fat augmentation procedures

Overview
Facial rejuvenation has been popularized due to societal pressures and the desire to look youthful.
The face is the main focus of a person’s appearance and therefore it is a prominent area for
rejuvenation. The effects of aging are primarily due to gravity, structural changes in soft tissue, and
soft tissue atrophy. Therefore, lifting procedures (e.g. facelifts, browlifts, and midface lifts) have only
addressed soft tissue descent but the newer augmentation procedures (e.g. fat augmentation,
injectable fillers, and implants) now address soft tissue deficiencies.

Fat augmentation is also known as autologous fat transfer or fat micrografting. In a nutshell, this
procedure takes your own fat and transfers it to the facial areas that are hollowed, deficient, or
sagging. The procedure has become increasingly popular because 1) fat is a renewable resource,
2) fat is an autologous tissue with immediate availability, 3) there is no chance of allergic reaction, 4) it is organically integrated with the
surrounding tissues, 5) it is cost efficient, and 6) there is little morbidity at the donor site. Fat augmentation is the perfect procedure for
volume replacement in areas like the cheeks, the temples, and the areas under the eyes. It is also an ideal choice to increase volume in
the lips and erase those nasolabial folds or marionette lines. Fat augmentation is an extremely versatile procedure which will be
individualized for each patient depending on their structural anatomy and aesthetic goal.

In 2008, Dr. Marcus received an award from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for his ground
breaking clinical research on fat augmentation. This experience makes Dr. Marcus one of the premier surgeons performing facial
fat augmentation procedures.

Goal
The goal of fat augmentation is to create a more youthful appearance through volume enhancement. With aging comes the natural
sagging and atrophy of facial tissues, but fat augmentation can reverse this and restore one’s look to that of their youth.

Procedure
The first step in facial fat augmentation is the harvesting of fat from the patient’s own body. The fat can be harvested from the abdomen,
thigh, buttocks, or flank. Only a small incision and local tumescent anesthesia are needed for the harvest. The next step involves
processing the harvested fat by washing it with sterile saline and filtering it. The fat is then placed into 1cc syringes and meticulously
injected into areas of soft tissue deficiency. The fat is injected with a tiny cannula attached to a syringe. The tiny stab incisions through
which the fat is injected are easily closed with just one absorbable suture.

Recovery
The recovery from fat augmentation depends on the extent of the augmentation procedure performed. Full facial augmentation can take
several weeks of recovery due to swelling and bruising. On the other hand, one can recover from less extensive procedures such as
treatment of the lips, marionette lines or nasolabial folds in just days. Dr. Marcus will discuss your recovery and address all expectations
with you during your initial consultation.