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Fat Transfer in lips still painful, sticky, lumpy after 9 Months. (photo)

Surgeon did a face/neck lift and recommended a lip lift during which he injected abdominal fat into my inner lip mucosa. I was told the fat would dissipate over time but after 9 months it has not and it is still sore and lumpy and my lips get very sticky red and swollen. I look ok if I don't smile but when I do you can see all these lumps and I look weird and my lips are misshapen. My lips feel numb and stiff a lot of the time. Can I get these clumps removed?

Doctor Answers 3

Lip fat injections - don't feel or look normal after 9 months

July 28th, 2016
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Thank you for asking about your lip fat transfers.
  • I am sorry this happened -
  • It sounds as though you have fat that died and formed painful scar - or oil cysts or both.
  • The problem is similar to that of liquid silicone lip injections.
  • The lumps need surgical removal - this is done in the office with local anesthesia.
  • You are very swollen afterwards and it takes six months to see the final result.
  • You are likely to need more than one procedure because after things heal, additional irregularities often appear.
  • Please see a plastic surgeon who is familiar with removal of necrosed fat and liquid silicone.
Always see a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Best wishes  - Elizabeth Morgan MD PHD FACS
Elizabeth Morgan, MD, PhD
July 28th, 2016

Lip fat injections - don't feel or look normal after 9 months

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}
Thank you for asking about your lip fat transfers.
  • I am sorry this happened -
  • It sounds as though you have fat that died and formed painful scar - or oil cysts or both.
  • The problem is similar to that of liquid silicone lip injections.
  • The lumps need surgical removal - this is done in the office with local anesthesia.
  • You are very swollen afterwards and it takes six months to see the final result.
  • You are likely to need more than one procedure because after things heal, additional irregularities often appear.
  • Please see a plastic surgeon who is familiar with removal of necrosed fat and liquid silicone.
Always see a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Best wishes  - Elizabeth Morgan MD PHD FACS
Elizabeth Morgan, MD, PhD

Fat transfer in lips

July 27th, 2016
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This is the downside of fat transfer to lips.  All fat does not dissipate over time, rather a percentage of it remains permanently.  The outcome is not as predictable as using HA based fillers.  Removing those clumps of fat is also not easy because it is integrated with the tissue.  I recommend following with an experienced facial surgeon to discuss the possibility of removal.  
All the best!

Babar Sultan, MD
July 27th, 2016

Fat transfer in lips

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

This is the downside of fat transfer to lips.  All fat does not dissipate over time, rather a percentage of it remains permanently.  The outcome is not as predictable as using HA based fillers.  Removing those clumps of fat is also not easy because it is integrated with the tissue.  I recommend following with an experienced facial surgeon to discuss the possibility of removal.  
All the best!

Babar Sultan, MD

Lips still lumpy nine months after fat transfer

July 26th, 2016
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Snowchild, I'm  sorry to hear of your plight. It is generally accepted that you get what you get with fat transfer 2 to 3 months after the initial procedure. If you have lumps nine months after, these are essentially permanent. One could try injecting a dilute mixture of steroid (Kenalog) mixed with 5-fluorouracil and most people will get 30 to 50% improvement with these. Unfortunately, non-invasive treatments stop there. At this point, if lumps still persist, one can consider trimming them down through incisions behind the wet-dry junction (within the mouth) or adding filler adjacent to the lumps (to smooth  down the vermillion silhouette)  or a combination of the two techniques. Obviously, you can return back to your original practitioner who performed the procedure on you.  If you still have concerns, seeking the opinion of a lip surgery expert would be advisable.

Web reference: http://www.drhaworth.com/procedures/lips/fat-transfer-lips/

Randal Haworth, MD, FACS
July 26th, 2016

Lips still lumpy nine months after fat transfer

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

Snowchild, I'm  sorry to hear of your plight. It is generally accepted that you get what you get with fat transfer 2 to 3 months after the initial procedure. If you have lumps nine months after, these are essentially permanent. One could try injecting a dilute mixture of steroid (Kenalog) mixed with 5-fluorouracil and most people will get 30 to 50% improvement with these. Unfortunately, non-invasive treatments stop there. At this point, if lumps still persist, one can consider trimming them down through incisions behind the wet-dry junction (within the mouth) or adding filler adjacent to the lumps (to smooth  down the vermillion silhouette)  or a combination of the two techniques. Obviously, you can return back to your original practitioner who performed the procedure on you.  If you still have concerns, seeking the opinion of a lip surgery expert would be advisable.

Learn more: http://www.drhaworth.com/procedures/lips/fat-transfer-lips/

Randal Haworth, MD, FACS

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