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Key Points
- When grafting fat, it is important to just harvest the fat and carefully refine it, removing as much of the oil and aqueous portions as possible while avoiding washing out of the growth factors, according to one expert.
VIABILITY TIPS
One of the keys to a successful fat grafting procedure is to place the living fatty tissue in small aliquots rather than large clumps. This technique will help maximize the survival of the fatty tissue and avoid fat necrosis and the formation of lipo-necrotic cysts as well as minimize trauma during harvesting and refinement of the fatty tissue.
According to Sydney R. Coleman MD, of Tribeca Plastic Surgery, New York, New York, and member of the ASPS Fat Graft Task Force, placing too much fat into the envelope can happen with surgeons who lack the patience and/or experience with the procedure and overstep their boundaries. Also, Dr. Coleman says that it is important to just harvest the fat and carefully refine it, removing as much of the oil and aqueous portions as possible while avoiding washing out of the growth factors. This technique will ultimately help in achieving predictable results.
