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Structural fat grafting can help repair damage to your arms. The process involves the harvesting of fat from an area or areas of your body to place in another.
Structural fat grafting can be used in the arms to:
Structural fat grafting can fix a variety of problems by harvesting fat from different parts of the body and placing it elsewhere. Because of that, many people qualify for the procedure, and there is no one true candidate.
Structural fat grafting is less invasive than traditional plastic surgery, but there are potential complications and side effects of the procedure. They include:
The surgical team will work to reduce the potential for such problems.
At your first fat grafting consultation, a staff member will explain the procedure and review your medical history with you. You will have the opportunity to look through photos of similar procedures.
A member of the team will take photos of you. Your doctor will use the photos to create the plan for the procedure, including where to harvest the fat from and where to place it. The doctor will review that plan with you, and you can request changes. Together, you will create a blueprint for the procedure.
The surgical team will mark the donor and graft sites with colored pens to highlight where fat will be harvested and placed. The surgeon may harvest fat from one location or several.
After harvest, the surgical team uses a centrifuge to remove unwanted components from the fat, such as oil, water, and blood. This refines and concentrates the fat before grafting.
The surgical team uses the concentrated fat to sculpt the graft area, creating the best-looking result possible.
The time of the procedure depends on the number, size, and location of the treated areas. Structural fat grafting can take anywhere from under two hours to five hours.
The procedure usually takes place under general anesthesia, but doctors may use local anesthesia with sedation in minor cases.
The recovery process from structural fat grafting depends on the extent of the procedure, including the number and size of treated areas.
Recovery can happen more quickly in more minor cases. Patients may be able to return to work within a day or two in some procedures involving the arms and legs.
There will be some swelling in both the donor and graft sites. All swelling in the graft location should subside within three months, with the donor sites taking up to six months to subside.
Fat can be easily damaged, but the structural fat grafting procedure shows a higher fat survival rate than general fat grafting. There is not yet a study for fat survival rate in humans, but the procedure can correct a large variety of problems.
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