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Fat Transfer

Plastic surgeon Joseph DiBello, MD can use human fat, taken from your own body, as a natural injectable filler. Body fat makes an excellent soft tissue filler material, and can offer several advantages over synthetic filler products. Specifically, body fat transfers can create larger increases in volume (enhancing the breasts and the buttocks) and deliver results that are longer-lasting. Furthermore, fat harvesting with liposuction sculpts areas of the body that have additional fat—such as the hips, abdomen, and thighs—creating a leaner, more balanced physique.

If you want to learn more about fat transfer procedures, we encourage you to explore the informative section provided below or contact DiBello Plastic Surgery.

What Is a Fat Transfer?

Autologous fat transfer (also called autologous fat transplantation or autologous fat injection) transfers your own fat from one part of the body to another to create volume, enhance contours, and smooth depressions. Fat is harvested from areas of the body that have an adequate surplus using liposuction techniques. Once enough is collected, the fat is purified and then injected into the areas targeted for treatment. Most commonly, fat transfer techniques are used to accomplish breast augmentation, buttocks augmentation (Briazilian butt lift), facial rejuvenation, and lip augmentation with natural-looking, long-lasting results. Fat transfers can also be used to fill out depressed scars on any part of the body.

Fat Transfer to the Breasts

Natural breast augmentation with fat transfer allows you to use unwanted fat, instead of breast implants, to enhance the size, shape, and contour of the breasts. While the increase in breast size is more conservative than what can be achieved with breast implants, women often choose breast augmentation with fat transfer because of the soft, subtle, natural-looking results the procedure provides. Fat transfer also eliminates many of the risks that can accompany breast augmentation with breast implants.

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Fat Transfer to the Buttocks

The Brazilian butt lift procedure involves fat transfer techniques which enhance the contour, shape, size, and projection of the buttocks. The hips may also be augmented to create ideal lower body contours and balance the proportions of the figure. Compared to buttock implants, the Braziliian butt lift procedure can create softer, more natural-looking results with fewer risks.

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Fat Transfer to the Face

Facial rejuvenation and enhancement with fat transfers can recontour the face, diminish nasolabial folds (smile lines), provide definition to areas like the cheeks and chin, and increase the volume of the lips. Results achieved with facial fat transfers typically create outcomes that are natural-looking and longer-lasting than those achieved with temporary dermal fillers.

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How Is Fat Transfer Performed?

Prior to the transfer, fat must be “harvested” or extracted from your tummy, thighs, or buttocks using liposuction techniques. For this reason, autologous fat transfers are a more involved procedure than injections with pharmaceutical fillers. To ensure that the highest quality fat cells are used for augmentation, the collected fat is purified to eliminate damaged or unhealthy cells—this helps improve the success rate of the procedure. Once injected into soft tissue, the fat must develop a blood supply to “take” or survive and provide a long-term correction, although some of the fat cells will be naturally absorbed. To account for absorption, Dr. DiBello may slightly overfill the treatment area for optimal contours and long-term results.

What Are the Results of Fat Transfer Treatments Like?

If you are curious about the results that are possible with fat transfer and want to see how outcomes can evolve over time, we encourage you to contact DiBello Plastic Surgery to schedule an appointment. Since Dr. DiBello does not post before-and-after photos of his patients on our website, you will only have the opportunity to review photos of his patient’s results when you are in the comfort of our office. Dr. DiBello will show you photos of patients whose aesthetic concerns, treatment plans, and goals are closely aligned with yours so that you can get an idea of the results that may be possible for you.

How Long Does Fat Transfer Last?

While the results achieved with fat transfers are generally long-lasting, they are not permanent and will diminish naturally with age. Repeated treatments may be necessary to reach optimal augmentation and maintain results over time. Extracted fat can also be frozen for your own future treatment. However, the results from frozen fat are not as favorable as fat that is injected in the same treatment session during which it is harvested.

How Much Does Fat Transfer Cost?

While the cost for fat transfers can fluctuate based on a variety of factors—the area(s) being treated, the number of areas liposuctioned, the quantity of fat being collected/transferred, and the number of procedures needed to achieve the desired results—the average price ranges for fat transfer treatments at DiBello Plastic Surgery are as follows:

It is important to note that the estimates listed above from DiBello Plastic Surgery are all-inclusive, factoring in Dr. DiBello’s surgeon fee, any prescription drug costs, hospital/facility fees, and anesthesia fees (typically, many quotes you see online will not include all of these costs). For a price quote that is specific to your unique needs and goals, a personal consultation with Dr. DiBello is necessary. During the appointment, he will perform a comprehensive evaluation of the treatment areas you are considering, determine if you are a candidate, and develop a customized fat transfer treatment plan aimed at providing you with the results you desire. Based on his plan (which can evolve over time depending on the quality of your outcome), a general cost estimate for your care can be determined. Our office team can discuss accepted payment options with you to determine the most convenient and affordable way for you to access the treatments you want.

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