Fat Transfer

Fat Transfer and Augmentation of the Face with Stem Cells Liposculpting of the Face

As we age, it’s common to lose volume in several regions of your face. Often, this loss of volume can leave you looking older than you feel. Fortunately, Dr. Kerner has developed procedures based on fat transfer technology to restore lost volume to the face and reverse the signs of aging.
Whether you are looking to restore a youthful appearance or simply plump up an area of your body that has lost volume, fat transfer, also known as fat grafting or fat injection, can deliver beautiful, natural looking results. Fat transfer can be done to other areas of the body including the buttocks, hands, and more. The best way to determine whether fat transfer will address your cosmetic goals is to be examined by Dr. Kerner to determine if one would be a candidate.

WHAT IS FAT TRANSFER WITH STEM CELLS

Fat transfer is a safe, simple procedure that provides you with a natural solution to address volume loss. During the procedure, Dr. Kerner will perform liposuction to remove fat from a donor area on your body, typically the abdomen around the belly button.
What makes our procedure unique and long –lasting, is the pioneering work that Dr. Kerner did using fat transfer with autologous platelet gel or PRP. Once your fat is harvested using microcannulas, so there is minimal donor site discomfort, the fat is then processed in the operating room under sterile conditions to remove all of the impurities and local anesthetic leaving only pure fat and stem cells. Since your own natural fat and stem cells are used, there is no risk of an allergic reaction or rejection.

The second development has been the addition of autologous platelet gels to fat grafting. This involves harvesting blood before the procedure, removing the platelets with a high-tech centrifuge, and mixing this with the purified fat prior to re-injection. The addition of platelet gels has a number of wonderful effects. By using platelets from your own blood and integrating this into the fat grafts and stem cells, there is a significant reduction in bruising and swelling, and improvement in the integration of the harvested fat cells into the face. The stem cells provide a long-lasting result that is enhanced with PRP.

All of this is performed while you are under twilight anesthesia.

Liposculpting involves removing fat from precise areas of the face using very fine cannulas. This leaves minimal bruising, swelling and disfigurement, and results in sculpted areas looking more desirable and less full of tissue, especially in areas of excess fat. This is usually performed in conjunction with fat transfer of stem cells and fat grafting.

The rate of re-operation is approximately 8% over the last 15 years of extensive experience with this technique. Reoperation is primarily due to the patient’s desire for further augmentation.

There are very few risks. These include bruising, swelling, asymmetry, and very rarely infection,or injury to nerves resulting in either weakness of facial muscles or numbness.

Most procedures are performed under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation. If other procedures are performed at the same time, general anesthesia may be used. We will provide all of the appropriate medications in the form of prescriptions for your procedure.

Expect 5 to 7 days of swelling and bruising but very little pain or discomfort. The donor site is typically the area around the abdomen or hips. Dressings may be removed on the second postoperative day.

Foam tape will be used to stabilize the grafts in the facial regions. We will keep these on for 2 to 3 days.

This procedure is very effective at improving the appearance of:

• Hollow cheeks
• Deep smile and frown lines
• Sunken temples
• Thin lips
• Scars
• Skin depressions
• Contour irregularities
• Aging hands

Fat transfer can also be used to correct complications from a previous liposuction procedure.

Your fat transfer procedure offers the following benefits:

• Uses your own natural fat, eliminating the possibility of an allergic reaction
• Smooth, natural looking results
•  Long-lasting or permanent results
•  Little to no downtime

For further information on this procedure or to schedule a consult with Dr. Kerner call 818.349.0600.