Susie Q1113440

Hello: I had a fat transfer about a year ago. I did my homework & went to a reputable facial plastic surgeon in San Diego, CA. I am for the most part happy with the fat tranfer. I am still waiting for the fat to "come back" in my face. Luckily I had no lumps & bumps. I had interviewed with his past clients & made sure they were happy with the results & looked a numerous pictures. The fat in the face goes through different stages: 1. Severe swelling for the first 4 to 6 weeks--Intially your face swells like a ballon & then decreases over the next 6 weeks. 2. Then the fat decreases over the next 6 months & you feel like the fat dissapeared (it apparrently shrinks). 3. Then it is supposed to blossom over the next 2 years & the fat you have left in your face is permanent. I am about a year out, & although the fat has not blossomed back, my face doesn't look gaunt & haggared as it had looked before the fat transfer. I am using fillers such as radiasse etc to keep the youthful fullness in my face. People think I am in my 30's or early 40's & I am really 53. So, you have to be vigilant & do your homework. Make sure that the facial plastic surgeon who does the fat transfer has done 500 to 1000 cases & that his patients have had good results. Be aware of doctors in Beverly Hills etc. Just because they have a fancy office or fancy area doesn't mean they are good. Thank GOD I had no lumps & bumps, however, I was dilligent in doing my homework & wanted to make sure the technique my surgeon used was good & that he used live-cells & not dead fat cells. It's the technique they use to harvest the fat cells & clean the fat cells before using the microinjection technique, layring the fat cells into the face. Talk to many patients before you let just any plastic surgeon stick fat in in your face. The doctor I saw had injected fat into his wife's face, & I saw her before & after pictures & actually talked to her 2 years after her fat injection & she looked great. The initial 6 weeks is preety hard as your face looks like a swollen baloon, but, then after the 3 months you look awesome!