have to be repeated in order to achieve the desired outcome. Fat injections are a good option for natural facial enhancement. Fat injections, however, have a certain degree of variability on the duration of the results