Cosmetic Surgery – Complications and Risks Related Fat Transfer

Fat transfers have gained in popularity as more women want to achieve more natural-looking cosmetic enhancements on their bodies and facial features. Also known as lipoinjection, fat transfers involve removing fat from one part of the body and injecting it into another area for the purpose of filling out.

Risks

The risks involved in this type of procedure depend on the extent of lipoinjection you intend to undergo. If you are only receiving facial lipoinjection, for example, it may be possible for you to only receive local anesthesia, which cuts out the risk of adverse reaction to sedation. Choosing fat ones over synthetic methods also reduces or eliminates your risk of having an allergic reaction to the new material.

Your risks increase with the amount of fat you intend to have removed and injected and the number of sites. If you are undergoing a full body contouring treatment, for example, your risks are significantly higher than with a microlipoinjection treatment like facial injections.

If you are concerned about possible complications, consider breaking your treatment up into a few different procedures spread out over several months to allow yourself adequate recovery time and lessen the associated risk factors.

Recovery

The downside of choosing lipoinjection over other types of cosmetic injections is that you will likely experience bruising and swelling at two sites – where the fat was removed and where it was added on your body. It is however, usually performed on an outpatient basis, so you can go home the same day and return to your normal routine fairly quickly. Some patients experience fluid drainage.

You should avoid strenuous activity immediately following the procedure, so if you have a very physically active job, consider taking time off to allow yourself to properly heal and avoid potentially dangerous and painful complications like blood clots.

Ways to Avoid Infection

As with any procedure of this type, there is always a risk of infection at either the liposuction site or the injection site. In order to minimize your risk of infection, follow your doctor’s aftercare instructions strictly. If you are provided an antibiotic to take following treatment, ensure that you begin taking it as directed and finish the course, even if you feel fine.

You can also prevent unfortunate side effects by choosing an experienced surgeon with good credentials to perform the procedure. During your consultation appointment, ask questions about the surgeon’s experience with lipoinjections and request photos of some successful treatments they have conducted.