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Hard Lump After Fat Graft Removal

asked 2 years ago by michhy
Latest answer by Steven Wallach, MD
Question viewed 1,697 times
Tags: lumps

I am 3 months post fat graft removal by excision. However, I now have some hard lump in the area where fat used to be. Should I get steroid or 5-FU on this lump to help the remaining protrusion? Does anybody know a doctor in LA who specializes in this?

12 answers to Hard Lump After Fat Graft Removal

Hardness after fat graft removal

There could be many reasons for the hardness after fat graft removal, such as inflammation, fat necrosis, hematoma, residual fat graft, or scar tissue. Three months is a fair amount of time, but I would wait longer (approximately 6 months) before trying steroids or 5-FU. You can try massaging the area to help soften up the hardness. I would like to have more information about the fat grafting. 1) What is the location of the original fat... more

Peter Ashjian, MD
Bakersfield Plastic Surgeon

The hard lump is not uncommon and can be due to inflammation

The hard lump is not uncommon and can be due to inflammation. Fat is important for many things in the body among them: keeping the body from losing heat, serving as a lubricant of sorts for muscles to move, cushioning the body, etc. This lump is not out of the ordinary with inflammation that can still be present after 3 months. Steroids are an option. But waiting is another option as well. If in doubt do nothing unless it is urgent. Waiting another 3 months is... more

Philip Young, MD
Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drphilipyoung.com

Hardness after fat graft removal

Hardness can be so many different things. It could be inadequate removal to scar tissue jsut to name a few. You really need to be evaluated before suggesting a treatment.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Hard Lump After Fat Graft Removal

After fat is remove from the body via liposuction or by direct excision it will result in scar formation. The area of hard lump is simple collagen deposition(scar tissue). This is normal and it will take several months to one year to disappear.

Jaime Perez MD
Tampa Plastic Surgeon

www.jaimeperezmd.com

Removal of a fat graft by excision commonly results in temporary hardness of the tissue.

Removal of a fat graft by excision commonly results in temporary hardness of the tissue. This should resolve in time but may be accelerated by dilute injections of triamcinolone. Anyone with this problem should see a physician who is an expert in fat injection since improper treatment may makes things worse.

William Coleman III, MD
Metairie Dermatologic Surgeon

Steroid Injections First

While lumps after fat transfer or removal are not uncommon, it can indicate many things and may resolve over a longer period of time. I would start with steroid injections first as these are well tolerated and have minimal to no systemic side effects. If that does not work, you can consider 5-FU injections.

D.J. Verret, MD
Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

Hard lump in donor site

Hard lump present in donor site 3 months after is not common. you should see your surgeon to discuss posibilities

Sam Naficy, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

seattleface.com

Fat injection complications

I am not sure what the reason was for removing the fat graft. Were there any lumps? Or was there a bulge due to excess fat? If there was already a hard lump you might have had some fat necrosis. If there was excess fat then removing it could potentially cause scarring in the area presenting itself as hard lumps. In any case, it is important to allow the time for the remodeling to happen. Intralegional steroid injections could be helpful in speeding the... more

Farhad Rafizadeh, MD
Morristown Plastic Surgeon

Hard lumps after fat grafting

Fat grafting is an excellent and effective technique to recontour the body. During this procedure, we perform liposuction to different portions of the body and then clean and processed the fact that we collect. This fat is then injected strategically to help recontour the body. It is very important to inject the fact in very small droplets so that the body has a chance to surround fat with good and healthy blood vessels. If this does not occur, it is possible to get a collection of hard... more

B. Pat Pazmino, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Many different causes for hard lump

This may be residiual fat necrosis or a resorbing hematoma or other source of fibrosis. Of course it could be a variety of other cuases. I would consider starting with intralesional steroids such as triamciniolone as an initial step. However, I am certain that your surgeon is familar with this option and may not want to use this for a specific reason

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

5-FU is the Trick for Fat Transfer Hardness

Hi, I would go with 5-FU. I almost never use steroids. The risk is too high. The authority in 5-FU injections in LA in my opinion is Jonathan Hoenig. He is a friend of mine and was on my panel for fat transfer last month. He taught me how to use 5-FU, and it is wonderful. see video

Samuel Lam, MD
Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.lamfacialplastics.com

Fat grafting and lumpiness

It sounds that you may still be swollen, but the key to good fat grafting is using the proper technique. If fat is harvested with normal liposuction cannulas, it will often be lumpy. As the inventor of the Viafill system, I am proud to say that I have had very few complaints of lumpiness.