Does a Second Fat Grafting Procedure Provide a Better Chance of Fat Survival?

Question

I had some liposuction done three years ago and was left with indentations. This past August I had fat grafting to fill in the dent but I feel like none of the fat took and I'm starting to run out of donor sites! Is it true if I have it done again there will be a better chance of survival or should I just accept this deformity

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

I think it is reasonable to do the surgery a second time.Liposuction and fat grafting results are highly surgeon dependent.  Find a plastic    
surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of liposuction and liposuction revision   
procedures each year.  Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before
 and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the    
results. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

David L. Cangello, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question.I don't think that
the chance of survival will necessarily be better with a second procedure. That
being said, it is not uncommon to need more than one procedure as we know that
not all of the graft survives the first time around. There are different methods
of handling the fat before it is transferred. You want to be sure that you see
someone like myself who does the procedure with regularity and knows how to
properly handle the fat to give it the greatest chance of survival. I recommend
that you see a board certified plastic surgeon in consultation to get more
specific answers to your questions which can best be addressed after a thorough
history and examination is performed.Best of luck to you

Terence Michael Myckatyn, MD · Answer

It is true that a second round of fat grafting can be more effective than the first. Often, the first round of fat grafting can soften a previously scarred or dented area, thus priming it for the later addition of more fat. So while the first round of fat grafting may not seem like it did much, it may have been necessary for the second round of fat grafting to provide a more visible benefit. Each situation, however, is different. Fat graft take is largely dependent on the environment into which it is placed. If an area is particularly tight, scarred, or has reduced blood flow for other reasons, it will not accept as much fat as another area with more permissive conditions.

Does a Second Fat Grafting Procedure Provide a Better Chance of Fat Survival?

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Does a Second Fat Grafting Procedure Provide a Better Chance of Fat Survival?

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