What Is Autologous Fat Transfer?
Author
Dr. Stephen Cosentino
PRESIDENT OF EMPIRE MEDICAL TRAININGThe fat cells in your thighs look more or less the same as the fat cells in your cheeks, which are pretty similar to the fat cells in your breasts.
Plastic surgeons take advantage of this basic anatomical reality whenever they transfer fat from one part of the body to another. This procedure is known as an autologous fat transfer, and it’s a key part of several popular plastic surgeries.
If you’re considering body contouring or breast augmentation or any number of other cosmetic procedures, you should know how autologous fat transfers work, the outcomes you can realistically expect, and the risks (if any).
What Is Autologous Fat Transfer?
An autologous fat transfer is a minimally invasive procedure that moves fat from one part of the body to another.
Though it sounds like something you’d learn in a physician weight loss training course, autologous fat transfer is not a weight loss procedure.
When Is Autologous Fat Transfer Appropriate?
It’s used in cosmetic and reconstructive surgical procedures such as:
- Breast augmentation
- Breast reconstruction following a partial or full mastectomy
- Brazilian butt lift (augmentation of the buttocks)
- Facial cosmetic surgery, such as surgical cheek lifts
- Permanent lip augmentation
- Tummy tuck
- Hip augmentation
- Hand augmentation (to reduce lines and wrinkles)
Autologous fat transfer is also used in less invasive body contouring procedures that don’t require general anesthesia.
How Does Autologous Fat Transfer Work?
Autologous fat transfer typically occurs under general anesthesia, though more superficial procedures may require local anesthetic or “twilight” anesthetic only. The procedure can take anywhere from less than an hour to more than four hours, depending on the complexity and the amount of fat transferred.
During the procedure, the surgeon uses a liposuction device to remove fat from one or more areas of the body, most often the thighs, abdomen, or buttocks. They then purify the fat and prepare it for injection. Finally, the fat is injected a little at a time into the area targeted for augmentation or reconstruction.
What Is Autologous Fat Grafting vs. Autologous Fat Transfer?
Autologous fat grafting is simply another term for autologous fat transfer. It describes the same general procedure. Some providers and patients prefer one term over the other, so expect to encounter both.
What Are the Risks of Autologous Fat Transfer?
Like any surgical procedure, autologous fat transfer has some risks. Common side effects include temporary bruising, swelling, and minor bleeding around the incisions. There’s also the risk that the procedure fails (the transferred fat cells die and are reabsorbed into the body).
More serious complications may include:
- Postsurgical infection, which can be life-threatening
- Postsurgical scarring
- Excessive bleeding or fluid leakage from the incisions
- Dizziness, nausea, and vomiting
- Sharp pain in or near the surgical wound
- Pulmonary embolism caused by fat entering the blood supply and migrating to the lungs
- Seroma, or fluid buildup under the skin
The risks of fat transfer surgery are real, but recent studies suggest that the absolute incidence of complications is low relative to other aspects of plastic surgery.
Still, it’s important to work with a board-certified plastic surgeon who has completed an accredited autologous fat transfer training program. Don’t work with providers who only specialize in nonsurgical cosmetic interventions.
