Fat Grafting Surgery in South, East, North, West London

Procedures

Body » Fat Grafting

STRUCTURAL FAT GRAFTING / FAT INJECTION

Why choose us for a Fat Grafting ?

You will be seen and operated on by a fully qualified BAAPS/ BAPRAS Consultant plastic surgeon.
Our prices are competitive and represent outstanding results.
We provide a personal and holistic service to our patients
We put your safety first!

As we age, tissues tend to sag and in addition fat loss may occur in certain areas of the face. This leaves some of us with a less youthful look. In others, there may be regions of the body where areas of fat may be deficient: due to a previous injury, or liposuction that has been overdone resulting in contour irregularities. Cosmetic Surgeons London can help by offering fat grafting (also known as fat injections) to correct these problems and offer a normal and more youthful appearance.

Is fat grafting surgery for you?

I have furrows and hollow areas in my face
I have had liposuction that has been overdone leaving dented areas
I have had reconstructive surgery where there is some residual hollow areas

If this is you then Cosmetic Surgeons London may be able to help.

What does fat grafting involve?

Fat grafting involves the removal of fat from certain areas of your body (tummy, thighs, behind knees) by gentle liposuction and then processing this fat in a special manner and re-injecting it very carefully into the areas that require reconstruction.

You (the Patient^™s) Journey

Before the operation

You will have seen Mr Sojitra on more than one occasion to fully answer all your questions. It is important to avoid medications, if possible, such as aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) e.g Ibuprofen (Nurofen), Sodium Diclofenac (Voltarol) for 1 week before surgery. These tablets may increase bleeding during and after surgery. It is absolutely essential that you have stopped smoking as this can affect take of the fat graft.

The operation

You will be admitted to hospital on the morning of surgery and Mr Sojitra along with his consultant anaesthetist will come and discuss the surgical plan again with you and make some marks on your skin with pen. The operation will take approximately 1-2 hours (depending on the amount of fat needed to be removed for grafting) and you will wake up with dressings in place before being taken to the ward. In general, fat grafting is performed as a day case procedure. You will need to have a friend or family member to drive you to and from the hospital.

Recovery

You will experience varying degrees of bruising, swelling, and some tenderness all of which improve by the day. Our consultant anaesthetist will prescribe you adequate medication to take home to alleviate any discomfort you may experience. It is important not to get the dressings wet after surgery and you will be advised on showering. Depending on your type of work, you may return to work between 2-14 days after your procedure depending on the amount and area of fat removed and injected. No heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for 6 weeks. The injected fat does not all take and survive and on average 60% will remain at 6 months. Therefore you will require repeat ˜top-up™ procedures until the final permanent desired result has been attained. Your surgeon will see you after 1 week. All dressings will be discarded at this stage. Your surgeon will closely follow your recovery.

Safety and potential complications?

Scars

Scarring on the whole is not problematic. A small scar will always exist. Certain individuals e.g. afro-carribean races and red haired individuals are at a higher risk of forming excess scar tissue (keloid or hypertrophic scars). Should these scars develop excellent advice and treatment will be provided by Mr Sojitra.

Infection

This is an uncommon event and occurs in perhaps less than 1% cases. Antibiotics are given during induction of the general anaesthetic.

Bruising

Bruising is not uncommon and becomes apparent in the days following surgery.

Numbness and Pins and Needles

Numbness and pins and needles may occur following surgery and often recovers over 2-3 months. It is very rare to get permanent nerve damage affecting facial muscles.

Repeat Procedure

Depending on the area being fat grafted, further procedures may be required to obtain the desired result as some of the injected fat may not survive. This may be more common in smokers.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

Any general anaesthetic procedure is associated with a small risk of DVT which can potentially move to the lungs (Pulmonary Embolus). Here at Cosmetic Surgeons London we attempt to minimise this risk by the use of compression stockings before and after surgery, use of pneumatic compression devices during surgery and motivating the patient to mobilise as soon as possible after surgery.

Summary

Operation Time	45 mins - 2 hours
Anaesthetic	General Anaesthesia
Nights in hospital	Daycase
How much time off work?	2 days - 2 weeks
When can I exercise?	After 6 weeks