Plastic surgery restores form and function through reconstructive procedures, cosmetic enhancements, and body contouring.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
Fat grafting can be performed under local anesthesia with oral sedation for small volumes (like face or hands) or general anesthesia for large volumes (like BBL or breast). The choice depends on the extent of the procedure and patient safety.
General anesthesia secures the airway and ensures the patient is completely still and comfortable during extensive liposuction. The anesthesia team closely monitors hemodynamics, as fluid shifts can occur during large-volume fat removal.
The first step is harvesting the fat. Surgeons use specialized “atraumatic” cannulas with small holes and low vacuum pressure. This is critical; high pressure or rough handling ruptures the delicate fat cells, rendering them non-viable.
The goal is to collect living tissue parcels, not just oil. The surgeon carefully maneuvers the cannula to sculpt the donor site while protecting the cellular integrity of the harvest.
Once harvested, the fat must be processed to remove blood, tumescent fluid, and oil from ruptured cells. Injecting these impurities causes inflammation and reduces graft survival.
Techniques include centrifugation (spinning the fat), filtration (washing the fat), or gravity sedimentation. This concentrates the healthy fat cells and stem cells, creating a pure graft ready for injection.
The injection phase is an art form. The surgeon uses tiny cannulas to place the fat in thin threads or microdroplets. This is called “structural fat grafting.” By layering the fat in a lattice pattern, every cell remains close to a blood supply.
Large boluses (pools) of fat are avoided because the center would die (necrosis) due to a lack of oxygen. The multi-plane placement ensures a smooth, lump-free contour and maximizes survival.
If nanofat is used for skin rejuvenation, an additional processing step is required. The fat is passed through fine screens to break up the fat cells, leaving only the stem cell-rich fluid.
This fluid is then injected very superficially into the dermis using a fine needle. This technique targets skin texture and color rather than volume.
After the procedure, the donor sites are dressed, and compression garments are applied to minimize swelling. The recipient sites (where fat was added) are usually left uncompressed to prevent compression of the new cells.
Patients are monitored in the recovery room for stability. Pain is managed with medication, and instructions on positioning are reviewed to ensure no pressure is applied to the grafts.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
Pain is typically manageable with oral medication. The donor sites (liposuction areas) feel sore, like a deep bruise or intense workout. The grafted areas may feel tight or tender.
Patients are advised to rest and stay hydrated. Avoiding anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) for a few days is often recommended to prevent bleeding, although protocols vary.
The most critical recovery rule is to avoid pressure on the grafted area. For BBL, this means no sitting or lying on the back. For facial grafts, it means sleeping on the back with the head elevated.
Pressure cuts off the fragile new blood supply to the fat cells. Adhering to these positioning restrictions for 2 to 6 weeks is the most critical factor the patient can control to improve graft survival.
Compression garments are worn on the donor areas to reduce swelling and help the skin retract. They must be worn 24/7 for the first few weeks.
However, the garment must not compress the grafted area. For BBLs, special clothes with cutouts for the buttocks are used. Proper fit is essential to avoid complications like seromas (fluid pockets).
Many fat grafting procedures are performed without drains. The small incisions are often left open for the first 24 hours to allow tumescent fluid to drain out naturally. This reduces swelling and bruising.
Patients use absorbent pads to manage this drainage. After drainage stops, the incisions heal quickly. This approach simplifies recovery and reduces infection risk.
Walking is encouraged immediately to promote circulation and prevent blood clots. However, strenuous exercise is restricted. Elevating the heart rate too much can increase swelling and metabolism, which is detrimental to the new fat cells.
Patients should maintain a calm, low-stress environment to allow the body to focus energy on healing and vascularizing the grafts.
Infection is rare but serious. Patients are taught to monitor for signs like spreading redness, excessive heat, or fever. Antibiotics are typically prescribed for a few days post-op as a preventative measure.
Keeping the incision sites clean and dry is paramount. Any suspicion of infection requires immediate contact with the surgeon to preserve the graft.
Yes, bruising is very common, especially in the donor areas where liposuction was performed. It typically peaks around day 3-4 and resolves within 2 weeks. The grafted areas may also have some bruising.
Social downtime for facial grafting is about 1-2 weeks due to swelling. For body procedures like BBL, you can return to desk work in 1-2 weeks if you use a special pillow, but full activity restrictions last 6-8 weeks.
Ice constricts blood vessels. The new fat cells are desperately trying to grow new blood vessels to survive. Applying ice can shut down this process and cause the fat cells to die. You can ice the donor sites, but never the graft.
You may need to massage the donor (liposuction) areas to prevent lumps, but you should never massage the grafted area until it is fully healed (usually 3 months). Massaging the new fat can crush the cells and displace them.
You can usually shower 48 hours after surgery. Let the water run gently over the areas. Do not soak in a bath, pool, or hot tub until all incisions are completely healed, which usually takes about 2-3 weeks.
Your Comparison List (you must select at least 2 packages)
