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Phone 512.401.2500 | Fax 512.401.2501
2745 Bee Caves Road, Suite 101
Austin,
Texas
78746
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Question:
Fat grafting doesn’t seem as popular as other procedures. Is it not as effective as surgery or fillers?
Answer:
Fat grafting is becoming more popular all the time because of the recognition of the importance of volume loss in facial aging, the effectiveness of the procedure, and the longevity of the results. The technique has evolved over the last 10 years or so and not everyone has caught on. Fat is not as popular as fillers because fillers can be performed by a much larger group of providers. Fat grafting requires skill and should only be performed by individuals with a great deal of knowledge about facial aging and surgical skill. Fat grafting is often performed with surgery in our practice and is as important to the outcome as the surgery. Our website has many before and after photos of fat grafting and will explain the procedure in more detail.
Posted by Dr. Buckingham
Question:
I’ve heard that when performing a fat graft, if the stem cells are used, the results are amazing. Do you perform this?
Answer:
More stem cells are present in harvested fat than in any other location, including bone marrow. We utilize the Puregraft system to process our harvested fat. Puregraft is a specialized filtration bag that leaves the living fat cells and the stem cells to be transferred while removing nearly everything else (red blood cells, white blood cells, ruptured fat cells etc.) The transferred fat and stem cells then graft to the areas of the face in which they are placed restoring the volume which has been lost with age. The stem cells perhaps have an added benefit over fat alone, however this has not been proven scientifically.
Posted by Dr. Buckingham
Question:
Is fat grafting a good procedure for improving under eye hollows? Are there other, more effective alternatives?
Answer:
Fat grafting is an excellent procedure for improving under eye hollows. We feel that in most patients it is the best procedure. It allows for significant, predictable, long-lasting improvement in this area. The only down-side is that it requires intravenous sedation and the recovery to return to social activities looking good can be 2 weeks. The other options for correcting hollows are to use a filler such as Restylane or an implant. An implant is again a surgical procedure and we feel that fat provides a better more natural result in most cases. Restylane is a great option for patients trying to avoid surgery, keep their expenses down or those who can’t tolerate the recovery time of fat. Restylane provides great results, but needs to be repeated about every year.
Posted by Dr. Buckingham
Question:
I would really like bigger and sexier lips. However, I’m apprehensive to get any kind of fat grafting or other surgical procedure. Could you please give me some non-surgical options for a lip enhancement?
Answer:
The non-surgical option for lip enhancement is to use an injectable filler such as Juvederm or Restylane. This procedure is performed by anesthetizing the lips and then injecting the filler into the lip. The result will last 6 months usually, but rarely as long as 12 months.
Posted by Dr. Buckingham
Question:
Can I enhance my lips with a fat graft instead of with an injectable filler?
Answer:
We do enhance lips with fat, but only if fat grafting is also to be performed for the rest of the face. Fat is a very reliable procedure for grafting the lower eyelid hollows and cheek hollow as well as other bony areas, but not as successful for the lips. Lip augmentation with fat usually will last about 6-12 months, however some patients will see some degree of a permanent result. If you are grafting the other parts of the face it makes sense to place fat into the lips as well, but not as a stand-alone procedure.
Posted by Dr. Buckingham
Question:
Where is the fat harvested from for use in a facial fat transfer? Is the procedure invasive?
Answer:
Fat is harvested for transfer from the lower body usually. The abdomen is the most common location, but in thin patients the inner, outer thigh or waste roll may also be used. The area which is most resistant to weight loss is usually chosen. The fat is harvested with a 1/3 inch incision and a small suction cannula. The procedure is technically invasive, but there are no sutures involved except one that is absorbed from the harvesting site.
Posted by Dr. Buckingham
Question:
I’m 38 years old and have some hollowing or volume loss in my lower cheeks. Can this be fixed with a facelift or would fillers or fat grafting be a better option?
Answer:
Usually the cheek region is rejuvenated by adding volume. There are lifting procedures targeted to this area, but having performed nearly every combination of these procedures, I have decided that even the ones that do work do not have good longevity. With further study, I now believe that the cheek region ages primarily because of volume loss and not from volume descent. Therefore, we utilize facial fillers or fat transfer to improve this region. Facial fillers are performed in the office and have little down-time, but are temporary. Fat transfer is performed in the operating suite, has more down-time, but also has longevity of 10-20 years.
Posted by Dr. Buckingham
Question:
I’ve heard that fat grafting is great until you gain weight and the fat is deposited very unnaturally in awkward places. Is this true and, if so, what can be done to reduce this undesirable side effect?
Answer:
Fat grafting can be affected by weight gain, but it doesn’t cause the fat to be deposited in unnatural and awkward places. The fat that has been grafted will expand just like the native fat in your face does when you gain weight. It is not affected any more or less and unless you gain a great deal of weight it isn’t a big deal. You can minimize the side effect by keeping your weight stable through a healthy lifestyle. Just one more reason to be healthy.
Posted by Dr. Buckingham
