Procedure
Fat Injections
Fat is harvested from one part of the body by liposuction, filtered, and reinjected where volume is needed. Because the graft is the patient's own tissue, a proportion of it is reabsorbed in the months after treatment.
Procedure facts
- Duration
- 1 hour
- Anaesthesia
- Local anaesthesia with light sedation, or general anaesthesia where combined with another operation
- Hospital stay
- Outpatient procedure
- Pre-admission tests
- Blood tests
- Downtime
- 1 week
- Driving
- Next day
- Exercise
- After 1 week
- Final result
- 1 month, though a proportion of the graft continues to be reabsorbed over the first six months
Overview
Fat injection, or fat grafting, transfers fat from one part of the body to another. Applied to the face it acts as a natural filler, adding volume, improving contour and reducing the appearance of folds and lines. It is used for the cheeks, eyelids, lips, temples and the folds around the mouth.
It is frequently combined with other facial surgery — a facelift or brow lift — so that one recovery period covers both. It is also used to refine the result of a previous breast augmentation or breast reconstruction.
What the procedure involves
Anaesthesia
Local anaesthesia with light sedation, unless the fat injection is combined with another operation, in which case general anaesthesia is administered by a consultant anaesthetist.
Harvesting the fat
Fat is harvested by liposuction from an area where there is a surplus — the inner thighs, the flanks or the abdomen — through one or more incisions of two to five millimetres.
Placing the graft
The aspirated fat is filtered and rinsed to produce pure fatty tissue, which is injected into the recipient site immediately. The graft is placed within healthy tissue that supplies it with blood and oxygen.
Before your procedure
- Bring a complete medical history to the consultation, including allergies, previous surgery and current medication
- Stop smoking and reduce alcohol in the run-up to the procedure, as both interfere with healing
- If you take blood-thinning medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen, discuss stopping it temporarily. Fish oil and vitamin E also increase bleeding risk
- Stay well hydrated and eat well in the days beforehand
- Prepare somewhere at home to rest afterwards, with the supplies and any prescribed medication to hand
Recovery
Because the fat is taken from your own body and returned to it, there is no question of rejection or of disease transmission from a donor.
You go home the same day. Anything that raises the heart rate or blood pressure should be avoided for at least a week. Mild swelling and bruising are normal for a few days; keeping the head elevated while sleeping reduces facial swelling after a facial graft.
A proportion of the graft — between a fifth and a half — is reabsorbed over the first six months. What remains behaves like the tissue it came from, though a significant change in body weight can alter the result.
What fat grafting is used for
For the face:
- Volume at the cheekbones, cheeks and chin
- Softening of deep folds
- Correction of asymmetry between features
- Restoration of fullness where facial tissue has thinned
- Improvement in skin quality and texture
For the body:
- Contour
- Breast augmentation using the patient’s own tissue
- Restoration of volume where it has been lost
Risks and considerations
Fat injection uses the patient's own fat, so there is no risk of an allergic reaction to a foreign material, but it involves two sites — where the fat is taken and where it is placed — each with bruising and swelling that settle over the following weeks. A proportion of the transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed, so the final volume is less than that placed and a second session is sometimes needed; over- and under-correction are the common trade-offs. Less common risks include firm areas, small cysts or calcifications at the treated site and, as with any injection, infection. Where fat is placed near larger vessels the same rare risk of vascular injury applies. What a single session can realistically achieve is discussed beforehand.
Questions patients ask
How long does a fat transfer last?
Between 20 and 50 per cent of the transferred fat is reabsorbed by the body during the first months after treatment. The fat that survives establishes a blood supply and behaves like the tissue it came from, so the result is stable thereafter — but a marked change in body weight can alter it.
How long does a fat transfer take to settle?
Around three months, because the body reabsorbs a proportion of the graft first. Recovery varies between patients, so this is an approximation rather than a fixed timetable.
Is a fat transfer painful?
There may be a mild to moderate burning or stinging sensation at the injection sites during the procedure, and numbing techniques are used to reduce it. Temporary swelling, bruising or tenderness in the treated area is usual afterwards and generally mild.
Can I exercise after fat injections?
Light activity is generally fine, but anything that raises the heart rate or blood pressure should be avoided for at least a week after treatment. The graft needs that time to establish a blood supply.
Can I drink alcohol after fat injections?
Avoid alcohol for at least 24 to 48 hours. It can interfere with healing and increase swelling.
Do fat injections tighten skin?
Only to a mild degree, by filling out an area that has lost volume. The purpose of the graft is volume, not tightening. Where skin laxity is the problem, a different procedure is the honest answer.
Is a fat transfer safe?
Fat grafting is safe and effective when performed by a specialist, experienced doctor in a sterile environment. Safety depends on proper assessment of the patient, the technique used and post-operative care.
How does fat transfer differ from fillers?
Fat transfer uses the patient's own tissue and acts as a natural filler. The result lasts longer and does not require the repeat sessions that injectable fillers do.
Where it is performed
- Surgery in Cyprus
- The Surgery Center 3i, Strovolos
- Surgery in Athens
- Iatriko Athinon, Marousi Mediterraneo Hospital, Glyfada
Where yours takes place is agreed at the consultation.
How we quote
A quotation follows consultation, because what it costs depends on what the operation actually involves for you — the technique, the time in theatre, and whether anything is being addressed at the same time. We do not publish price lists and we do not quote before examining you.
Arranging a consultation
Book a slot in the clinic diary directly, or send the details of what you are considering and we will reply with the times we have.