I'm 3 and a half months past a fat transfer surgery to the face, unfortunately it seems that it was botched. There a 2 areas that are unnaturally overfilled, giving my cheek an uneven appearance and whole face asymmetrical. They feel a little hard to the touch also. Is there anything I can do to get rid of this fat? Whether massage at home or some surgery? Also will removal lead to further side effects?
Answer: Overfilled and Uneven Face Thank you for your question. Sorry to hear that you are experiencing some issues. First of all, I would request that you review your preop photos with your surgeon. Patients often have pre-existing facial asymmetry that they are not even aware of. What you may be seeing could be some pre-existing asymmetry. Often times patient's aren't even aware of these asymmetries until after surgery when they are more focused on facial details. Massaging the areas may help. Massage helps break up scar tissue and helps remove some lymphedema or swelling. Arnica cream may help too. Remember you are still healing. Most surgeries are not completely healed for at least 6 months to one year later. Trying injections of a dilute Kenalog or 5-FU may help. May be worth a try if conservative measures and time haven't resolved things. Aspirating excess fat with microcannulas is also an option, but in my hands, it is the last resort. Good luck, hope things improve for you shortly.
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Answer: Overfilled and Uneven Face Thank you for your question. Sorry to hear that you are experiencing some issues. First of all, I would request that you review your preop photos with your surgeon. Patients often have pre-existing facial asymmetry that they are not even aware of. What you may be seeing could be some pre-existing asymmetry. Often times patient's aren't even aware of these asymmetries until after surgery when they are more focused on facial details. Massaging the areas may help. Massage helps break up scar tissue and helps remove some lymphedema or swelling. Arnica cream may help too. Remember you are still healing. Most surgeries are not completely healed for at least 6 months to one year later. Trying injections of a dilute Kenalog or 5-FU may help. May be worth a try if conservative measures and time haven't resolved things. Aspirating excess fat with microcannulas is also an option, but in my hands, it is the last resort. Good luck, hope things improve for you shortly.
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November 3, 2017
Answer: Facial Fat Transfer Fat Transfer is a complex procedure. At 3 months, most of your swelling has resolved. You may still have a small amount remaining. There are many techniques involved in performing this procedure, therefore, there are many different results. Many surgeons tend to overfill areas when performing this procedure.The good news is that if the areas are overfilled, this can be corrected. Not many surgeons are comfortable in performing this aspect of reversing fat transfer. When I perform this aspect of reversing fat transfer, I usually do Micro Liposuction to the different areas that are overfilled. In some cases, I utilize a facelift type incision to visualize the injected fat that needs to be removed. This approach is utilized in more sever cases. With either procedure, the fat can be removed successfully. After all the swelling goes down, then you can proceed. Also, the injecting steroids or 5 FU usually is not successful. These types of solutions can also cause significant scarring long term and are usually not recommended. I hope this helps. Good Luck.
Helpful 2 people found this helpful
November 3, 2017
Answer: Facial Fat Transfer Fat Transfer is a complex procedure. At 3 months, most of your swelling has resolved. You may still have a small amount remaining. There are many techniques involved in performing this procedure, therefore, there are many different results. Many surgeons tend to overfill areas when performing this procedure.The good news is that if the areas are overfilled, this can be corrected. Not many surgeons are comfortable in performing this aspect of reversing fat transfer. When I perform this aspect of reversing fat transfer, I usually do Micro Liposuction to the different areas that are overfilled. In some cases, I utilize a facelift type incision to visualize the injected fat that needs to be removed. This approach is utilized in more sever cases. With either procedure, the fat can be removed successfully. After all the swelling goes down, then you can proceed. Also, the injecting steroids or 5 FU usually is not successful. These types of solutions can also cause significant scarring long term and are usually not recommended. I hope this helps. Good Luck.
Helpful 2 people found this helpful