Question:
I would like plastic surgery on my cheeks. They have gotten very thin. I am interested in fat transfer for this. Where do you get the fat from on my body? How much do you remove and is it treated before it is put into my cheeks? Is it injected into the cheeks?
Answer:
What you are interested in to rejuvenate your cheeks is autologous fat injections to your face. I am very fond of this procedure as I feel that autologous fat injections is the most effective way to rejuvenate the midface and cheek area in those individuals with thin skin and loss of facial fat. The fat is harvested from either the abdomen, hips, or thighs. I do not process the fat other than separate the layers as their have been no controlled studies that have demonstrated any increased fat survival by various means of processing, including harvesting growth factors. The key to autologous fat injection survival is slow and precise deposition of fat into several layers of fat and muscle of the cheeks. Although fat injections to the cheeks is not usually painful post procedure, there can be swelling that will last for several days.
Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld