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Fat transfer

What it is: Fat transfer or fat grafting procedures transfer fat to regions you wish to plump up.  The fat is taken from one area of the body, purified and injected elsewhere to achieve a desired effect.  

What it addresses:  Various body areas including

- Lips
- Facial wrinkles
- Skin depressions
- Scars

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Question

Fat transfer for calf augmentation

I am considering a fat transfer to correct a scar caused by a compound fracture to my lower leg, where the injury left an indention on the inside of my calf.

During a consult with a cosmetic surgeon, the doctor said that he could do a fat transfer to help even the contour to match my other calf. I am concerned because he wants to take fat from my inner thighs even though I mentioned that my hips and stomach are the only areas that I have fat deposits that I don't like (I have great thighs). He mentioned that the risk for lipo-related scarring is lower for the inner thigh area. Does anyone have any helpful feedback? Any thoughts or comments are appreciated.

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Asked by: n4med not d4med
USA

Answers (2)

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1
September 8, 2008
Shahram Salemy, MD
Shahram Salemy, MD
Board Certified
Plastic Surgeon

I would respectfully disagree with what your physician has told you.  I think the inner thigh can be a very difficult place to achieve a good contour after fat harvesting, mainly because the skin is very thin and there are lots of lymphatics in this area. I tend to prefer the abdomen or hips, but the key points are that it can be from anywhere you have extra fat (no one area has any significant advantages over another) and that the surgeon should not only harvest the fat, but achieve good contour and symmetry from the area of harvest.

 

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September 8, 2008
D.J. Verret, MD
D.J. Verret, MD
Board Certified
Facial Plastic Surgeon
Answer by D.J. Verret, MD

While I perform fat transfers only to the head and neck area, I tend to obtain fat from the abdomen (stomach) or outer thigh area. Most people tend to have excess fat of the abdomen that they aren't afraid to lose. I generally deal with fairly small amounts of fat when transferred to the face and have not found scarring to be a problem from the donor site. With the transfer you are describing there may be need for larger quanities making removal from another donor area necessary. As with any procedure though, if you are not comfortable with the physician's suggestions, get a second opinion from another qualified doctor.

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