A person’s own fat may be used to improve the appearance of the body by moving it from an area where it is less needed (usually the thighs or abdomen) to an area that has lost tissue volume due to aging, trauma, surgery, birth defects, or other causes. Typically, the transferred fat results in an increase in volume of the body site being treated. Before the procedure, the areas from where the fat is being removed may be injected with a fluid to minimized bruising and discomfort. The fat may be removed from the body by a narrow surgical instrument (cannula) through a small incision or may be excised (cut out) directly through a larger incision.

In some cases the fat may be prepared in a specific way before being replaced back in the body. This preparation may include washing, filtering, and centrifugation (spinning) of the fat. The fat is then placed into the desired area using either a smaller cannula or needle, or it may be placed directly through an incision. Since some of the fat that is transferred does not maintain its volume over time, your surgeon may inject more than is needed at the time to achieve the desired end result. Over a few weeks, the amount of transferred fat will decrease. At times, more fat may need to be transferred to maintain the desired results. Fat transfer procedures may be done using a local anesthetic, sedation, or general anesthesia depending on the extent of the procedure.

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