Facial Fat Transplant can help reshape your face, making it look fuller and younger. It is a non-invasive approach to fill up hollowed cheeks, creases, and other volume deficient areas of the face via reinjection of the patient’s own fat. This technique is also beneficial to those who have indentations in their skin, depressed scars and deep wrinkles. During consultation, Dr. Alonzo will assess your general health status. You might be asked to get lab testing for medical evaluation, take certain medications or adjust your current medications. Stop smoking at least two weeks before and until 2 weeks after your surgery and be ready to discuss with him all your concerns about the procedure.
Fat is taken from the patient’s own body specifically from the abdomen, hips or thighs with a mini liposuction. The fat is then purified with a solution, and re-injected into the desired area. The procedure is done in the clinic with local anesthesia on an outpatient basis. It requires sedation plus local anesthesia if larger amounts of fat are to be collected. Compared to other facial rejuvenation surgeries, Facial Fat Transplant doesn’t require any incisions. There is no downtime as it only takes 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete the procedure. There is no risk of rejection or chance of allergic reaction when your own fat is used.
After your surgery, you will have a compression bandage where the fat was harvested. Expect slight swelling at the injected site, which may lasts up to 48 hours. Bruising may also occur but it usually disappears within 5 to 7 days. You will return to the clinic after a week for the removal of the bandage and suture. However, you can go back to work and resume normal activities after 7 – 10 days. Final results can be seen within 1 to 2 weeks. You should be informed that recovery period varies from patient to patient. Nevertheless, you should follow all instructions of Dr. Alonzo to help you recover fast and reduce risks and complications. However popular and successful the fat transplant procedure is, Dr. Alonzo points out that the result is not permanent. “Naturally the face loses half of its fullness within 3 to 6 months. After the procedure, initially only about 40 to 50% will be absorbed. Some of the fats re-injected will go away within a few months, and then only much of it will remain. The fats usually lasts longer in areas of non-movement, for example the cheeks. Patients should continue with the treatments over the course of a year, otherwise the face will revert to its original state. He also added that in order to obtain long lasting results, patients have to receive a number of treatments in a course of a year, if not; the face will revert to its pre-surgery state.
Facial fat transplant may be done in conjunction with either of the following procedure such as facelift, browlift, eyelid surgery, chemical peel, botox and rhinoplasty.