Facial Fat Grafting

Fat Harvesting Instruments:

Liposuction Cannulas

Syringes and Liposuction Systems

Fat Harvesting Pumps

Fat Purification Equipment:

Centrifuge

Filtration Devices

Injection Tools:

Microcannulas

Syringes

Needles

Anesthesia Equipment:

Sterile Drills and Cannulas

Post-Procedure Care Equipment:

Compression Garments

Cooling Pads

Preoperative consultation

Medical history review: Specifically, the patient’s medical history should be reviewed to determine possible exclusion criteria: Presence of chronic illnesses (diabetes, autoimmune or bleeding disorders) etc.

Psychological evaluation: Ask the patient about the expectations they have out of the treatment and should set them right if their expected outcome is unconventional. Ask patients regarding their expectations from facial fat grafting and make them aware of the surgical drawbacks.

Physical exam: Examine the face and evaluate what areas could select to be augmented with adipose tissue. To help the surgeon map out the position where the incisions will be made, the surgeon may take pictures.

Pre-operative Instructions:

Discontinue certain medications: Encourage patients to avoid using blood thinning agents such as aspirin for one to two weeks before operation to avoid bleeding.

Hydration: Specifically, remind the patient to drink a lot of fluids for several days before the surgery.

Skin care: Maintain a good skincare regimen, especially in the area to receive fat transfer. A clean face is essential to reduce the risk of infection.

Supine position: The patient is often positioned in supine position on the operation table. This is the most common position because it offers the surgeon easy access to the face to harvest fat and to insert the fat in the sites to be augmented.

Head elevated: The head of the operating table can be inclined slightly upwards (to about 30 to 45 degrees). This can help reduce swelling and improve access to the facial areas where fat will be grafted.

Step 1-Consultation and planning:

Patient evaluation: During this stage, the surgeon examines the patient’s face and skin and determines where fat grafting would be useful like under eyes areas, beside the nose, or cheekbones.

Donor site selection: The areas that usually have sufficient fat, the abdomens, thighs, or flanks are used for harvesting.

Discussion of results and expectations: Both the surgeon and patient define what outcome is anticipated, the likelihood of fat absorption, and the potential adverse effects.

Step 2-Preoperative preparation:

Anesthesia: Local anaesthesia or intravenous sedation is used to make the patient comfortable during the operation. At times more complex procedures may require the use of general anesthesia.

Marking: Both the donor area of the skin and the area to which the skin is taken are drawn as well by a technician on the patient’s face.

Step 3-Fat harvesting:

Liposuction technique: The surgeon uses a cannula (a small, hollow tube) attached to a syringe or suction device to gently suction the fat from the donor area.

Small incisions: Small incisions (usually 2-4 mm) are made in the donor area, and the cannula is inserted. The fat is carefully aspirated to avoid damaging the fat cells.

Purification of fat: The extracted fat is purified and processed to separate the healthy fat cells from blood, oil, and other contaminants. This is typically done through centrifugation or filtration techniques.

Step 4-Preparation of recipient area:

Cleaning and numbing: The recipient areas (such as the cheeks or under-eye area) are cleaned, and local anesthesia is applied to numb the regions where the fat will be injected.

Step 5-Fat injection:

Layered Injection: The surgeon injects the purified fat into the facial area in small amounts using a fine needle or cannula. The fat is injected in layers, starting deeper and gradually moving toward the surface, to create a smooth, natural appearance.

Strategic placement: The surgeon strategically places the fat in specific areas to achieve the desired contour and restore volume to areas that have experienced facial volume loss.

Massage and shaping: After each injection, the surgeon may massage and shape the areas to ensure even distribution of the fat.

Step 6-Postoperative Care:

Immediate aftercare: The patient may experience some swelling, bruising, or mild discomfort, which is normal. The surgeon may apply bandages or a compression garment to reduce swelling.

Follow-up appointments: The patient typically returns for follow-up visits to monitor healing and assess the results. Additional touch-up procedures may be needed, as some of the injected fat can be reabsorbed by the body over time.

Step 7-Recovery and results:

Healing: Swelling usually peaks within the first 48 to 72 hours and subsides within 1-2 weeks. Bruising may take several weeks to fully resolve.

Long-term outcome: The results can be seen in about 3-6 months. Some of the fat may be resorbed by the body, so a slight loss in volume is expected. Over time, however, the remaining fat stabilizes and gives long-lasting results.