SYNONYMS:

Body fat makes excellent soft tissue filler material. Fat injection transfers fat from one part of the body to another to recontour the face; diminish frown lines, crow's feet and nasolabial folds (smile lines); and provide definition to areas like the cheeks and chin. It can also be used to fill out depressed scarred areas on any part of the body. Fat injection is not permanent, and may require an effective maintenance program.

• Natural, non-allergenic
• Outpatient procedure that generally takes under an hour
• Injections may last from several months to permanently
• Little or no downtime
• Minimal discomfort, which can be controlled with medication
• Because fat is from the patient's own body, no pre-testing is required and the fat cannot be rejected
• Cost effective if combined with another procedure, such as liposuction

Patients with underprojected cheeks, chins, lips, jawlines or aged, thinned and hollowed looking facial or hand skin can be a candidate for microfat transplantation.

The following may not be a candidate:

• Uncontrolled heart or lung disease
• Organ abnormalities such as diabetes, high blood pressure, angina or asthma should be stabilized
• Recent traumatic stresses
• Autoimmune diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
• Muscular dystrophy

Fat is taken from an area (or area's) of the body where it may be unwanted and transplanted to area's of the face or body where it is needed. Using special harvest and transplant needles, microfat injections can now be done with very reliable survival and longterm natural enhancements. Ultrasonic or power assisted liposuction can also be performed at the harvest site following the transplantation. Most microfat transplantations can be performed in 1 1/2 to 3 hours.

Microfat injections are performed comfortably under IV sedation and local freezing.

Microfat transplantation has excellent results but produces significant swelling that may take 10 days to 7 weeks to subside. Bruising usually fades quickly and can be camouflaged by 7 days. Most people can return to work in 2 weeks.

The results of microfat transplantation can be a natural, permanent improvement in the shape of the cheek bone, eyebrows, lips or hands. The harvest site can also be thinned using ultrasonic liposuction.

Cost varies depending on site to be augmented and the patients goals. Fat injections usually begin around $500. Liposuction prices average around $3,000 per body part for the donor site.