Though fat grafting surgeries have been around for over a hundred years, only within the past 10- 15 years has the discipline made trailblazing innovations. To be sure, there have been changes in fat grafting since Jacques Reverdin performed the first skin graft on humans in 1869. At Clinique of Plastic Surgery Centres in Tampa Bay, we utilize the latest technological advances in fat grafting from the past decade to maximize our patient’s results.
Qualifications
The first thing you want to know is if your doctor is board certified to ensure they are qualified to do the procedure. As far as fat grafting goes, the American Board of Medical Specialties recognizes only two medical specialties, Plastic Surgery and Dermatology.
Patient Education
If you are considering this procedure, we would encourage you to be familiar with the process and ask Dr. Christian Drehsen questions. Simply put, the better informed the patient; the more constructive the conversation between patient and doctor regarding realistic expectations, and the more likely it is that pre and post-operative instructions will be adhered to. Ask to see before and after photographs of former patients to get a better idea of the quality of work performed. Our St. Petersburg and Sarasota offices have a solid rapport and consistent results with our patients; good rapport and consistency suggest a professional who is in tune with the patient.
Fat Grafting Process
Whether you are having fat injected for a Brazilian butt lift, fat transfer for breast reconstruction, or fat grafting for scars, each procedure requires a varying amount of fat to be grafted and may take up to three sessions depending on the procedure for best results. Success of the fat transfer is dependent on the patient’s understanding and expectations, as well as the expertise of the plastic surgeon. Dr. Drehsen uses his skill and artful eye during the extraction and injection process to achieve smooth body contouring. Fat grafting is highly process-dependent and all of your questions should not be met with a simple yes or no. Questions like the size of the cannula, how the fat is cleaned (washed or centrifuged), how the fat is re-injected, how long the healing process is, and what percentage of procedures require touchups are all viable. This is your body and the best way to ease anxiety and achieve the best results is to empower yourself with knowledge.