Fat Transfer to Fill Buccal Area?

I agree with Dr Lam, lumps and bumps are us ally related to lack of experience and skill. If you inject too much in one spot you will probably have problems. Getting rid of the lumps after the fact can be quite challenging. Skin thickness can be an issue as lumps are seen more often around the eyes where the skin is so thin and less often in the cheek where it is thicker and the fat is injected deeper. Hope this helps.

Fat transfer is a terrific procedure which can achieve excellent results. Like all procedures, there is always a possibility for an imperfect result. As you can see from my colleagues, fat grafting is best done with very small amounts of fat being injected (grafted) bit by bit across a wide area. It is not really intended to fill a small concentrated area in the way that other fillers can (for example, Restylane or Juvederm). It can, however, bring balance to a drawn or sullen appearance... more

Fat injections should be made in small aliquots (amounts) and delivered through as small a needle or cannula without traumatizing the fat. This helps increase the host's circulation spread around the fat cells and deliver oxygen to the central fat transplant to support its life until a new circulation can take hold. Even with this technique, though, some fat cells live and some die. Rarely cysts can form. Asymmetry, or an unbalanced result with one side better augmented than the other,... more

Fat grafting lumps are caused by inexperienced hands. I rarely see anything like this because I tend to put very very tiny injections of fat in the correct plane. When you are working around the eyes, then the fat needs to be by the most experienced hands. Fat grafting to the buccal area is pretty easy and can be done with larger boluses safely (in my opinion). However, I also don't believe in just filling one area for the following two reasons: 1. it typically does not lead to as a... more

The results from fat grafting are dependent you your own anatomy, skin thickness, tissue atrophy and surgical technique. A combination of all of these leads to the final result. In the correct hands, fat grafting is a great procedure. However, if the injector is not as experienced, you may do better with an off the shelf filler. However, fat grafting tends to be more economical in the long run, since most people have an unlimited amount of fat to harvest. Good luck.

Fat grafting is best done with small amounts of centrifuged fat injected by a skilled physician with micro injections. Typically this leads to a nice symmetrical enhancement of the area. Fat transfer is dependent on each patients anatomy and skin thickness. During the consultation phase your surgeon will discuss your options and whether you are a good candidate for this procedure.