Contact details:
Tel: +27-21-424 1112 Fax: +27-21-424 1118 Price enquiry Booking enquiry Email Dr. Lazarus |
Liposuction
As the face ages it deflates. All layers of the face lose volume; the bone resorbs, the muscles atrophy, the fat becomes less and the skin thins. Further, certain areas of the face lose fat and become hollow (especially around the eyes and mouth) while other areas may become heavy (neck, jowls). These heavy areas can be treated with liposuction, but the loss of volume and the hollowness is best treated with fat grafting. While facial fat grafting is used to add volume to the face to fill deflated areas, the addition of fat carries further advantages:
Fat grafting is frequently combined with other facial rejuvenation or enhancement procedures. It is a procedure which is beneficial for the young and the old face. In younger patients it is often combined with neck or face liposuction and perhaps eyelid surgery. In older patients I invariably perform fat grafting with facelift and call this a facial rejuvenation. The two procedures work hand in hand to provide a modern rejuvenation which is nothing like the wind swept look created in the past. Both male and female patients can benefit from fat grafting. Patients are frequently concerned that the addition of fat to their face will give them a fat face, but this is not the case. The procedure, sedation and anaesthesia Facial fat grafting is performed as a day case procedure in my clinic. After the areas to be filled are marked, sedatives and pain killers are given to help you doze through the procedure. Once in theatre, local anaesthesia is used to numb your face in the same way that the dentists numbs the area when you receive a filling. Donor site and fat preparation The fat used comes from your own body. The donor site or sites used depends on your fat distribution and the amount of fat required. Common donor sites include the tummy, inner and outer thigh, inner knee, neck, buttocks, etc. Harvest is done through a small stab incision (<5 mm) and using a micro liposuction setup. Fat is sucked out into 10 ml syringes which are then centrifuged to separate the fat out into different layers (see image to the right). The upper oil and lower fluid is discarded and the central fat transferred to 1 cc syringes and used for fat grafting. The donor site is usually mildly improved by the removal of some fat. Fat injection and recovery Fat grafting is done by injecting the fat into the face with a specific fat grafting blunt needle and a careful technique which involves multiple passes to each area. Needle entry points are away from the area being treated and the fat is layered from the bone up to create a smooth, aesthetic contour. Properly done this should create minimal trauma, but, nevertheless, some bruising and swelling should be expected which may last up to 2 weeks. Small plasters are placed on each injection point and these can be washed off after a few days. Results The fat grafts will take a few weeks to pick up a blood supply and some fat may be lost so that on average about 70% fat survival is expected. This is taken into account when grafting. Improved survival can expected if you are thin, young and female and it is my experience that survival is better in the upper, less mobile parts of the face. I routinely warn patients that a repeat fat grafting procedure may be required or even serial grafting to achieve an optimal result. Also, with aging there will still be progressive fat loss. Nevertheless, repeat or serial grafting is not that commonly required and by far the majority of patients are satisfied with the procedure. Complications of fat grafting include:
These complications are uncommon. (c) Dr. Dirk Lazarus Inc.
Last updated 22 October 2013 |
Testimonials"One of my family member’s has been to Dr. Lazarus before, twice in fact, with |