Fat grafting is a procedure in which we harvest fat from an area with a little extra (usually the abdomen or waist) and delicately inject the fat to add volume or structure to another location (more details here). Often fat grafting is used as a substitute for filler. Most fillers are temporary (lasting from a few months to a couple years) and can in some cases migrate away from the injection site. On the other hand, fat grafts are permanent – in most cases at least 50% and as much as 80% of the volume we graft lasts for the rest of your life. The reason is that the fat cells attach to local tissue and receive a new blood supply from blood vessels in the recipient site. The fat graft actually becomes part of the anatomy in its new location and will not migrate from the injection site.
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Dr. Darren Smith
Dr. Darren Smith, MD, FACS, is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Manhattan, NYC. He holds dual fellowship training in craniofacial and aesthetic surgery, has authored 200+ peer-reviewed publications, and brings 15+ years of expertise to facial and body procedures.
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