Techniques in facial fat grafting

Abstract

According to the author, autologous fat transplantation is an ideal technique to correct facial atrophy, providing a stable and potentially long lasting alternative to "off the shelf" fillers. Structural augmentation with fat involves multilayer blunt fat infiltration designed around concepts of volume expansion and resultant tissue shifting. The author has found that retention varies in different parts of the face and fat seems to "take" best in areas in which fat atrophy is the problem, such as in the cheek, periorbital area, and mandible. When fat is being used to replace bony remodeling or mucosal atrophy (both occur in the perioral area), retention can be unpredictable.