Fat Transfer: Stories

I am sorry to hear about the experience your wife has had TheHusband.  I am curious as to where the fat transfer was done.  Most fat transfers take fat from somewhere in the body (many times the stomach) and it it in the face.  But you mention going to a Breast Cancer specialist.  Was this a fat transfer to the breast?  

Hi joye697   I am not a doctor so I can only answer based up my experience. I have had 2 fat transfers, 1 year apart. They were in different area.  The first one to my cheeks. I am thin so the doctor ran out of fat so I went back a year later and had fat added to my temples and forehead and just a little more to my cheeks.   I am very happy with the results of both transfers.  I do not believe that injecting the fat into the muscle would work because of the placement of the fat. Also for the fat to survive there must be minimal movement in the transferred area for about a week.  It is my understanding that only about 70% of the transferred fat survives.   Keep in mind that it is quite common for fat transfers to look lumpy and bumpy as a person heals.  It takes months for the final results to be known,  So how far along after surgery are you?  You may not be completely healed yet. 

Hi Misty, I had my fat transfer 1 year ago...I was swollen for a few days but once that went down there were no visible signs that I had any additional volume...except for a small area near the bridge of my nose where there are now some white bumps under the skin...just on one side. I was not happy and paid $2,750.00 for this procedure. I understand that not all fat will live so also wondered if that is true how can they make sure that you are symmetrical? I should probably go back to the Dr. who performed this as I am not happy with the results.

Hi joye697   Well, you are definitely healed.  I am sorry that it did not work well for you. Fat transfers have mixed results as you can see by the percentage of good results here on RealSelf.  You don't have anything to lose by going back to the surgeon that performed the surgery.  I would also suggest going to another surgeon that has had good results with fat transfers and getting a second opinion.  A second opinion on the action could be very valuable.   I hope it works out and that you post your story here.  Good luck. 

Jewel123, I had fat transfer most of which did not 'take'. I am thankful that it was absorbed into my body because the areas that it survived I have noticeable white lumps...they are on the bridge of my nose and one side is more pronounced than the other. I wonder if it is the Doctors technique...perhaps he didn't inject it into the muscle as those who have had a good result. I agree with you the result for me is an older look because of the lumps and I also agree that it is much more noticeable based upon lighting. I am happy for those who had good results...think it is Doctors procedures which probably make the difference.

I too got lumps after fat grafting...thankfully the vast majority of the graft did not 'take' and the fat was absorbed but what did last is small lumps (white) and they are as you say more visible under overhead lighting. The also give one the appearance of an aged face. I wonder if anyone knows if the technique of putting the fat into the muscle is the remedy and that is why others did not get same.

WTH, hiding behind your Realself profile so that you can post horrible comments is amazing. Looking at all of your comment history, you must be very angry with your life. You're posting the same thing on every woman's entry regarding fat transfer. Perhaps it's time for you to find a new hobby...or step up to the game and post a profile picture of yourself instead of hassling others to post additional ones.

Dallaslis, Do not waste your time on the likes of WTH --really. We spend so much money on looking great and one sourgrape will try to bring us down. You look great! I just had PRP procedure a week ago and I expect my results within 3-4 weeks. It is your standard--if you think you look great, then you will radiate that. There are so many bitter people in this world that no amount of sunshine can make them smile. I bet you this "WTH" is looking at him/herself in the mirror and saying "OMG, WTH, I look horrible and I do not have the money to do anything about my ugliness!" No fat transfer or PRP or any plastic surgery procedure can fix a psychological problem, you know that! So Dallas and to those other people men or women who care enough to make themselves look and feel better, stay on top of our game and don't let one turkey bring our spirits down. Living well and looking gorgous is our best revenge! Yay!!

Lissette... do you have current photos? I am considering the same procedure. Would appreciate an update. Have you lost any of the volume?

true wth is being cruel but to mock someone who knows they look bad and cant afford surgery is just as cruel as alot of people cant afford it and so desperately want it and youre rubbing it in their face.just because you have money doesnt always make you nice either, just luckier

You're welcome.

Posted by Dr. Claudio DeLorenzi MD FRCS in Articles, Blog, Breast Surgery, Facelift, New Technology, News, Plastic Surgery, Stem Cells, fat grafting on May 16, 2012 | : As of May, 2012, there are no methods for accurately harvesting and replacing stem cells alone. Most of the ads regarding stem cells are a bit premature, to say the least- BUYER BEWARE. It is true that small parcel fat grafting does transfer some stem cells along with the fat cells. It has yet to be established whether enriching a fat graft with stem cells will improve outcomes. There are a few devices under investigation which allow doctors to harvest the stem cell portion of the graft and then add this part to a prepared fat graft, creating a ‘stem cell enriched fat graft’, but thus far there are no good clinical studies to show benefit from this process over routine fat grafting. I do not think that there is any doubt about the efficacy of fat grafting on its own, although other doctors will disagree with this. Despite a wide variety of nay-Sayers, fat grafting has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for many problems that are commonly encountered in clinical practice. Italian researcher Dr. Gino Rigotti has shown that fat grafting in patients with post-radiation skin breakdown on their chests will heal their wounds after fat-graft treatment, an amazing result. He took patients who had failed to heal using conventional therapies and performed his fat grafting technique on them. As a result, they healed their chronic wounds. The new paradigm is to consider the three dimensional shape of the face when considering the effects of aging. Pulling the tissues of the face (ie the old way of face lifting) would flatten the cheeks and although it could change the shape of the face, it would not restore the most important features of a youthful face. The new techniques take the three dimensional volume deficits and treat them with fat or fillers. These 3-D techniques restore the missing volume of the upper face, as well are remove the excess volume of the lower face, creating a better balanced result that is more natural looking, and better approximates the youthful face. I have been performing fat grafting and laser resurfacing as well as other advanced methods of face lifting procedures for over 20 years, and I can tell you without reservation that these methods do result in healthier looking skin and more natural looking results. The theory of stem cells may explain the results, but it has not been proven yet by clinical studies.