What is a fat transfer?

A fat transfer involves harvesting your body’s own fat, purifying it, and reinjecting it into the part of the body that needs more. Dr. Tolson, a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons, uses liposuction to harvest fat from another area of the body, often the abdomen, thighs, hips, or back. The fat is then purified into a liquid form and reinjected into the area of the body that needs the additional fat. Dr. Tolson injects more fat than is needed as roughly sixty percent of what is injected will take. The fat is injected in layers at multiple levels within the skin to ensure a smooth look.

Who is a candidate for a fat transfer?

In order to have a fat transfer performed, you must have donor sites available. If you are slight in build with very little fat, a fat transfer may not be an option. In addition, you must also be in good health and have realistic goals.

Candidates for fat transfers to buttocks are individuals who

• Feel that their buttocks are too small for their frame.
• Feel that their buttocks are flat or square in shape.
• Have lost significant amounts of weight but now have a loose, sagging, or flat bottom.
• Have problems getting their clothing to fit properly.

Candidates for fat transfer to hands have

• Wrinkled and thin skin.
• Age spots on their hands.
• Poor color and tone to their hands.

For a fat transfer to the hands to be successful, individuals should have good circulation so that the fat can establish a new blood supply and become healthy. Those who suffer from circulatory issues or have compromised immune systems may not have as effective results as those who have normal circulation and immune systems.

What should I expect in a fat transfer to either the buttocks or the hands?

Consultation

If you believe a fat transfer may benefit you, schedule a consultation with Dr. Tolson. He is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons and is a member of the American Society for Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, giving you confidence that he delivers the most aesthetically pleasing results, individually designed for your benefit. At your initial consultation, expect Dr. Tolson to

• Discuss your medical history, including previous cosmetic procedures and their outcomes.
• Discuss your current medical conditions.
• Discuss your cosmetic goals and your expectations for the procedure.
• Discuss your allergies.
• Ask about your current medications, vitamins, and supplements.
• Ask about your current tobacco, alcohol, and drug use.
• Discuss expected outcome of your procedure.
• Take photographs for your medical record and for use with computer imaging.
• Evaluate your skin quality.
• Take measurements of the size and shape of your buttocks for a fat transfer to the buttocks.

Be sure to ask to see before and after photos of other procedures to get an idea of what you can expect.

Preparation

After the consultation is finished, you schedule the date for your procedure. Dr. Tolson or a member of his staff gives you detailed instructions of what you need to do in order to prepare for the procedure. In order to ensure that all goes well, be sure to follow all the instructions.

• Stop smoking and using tobacco products at least six weeks prior to your procedure.
• Stop taking aspirin, anti-inflammatories, and any herbs that thin the blood at least four weeks prior to the procedure.
• Avoid exposure to the sun at least two months prior to the procedure as that may cause permanent irregularities in the pigmentation.
• Arrange for someone to drive you home after the surgery and stay with you the first night.

Procedure

Dr. Tolson performs all of his procedures in his state-of-the-art, AAAASF-certified operating room in the Cumming, Georgia. The individual procedures have their own specific steps involved.

Fat transfer to buttocks

A fat transfer to the buttocks takes two to three hours, depending on how extensive the operation is. General anesthesia is used to keep you comfortable throughout the surgery. Once Dr. Tolson finishes transferring the fat, he moves you to recovery where someone from his staff monitors you to ensure you are doing well. Before you are released, either Dr. Tolson or a member of his staff goes over surgery site care instructions including how to care for any drains that have been inserted.

Fat transfer to hands

A fat transfer to hands takes thirty minutes to two hours. Intravenous sedation with local anesthesia is used to keep you comfortable throughout the procedure. After the surgery is complete, you are moved to recovery where a member of Dr. Tolson’s staff observes you to ensure that you are recovering well. Before you are released, Dr. Tolson or a member of his staff goes over how to care for your hands and the donor sites.

Recovery

Fat transfer to buttocks

In order to ensure the best possible outcome of your fat transfer, you need to be sure to wear your compression garments as Dr. Tolson directs. For the first three days, you must sleep, watch television, and do all of your resting on your stomach or possibly your side. The key is to avoid applying any pressure to the buttocks, allowing the transfer sites to fully heal. You may experience swelling throughout the buttocks region, thighs, and abdomen during the first few weeks. This will gradually subside. Any drains that have been placed may remain for up to seven days, at which time, Dr. Tolson may remove them. You should avoid doing any sitting for at least ten days.

For the next two to eight weeks, you may sit, but you must place a pillow under the hamstrings to keep direct pressure from being on the buttocks. You should continue to wear your body garments throughout this time. Swelling will continue to subside over the next three to six months.

Fat transfer to hands

Because liposuction has been performed to harvest fat from another area of your body, be sure to wear your compression garments as Dr. Tolson directs. Bruising and swelling are normal at both the donor site and your hands. To help minimize the swelling on your hands, apply ice. Wearing gloves and applying moisturizer helps to keep the skin from drying out and cracking and will help over the life of your fat transfer to protect the skin from the elements.

You may experience swelling, bruising, and stiffness in your hands during the first two weeks after your surgery. As these begin to dissipate, you will begin to notice that your hands appear to be more youthful in appearance and feel. Between weeks two and eight, your hands will get a pinker color as the transfer establishes its blood supply and the discoloration resolves itself.

Results

Unlike many other fillers, fat transfers should last the rest of your life. Generally, a fat transfer to the buttocks yields immediately visible results. The results continue to set in over the next year, fully revealing themselves around one year later. Scars from the fat transfer may take up to two years to fully fade. With a fat transfer to hands, the final results may be obscured because of the initial swelling and bruising, needing these to subside for the results to reveal themselves.

Because not all the fat in a fat transfer takes, follow-up procedures may be needed to get the final look for which you are hoping. Also, keep in mind that fat transfers respond like regular fat to fluctuations in weight. Your fat transfer will continue to age at a normal rate; but as long as you maintain a stable weight and remain physically fit, your transfer should continue to provide you with the look you desire.