Whilst diet and exercise have a large part to play in our body shape, there are some areas that are just too stubborn to improve without surgery. This is where fat transfer surgery can be helpful.
Fat transfer surgery involves moving fat from one part of the body to another. Typically, you’ll have fat removed from an area where you want to look and feel slender, and have it transferred to an area where you want more fullness.
Whilst some people opt to have fat transferred from their hips and buttocks and used to plump out their face or breasts, others have fat removed from their breast or stomach area and have it transferred to their hips and buttocks. These are just examples, there are a myriad of ways to deal with unwanted body fat and areas that need a boost. Everyone’s body is different and we all have different ideas of what would look best!
Ultimately, if you’re unhappy with the shape of your body, fat transfer surgery can be a good option to consider as it leads to positive, permanent change.
When you attend your pre-surgery consultations, your surgeon will be able to assess your physiology and provide tailored advice and guidance on what would work best for you. We know that most people want to achieve a natural appearance so you can rest assured that we’ll transfer only the most appropriate amount of fat from one area of your body to another. It’s not necessary to transfer all the fat we remove, of course.
One of the areas we are always asked about when a patient is considering fat transfer surgery is how long the procedure takes. The answer to this depends on the areas of your body we are taking fat away from and transferring fat to. Of course, some areas of the body are more involved and complex than others; some treatments are more extensive than others.
The best way to get a firm idea of how long your fat transfer will take is to attend an initial consultation with one of our plastic surgeons so they can understand what results you’d like to achieve and advise you on the best approach. Once you and your surgeon have a shared vision of what is to be achieved, they will be able to give you a clearer picture of how long your surgery will take.
You should expect to have a general anaesthetic and to stay in the hospital for at least one night so that we can monitor and support you in the immediate aftermath of surgery. You’ll certainly need to take it easy for a couple of weeks, perhaps a little more, when you return home.
We’ll provide you with tailored advice and guidance, but most people will need to avoid exercise and strenuous activity for a while, though you will be advised to move around to ensure the skin gets a gentle stretch and you maintain your circulation.
Everyone is different so we would recommend you listen to your body and don’t overdo it – take it easy in the initial stages and your recovery will get off to a positive start.
What to do next
If you would like to find out more about fat transfer surgery, what it entails and more information about recovery, please book an initial consultation. At this meeting our surgeons can discuss what’s involved in more detail so you can decide if fat transfer surgery is the right option for you.
