In the more than twenty years that I have been a board certified plastic surgeon in Atlanta, I have found that just about every man and woman out there has some specific part of their face or body that they feel might be improved with plastic surgery. When consulting with patients about their goals, I have also found that virtually all of them say that “looking natural” is one of their primary concerns. In my practice, I believe that the overarching goal of plastic surgery should be to craft a customized solution to the patient’s concerns that leaves them feeling rejuvenated and healthy. But you cannot achieve really natural looking results simply by taking things away; you need to be able to restore and even enhance lost volume. This is where fat transfer techniques come in. Natural fat is extremely versatile, and unlike artificial implants it can create a rounded, youthful fullness that conveys a sense of health and well-being. You can hear more about why I try to integrate fat transfer into virtually every procedure I do in this video interview that I conducted for the Plastic Surgery Channel.
As I explain in the video, what most people commonly think of as “fat” is actually a combination of several different components: mature fat cells, stem cells, inflammatory cells, growth factors, etc. These different components are part of what makes fat transfer such a versatile technique. The fat transfer procedure works by using liposuction to remove subcutaneous fat from areas where it is unwanted (generally the thighs or the abdomen) so that it can be purified and re-injected into a part of the body where it is useful. Using natural fat taken from the patient’s own body is safer than using artificial implants and the fat can be more readily shaped and sculpted to suit each individual patient’s specific aesthetic requirements, making it ideally suited to a variety of facial rejuvenation and body contouring procedures. In some cases, fat transfer can treat cellulite, and it is often used to alleviate fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin in key areas like the cheeks, lips, and nasolabial folds, without the need for invasive facial surgery. It can also enhance the results from breast augmentation procedures, concealing the borders of the breast implants and creating a softer, more natural looking final result. Finally, it is often used to augment and contour the buttocks, creating more ample and defined lower body contours in a procedure called a Brazilian Butt Lift. Fat transfer is safe, versatile, and effective, which is why I think of it as “God’s Miracle to Plastic Surgery.”
If you are interested in learning more about any of the cosmetic procedures that I perform, or would like to find out what plastic surgery might be able to do for you, please contact my office to schedule an appointment. During your comprehensive plastic surgery consultation we can use the advanced Vectra® M3 imaging to preview potential results and determine exactly what procedures might be right for you. Don’t forget to connect with me, Dr. James Namnoum, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get all the latest plastic surgery news and updates.
