Fat Transfer: How Long is the Recovery Period?

Question

I am planning to have a fat transfer on May 20, 2001. I am 55 yrs old woman looking forward to have this procedures. I have a consultation appointment today around 4pm in San Francisco.

	I need to know how long is the healing process. If I do it on 20th of may and attend a wedding on july 7th. Is this this sufficient time to recover before the wedding? From may 20 till july 7th seems not enough time. Most stated 6wks, 8wks,12weeks.

Randy Wong, MD · Answer

Many patients are severely stressed when their recovery is "timed" and calendar limited by deadlines.  The closer you get to the event, the higher the stress.  You are wise to ask what to expect, but understand that each patient heals at different rates based on your general health.  80% of bruising and swelling usually resolves by the end of the second week.  My rule of thumb is to advise that patients in their 30's can expect any surgical recovery to take 3 weeks, in their 40's - 4 weeks, 50's - 5 weeks, 60's - 6 weeks, and so on.

Johnny Franco, MD, FACS · Answer

This is a very common
question, as I believe that the post-operative care is a very important part of
achieving your final results.

The fat
transfer, often called Brazilian butt lift has become extremely popular because
it allows your plastic surgeon to transform your entire shape. You improve your
waist, hips and of course your buttock.

The
area where the fat is harvested (liposuction) is sore but typically patients
don’t have a lot of pain. Patients also typically do not have a lot of pain in
the buttock where the fat is placed. It is difficult for patients to get
comfortable the first few days after the surgery, as they are sore in multiple
places.

The
difficult part of the recovery is that I do not allow patients to sit for the
first two weeks after the surgery. The fat needs time to heal and become part
of your buttock. During this time patients may lie on their stomach, stand and
walk, but they need to avoid sitting as much as possible.The majority of patients are back at
work after a week of recovery.

For
six weeks I have patients is a special compression garment that helps shape the
buttock and compress the areas that have been liposuctioned.

In
general of the procedures that I perform this is one where patients tend to be
universally extremely happy.

Ron Shelton, MD · Answer

Fat injections involve the removal and processing of fat cells from one part of the body to another.  The swelling in the recipient area, the area in which the new fat cells begin to live, can be different for each patient. It is possible that the fat may live well and only one treatment is needed but other times, there are multiple treatments needed.  Swelling can last for several weeks depending on how deeply the fat is injected and how many passes are made.  Often there can be just several days of swelling and bruising and then it looks good.  An average may be two to three weeks, so your social timing may be cutting it close.

Daniel A. Medalie, MD · Answer

I agree with the surgeon above me. It is improtant to know where the fat is coming from and where it is going (and how much). If you are to have large volume fat transfer to the buttocks for instance, then a fair amount of both liposuction and fat transfer is invovled. The recovery period is several weeks and there will be swelling and abnormal sensation for up to three months. On the other hand, 10 cc of fat into the cheeks is a very rapid recovery with little down time (some bruising and swelling which resolve in 10-14 days).

	 

	Good luck,

	 

	Daniel A. Medalie, MD

Frank P. Fechner, MD · Answer

As a stand-alone procedure, patients require about 10-12 days to be presentable after facial fat transfer. For important events such as a wedding, 6 weeks should be sufficient.

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