Question:
I’m 45, female, and a past smoker. I’ve been off cigarettes for the past six months, and now I’d like to go about repairing some of the damage caused by the habit with a fat transfer to the face. My only concern is the lasting results of my past history of smoking. Will the fact that I smoked for so long (15 years) make a difference in the results I can expect from a facial fat transfer?
Answer
Smoking and plastic surgery do not go hand in hand. Fat transfer requires a good bed of tissue with a plentiful vascular supply in order for the fat to have the best chance of survival. Smoking compromises the status of the microvascularity of all tissues but, it appears that the nicotine has the most adverse effects. Cessation of smoking for six months should be enough time for the microvasculature to rejuvenate and give the fat grafts a healthy recipient vascular bed.
Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld