Fat Transplantation

As people age they lose thickness in the skin which causes the skin to sag and the face to become unbalanced. If you look at your high school graduation picture you will see that your face was fuller, not necessarily tighter. Many patients choose to have a facelift, which removes skin. However, often what they really need is to fill out the skin that they already have with fat transplantation.

Fat transplantation involves extracting fat from the abdomen or hip and re-injecting it into various parts of the face. The most common areas for fat transplantation are the cheekbones, lower cheeks, the tissue around the mouth, and the lower forehead. Filling these areas reinforces the structure of the face and provides a more youthful appearance. Fat transplantation is relatively easy to undergo, especially if a conservative approach is used. While some surgeons transplant massive amounts of fat at one time, requiring a prolonged recovery, we have found, that patients prefer a series of several small procedures. During each of the procedures, a small amount of fat is injected in all the appropriate areas. Normally there is moderate swelling the first day and slight swelling the day after the procedure, most patients are able to appear in public within two days.

The fat is obtained from an area of excess fat, such as the abdomen or hips, thus giving a mini-liposuction. This benefits not only the face, but also the area where the fat is extracted. Enough fat is usually harvested during the first procedure for several additional procedures. The unused fat is frozen and simply thawed out when needed for additional facial transplantation sessions. Fat can be safely frozen and stored for at least one year.

Why choose us for fat transplantation?

Dr. Coleman is a pioneer in fat transplantation, performing the procedure since 1988. He has been invited to lecture on fat transplantation all over the world. After performing thousands of fat transplantations he has developed the breadth of experience that is needed to obtain the best aesthetic results.