Do you have excess volume in some areas and not enough in others? With fat grafting, you can now redefine your figure to look the way you want or simply restore it back to its natural contour. At Carolina Plastic Surgery of Fayetteville, Dr. Saira Saini offers fat grafting to correct such aesthetic concerns with one safe and long-lasting procedure. Contact our office today and schedule a consultation.
What is Fat Grafting?
Not all men and women are built the same way – some individuals have excess fat in the abdomen and love handles but not enough volume in the breasts, or too much fat in the thighs but not enough in the buttocks. If you would like to reduce the volume of one area while enhancing another, fat grafting can be an ideal option.
Fat grafting (also known as fat transfer, autologous fat transfer, or fat injections) can help create a more balanced, proportional body shape by decreasing problematic areas and accentuating flattering curves and contours on the body. A donor site will first be identified, typically the abdomen, thighs, hips, lower back, and/or arms. Liposuction will be performed on the donor site, using high power suction to extract the fatty cells from the body. Dr. Saini will then put the fat through a purification process to remove any impurities. Once this has been completed, the doctor will inject the cells into an area of the body that was otherwise lacking volume and/or shape. This allows for natural augmentation of the body, avoiding the use of synthetic materials entirely.
Benefits
This versatile procedure can help provide natural volume to multiple areas of the body, including:
- Sunken or hollow cheeks, temples, and lips (Facial Fat Transfer)
- Back of the hands (Hand Rejuvenation)
- Small buttocks (Brazilian Butt Lift)
- Small or asymmetrical breasts (Natural Breast Augmentation)
Consultation
During your consultation with Dr. Saini, she will ask you about your particular concerns and your aesthetic goals. The doctor will then review your medical history, previous procedures, and current medications. Lastly, to determine if this treatment is right for you, a physical examination will need to be performed. Dr. Saini will identify your area(s) of concerns and determine a donor site in which the fat will best be extracted from.
Your treatment options will be discussed at this time, and a customized treatment plan will be created to help you achieve optimal results and let you know what you can expect during your treatment process. If you are found to be a good candidate, you will be given the option to schedule your procedure date but you are not obligated to do so.
Preparation
Dr. Saini will provide you with instructions that she recommends all of her patients to follow leading up to surgery. Some of these include:
- Quit smoking 3 weeks prior to surgery
- Refrain from taking anti-inflammatory medication 2 weeks before the procedure
- Arrange for a ride home the day of surgery
- Take at least 4 days off from work
The Procedure
The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, meaning you will be able to return home the same day. Our certified anesthesiologist will administer an anesthetic to ensure you feel no discomfort during the procedure. Dr. Saini will begin the procedure by making a tiny incision above the donor site. She will then insert the cannula into the treatment area which is attached to a special vacuum that uses high power suction to remove the excess fat. Once an adequate amount has been removed, the doctor will place the fat into a centrifuge to remove any impurities. After this, the purified cells are placed into a fat transfer syringe and injected into the area in which is lacking shape and/or volume. Once Dr. Saini has achieved the desired result, the incisions will be closed as necessary and the liposuctioned areas will be wrapped in compression garments. You will then be taken to the recovery area.Recovery
Healing will depend on what areas of the body were treated, but patients can expect some swelling, bruising, and discomfort initially. Most liposuction incisions are too small to require sutures, and most patients are able to return to work and normal activities fairly quickly after this procedure. Dr. Saini will monitor your healing and progress through follow-up appointments. Once the initial healing process is complete, final beautiful results can be enjoyed.
As not all transferred fat will survive the grafting process, which is normal, a follow-up procedure may be necessary to achieve the desired aesthetic. This is often not the case though as Dr. Saini can ‘over’inject the area.
Results
Fully healed results are normally seen after about 4-6 months. The area in which the fat was transferred to will have more volume and better shape. Because the procedure uses the body’s own materials to make the enhancement, the newly injected cells will make this region into a new home by establishing their own blood supply. This also means that there is no chance of an adverse reaction. The fat grafting results are very long lasting and have kept our patients very satisfied with their redefined bodies for years to come.Cost
The price of a fat grafting procedure is very individualized. To determine the price of your procedure, we ask that you come into our office for a consultation with Dr. Saini in our Fayetteville location. During this visit, she will work with you to construct a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. With this, she will be able to provide you with a personalized quote for your fat transfer procedure.Please contact Carolina Plastic Surgery today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Saini and find out if you are a candidate for this safe, long-lasting fat grafting procedure.
