Fat Transfer Surgery
*INDIVIDUAL RESULTS WILL VARY.
Transferring the patient’s own fat cells is an excellent process whereby deep facial deformities, such as dips in the facial contours, facial irregularities and asymmetry can be reduced. It is also possible to use Facial Fat Transfer to combat certain appearances of facial aging, such as sunken cheeks or depressions.
The Procedure
The Fat Transfer Surgery is known as autologous fat transplantation or microlipoinjection (micro-lipo-injection). The first step is aspirating (extracting) fat for injection from the patient’s abdomen, buttocks, or certain parts of the thighs. Dr. Chugay makes sure that the aspirated fat has soft texture, as using harder fat (such as fat found on the back or legs) will not contour well on the patient’s face. The fat is then injected underneath the facial skin according to the desired contour with some overfilling.
Is Financing Available?
Yes! Medical Financing is available on approved credit. We accept financing from CareCredit.com. For more information about our Financing options
Why is Overfilling Necessary?
Overfilling is necessary to allow for fat absorption in the weeks following treatment. The newly injected fat may temporarily make the face appear abnormally puffed out or swollen. This puffiness may last for several weeks or a little longer. Eventually, the face will attain the natural contour. If such temporary puffiness is a concern to you, Dr. Chugay may, at your request, overfill somewhat less. Even though, your results may not be as good in the long-term, you will have the puffiness in the short-term.
Things to Look for In your Surgeon:
- Experience: With 2 generations of doctors, over 30,000 procedures and a lifetimes worth of combined experience, Dr. Nikolas V. Chugay and Dr. Paul N. Chugay have not only the required experience in various surgical and non surgical procedures but Nikolas has helped revolutionize the industry, and Paul is following very closely in his father’s footsteps, drawing on over 40 years of experience.
- Compatibility & Respect: Book a consultation with the doctor. Get a feel for how they treat you; whether they listen to you and what you want. It’s important to thoroughly discuss what you’re trying to achieve with your doctor so they have a clear, concise idea of what your goal is but it’s equally important that you respect your doctor’s experience and education enough to listen to their recommendations. You don’t want a doctor that doesn’t care about YOU.
- Specialization: Ask your doctor about other times they’ve performed the procedure you want.
Is Autologous Fat Transfer Better Than Collagen Injections?
The dermal augmentation that is initially achieved with collagen is substantially lost within 6 to 9 months* as the collagen is completely reabsorbed by the body. Fat transfer surgery will allow your new look to last longer. Furthermore, your own fat cells are less traumatic on your body than bovine collagen, and your own fat, unlike collagen will not produce an allergic reaction.
*Disclaimer: Individual Results May Vary
How Long Will My Improvement Last?
The duration of improvement varies significantly from patient to patient. The majority of the result should last over a year. Just how much is difficult to predict.
Is Dr. Chugay’s Technique Better or Different?
Experimental studies on fat transplantation have shown that a variable number of fat cells survive the injection process and this is related to the method in which the fat is extracted and subsequently implanted into the tissues. Aspirating and injecting generate a considerable amount of physical trauma to the fat. The cumulative effect of the mechanical trauma imposed by fat aspiration and injection results in a high attrition rate of potentially viable fat cells.
A certain percentage of fat cells will remain unchanged. The standard practice yields about 10% fat cell survival. Dr. Chugay thoroughly minimizes physical damage to fat cells by using special needles, syringes and removal and injection technique. In addition to his technique for fat procurement, Dr. Chugay is able to use recently researched stem cell therapy to increase the overall take of fat cells injected, up to a total take of 90%!
There are other factors affecting the longevity of improvement. Current evidence suggests that a significant portion of the improvement is due to the formation of fibrous tissues following fat injections. Dr. Chugay carefully and slowly injects the fat utilizing a micro-drop technique that enables the greatest amount of fibrous tissue formation.
Thus, by ensuring maximum fat cell survival and maximum fibrous tissue formation, Dr. Chugay is able to provide improved longevity to a Facial Fat Transfer.
