If you are unhappy with the shape of your body, you may have heard of a cosmetic procedure known as fat transfer. In a nutshell, what this procedure does is to re-sculpt your body by taking fat from your own body via liposuction and transferring it to areas of your body where you need extra volume. You may be one of those many people who can be heard saying that they wish they could take the extra fat on their thighs and instead place it on their buttocks, or any number of different combinations. If you fit into this category, this type of procedure may be of interest to you.
Questions you might need answered
Fat transfer is also sometimes referred to as fat grafting and is a somewhat new procedure in plastic surgery. This truly is an area where the skill and the technique of the surgeon will have a dramatic effect on the end result, so choose carefully and ask lots of questions. Your first question should always be whether a surgeon is Board certified, as this will ensure that a certain standard of care is in place, and don’t be afraid to check their credentials. Ask whether the fat is processed, as this will help you see whether the surgeon has given this thought. If you are told the fat isn’t processed or your question is brushed off, this isn’t the right doctor for you.
The first step in the procedure is to remove fat through liposuction, so ask about the extraction pressure as another test to see if you get a confident answer. As a tip, a low extraction pressure is best to extract healthy fat cells. The fat is then reinjected into the desired part of your body by a cannula. Again, ask your doctor what size cannula will be used, and be wary if the answer is larger than 0.07 of an inch (2 millimeters). The reason is that a larger cannula could deposit chunks of fat that are too big. You might feel uncomfortable asking these questions but, if you’re consulting with a good surgeon, they’ll be happy to answer and will probably be impressed that you’ve conducted your own research.
What happens after the procedure?
Ideally, you should not put pressure on the skin grafts. A good surgeon with experience in this field, such as the doctors at Chicagoland Aesthetics, will give you full post-op instructions. They will also be happy to provide you with references of other patients who have had this procedure successful performed by them. To learn more about our Fat Transfer procedures, contact Chicagoland Aesthetics today.
