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When is a Facial Fat Transfer Considered Successful?

asked 1 year ago by canada2078 in canada
Latest answer by Nima Shemirani, MD
Question viewed 751 times
Tags: results, wait

How Long Should I Wait After a Facial Fat Transfer to Consider That the Operation Succeeded?

20 answers to When is a Facial Fat Transfer Considered Successful?

Fat transfer results

Hi, I agree with Dr Lam that you can see changes at the 6-9 month mark too. Fat transfers are meant to be permanent and changes do occur as time goes on. You may find that a little more volume pops up as time goes on. Best, Nima Shemirani

Nima Shemirani, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

When fat transfers are successful

Fat transfers in to the face have become very important in rejuvenation and are a part of most facelifts as volume loss is a component of aging. The grafts will fill hollows, folds and restore volume and are considered a success after about three months of healing. Often the grafts will be repeated and layered to increase the fill and contour after that time. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Fat Transfer and results

I have been doing Fat Transfer for 25 years and the wayt he fat is removed from the body is pertinent to it's absorption rate. The fat must be removed under a low pressure suction or by hand syringe and then purified and injected into the needed areas. Some of the fat will dissipate and the rest will secure a good blood supply allowing it to take and stabilize. In the first three to four months you will be able to see the majority of the volume that will stay present. Do give your procedure... more

Michael Elam, MD
Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon

michaelelammd.com

Successful fat transfer

You can expect to see the outcome of fat grafting techniques at about 3 months after surgery. Your result at 3 months usually represents your result after your swelling and fat absorption as taken place.

Delio Ortegon, MD
San Antonio Plastic Surgeon

Fat transfer

We see long term result if the correction persists approximately 2-3 months after surgery.

Mohsen Tavoussi, MD, DO
Huntington Beach Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.cosmeticsurgery4you.com

How long does it take after fat transfer to get final result?

Fat transfer, if done well, can be extremely rewarding and successful. This is a highly specialized procedure that requires both experience and expertise. Fat transfer relies on establishing a blood supply in order for there to be a permanent result. You will see this by 2-3 months in most cases. However, in some cases, the fat can take a bit of a dip during this period followed by a rebound starting at 6 months and continuing for another 1 to 2 years following... more

Amir M. Karam, MD
San Diego Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drkaram.com

Successful Facial Fat Transfer typically seen at 3 months

Hi canada2078 in canada, Fat injection is a good option for non-surgical facial rejuvenation, including lip augmentation or cheek enhancement. Fat may provide natural, soft enhancement of the cheeks, lips, and under eye areas. Fat is typically harvested from the abdomen or flanks, purified, and injected into the desired areas. However, there is a certain level of unpredictability with fat injections as always less than 100% of the fat survives long-term. In addition, the face... more

Houtan Chaboki, MD
Washington DC Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facial fat transfer results a 3 months should last

There is always some swelling, and the potential for some fat injected to tha face to not "take" but after a few months, the fat cells will be gone unless they are healthy and living. Most of what you see at 3 months tends to be very long lasting.

Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Fat grafts

There's no right answer here. Certainly by 3 months, "What you have is what you get." But I guess, what you're really after is "Can I tell sooner than that if what I have is going to stay?" In most people, you can get a pretty good sense around 6 weeks about what will stay and what will go.

Robert Sigal, MD
Reston Plastic Surgeon

Survival of Facial Fat Transfer

In my experience with fat liposculpture over the last 25 years I've generally found that what you see after 3 months is the final result. It's been reported that the grafted area can enlarge months and years later, but I've never experienced it with my patients.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

I disagree with all of the answers: Fat grafting if done well gets better over 2 years

Although this goes against the grain, I have seen a "dip" at 3 to 6 months sometimes up to 9 months where after 9 months to 2 years the fat grafting result gets better. I liken this to a hair transplant in which a hair graft placed gains blood supply after 6 months through a process called neovascularization, which up until that point has gone through smaller steps called primary and secondary inosculation. Now for the docs who do not do a lot of fat grafting or do... more

Samuel Lam, MD
Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.lamfacialplastics.com

Fat grafting does not change much after 3 months.

After 3 months what you see is what you get. After that there is little change. So there is no point in waiting beyond.

Toby Mayer, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Be patient for fat transfers

Unfortunately fat grafting can be hard to predict. A wide range of the amount of fat can survive the procedure and 'take' in its new place. I good rule of thumb is that the amount of fat present at 3 months will stay and that at three months the swelling has gone and that any fat that has been resorbed is complete.

Farzad R Nahai, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Fat injections may take time to see the result

After fat injections there is swelling and then as the swelling decreases, there is continued resorption of the fat cells that don't live (100% do not survive in the new environment). It is not unusual to implant fat grafts as a series of treatments and usually I wait at least three months in between treatments. It could take up to six months to see the final effect.

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologist

How long to wait to see final facial fat grafting result

Unlike when using off the shelf fillers, fat grafting results can take a bit longer to see the final result. I tell patients to expect their initial fullness (from swelling and fat grafts) to dissipate over the first 3-6 months. After that time the fat grafts that have "taken" will then blossom over the next year or so. If there are areas you'd like improved after the initial 1 to 1.5 year wait you could have a minor touchup procedure done (often using only local... more

Thomas A Lamperti, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

WHEN will I know mt Fat Transfer Results are Final?

Regarding: "When is a Facial Fat Transfer Considered Successful? How Long Should I Wait After a Facial Fat Transfer to Consider That the Operation Succeeded?" The challenge of fat tans fer / grafting is to: - remove fat from one area without killing it with the force of suction - separate blood, oil, other fluids and dead cells from the living fat without killing it - carefully graft the fat in ANOTHER area of the body without killing it (by syringe pressure) - have... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Fat transfer

Fat grafting takes about 3-6 months to final judjement. Transplanted fat takes about 12 weeks to aquire stable blood supply. Some fat necrosis takes up to 6 months to resolve and fat cysts takes 6 months to resolve. Therefore final results is at 6 months. Fat graft can be repeated at 3-6 months.

Samir Shureih, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

Fat transfer success

In order for the fat to survive it has to have blood vessels re-attach to it. This is called a "take." If it doesn't happen in 7-10 days, the fat will die and be absorbed by the body. So generally what you see at 3-4 months is what you got after the fat has taken and that which didn't is absorbed.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

When to judge success after facial fat grafting

After 4 months we get a very good understanding for the long-lasting result. If you really want to be sure that no further procedure related changes occur, wait 9 to 12 months. In some patients results improve again between 4 and 9 months.

Frank P. Fechner, MD
Worcester Facial Plastic Surgeon

6-12 Months for Fat Trasfer success

In my opinion, the far majority of volume that is present at 6 months will be permanent. There is a small amount of loss between 6 and 12 months, but after that, the fat should have a good blood supply and survive long term. Andrew C. Campbell, M.D. Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon