Fat Grafting
Autologous fat grafting is the natural way to restore volume to your tissues. During this procedure, Dr. Feledy removes fat cells from your abdomen, thighs, buttocks or elsewhere. He will then refine and re-implant these fat cells beneath the skin to fill in areas that are affected by volume loss.
Dr. Feledy performs fat grafting in areas such as the:
- Face
- Body
- Breasts
- Hands
- Labia
FAQ About Fat Grafting
The following are common questions about fat grafting at Belmont Plastic Surgery. Please call or email our offices if you have additional questions about this procedure.
How does fat grafting work?
Both the donor and recipient sites are numbed with local anesthesia. Sedation can be used as well. If you elect to use sedation, be sure to arrange for a ride home after your treatment.
After cleansing and treatment with local anesthesia, fat is withdrawn from the donor site using a syringe with a large-bore needle or a liposuction cannula. The fat is then prepared and injected into the recipient site with a needle.
Sometimes an adhesive bandage is applied over the injection site. Slight overfilling may be necessary to circumvent some of the inevitable fat re-absorption by the body. When fat is used to augment the cheeks, this over-correction may cause the face to appear abnormally full.
What happens after fat grafting?
While some treatments require a brief recovery period, many patients resume normal activity right away. Expect some swelling, bruising or redness in both the donor and recipient sites. The severity of these symptoms will depend on the size and location of the treatment area.
Stay out of the sun until redness and bruising subsides - usually about 48 hours. In the meantime, you may use makeup with sunblock protection to help conceal your condition. In some cases, swelling and puffiness in the recipient site will last for several weeks, especially if a large area was treated.
How long do the results last?
While some patients report results lasting one year or more, the majority of patients find that at least half of the injected fullness disappears within three to six months. Therefore, repeated injections may be necessary. Dr. Feledy will advise you on how to maintain your results with repeat treatments.
Schedule A Consultation to Learn More
Contact the offices of Dr. Jules Feledy, board-certified plastic surgeon, to learn more about fat grafting surgery. You can call our Stafford, VA office at 540-891-0040, or our Chevy Chase, MD office at 301-654-5666. Our offices are conveniently located in the Washington D.C. suburbs near Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Arlington.
