More Fat Grafting, More Areas of the Body

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2016 annual statistics show some interesting trends.  Three of the five most increased surgical procedures were #1 Fat Graft to the Breast, #3 Buttock Lift and #4 Fat Graft to the Face; they each involve transferring a patient's own fat to an area where enhancement is desired.  Fat grafting offers a way to improve contour without using an artificial implant.  Saline breast implants have an excellent safety record and achieve enhancement that cannot be duplicated by fat.  It is unlikely that this will replace breast implants in the forseeable future, although research is underway.  Fat grafting is excellent for enhancing the buttocks, and used much more commonly than buttock implants.  Facial fat grafting now is quite commonly done along with facelifting.  One surgeon has taken to calling this the "lift and fill facelift."  The biggest limitations with fat grafting are variability and incomplete healing of the new fat.  The percentage "take" of fat grafts will likely improve in the next decade as research allows surgeons to get closer to 100% retention of the transferred fat.  This will decrease the need for repeated or staged procedures.  Dr. Graham regularly uses these fat graft techniques to help patients achieve natural beautiful appearance (face and body).