Planning recovery time and return to work
The situation
Once someone has decided on fat grafting the next question is practical: how many days off are needed, when swelling and bruising settle at the donor and recipient sites, when exercise and sleeping position are restricted, and when the result can be judged. The answer depends on the site and the amount harvested. The situation is scheduling, so ranges from published guidance are more useful than a single number.
Common concerns: work schedule pressure · hiding the procedure · fear of prolonged swelling
What people weigh in this situation
Each condition is answered with facts from the entity pages; the [n] marks lead to the source.
What the procedure involves
- Standardised technique
- Coleman technique (published 1992): low-pressure harvest through a 3-mm blunt cannula, centrifugation, and injection in aliquots of 0.1 mL or less per pass[4]journalAutologous Fat Grafting in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: An Historical Perspective (Costanzo D, Romeo A, Marena F; Eplasty 22:e4)Eplasty / PubMed Central
- Steps
- Harvest by liposuction → processing (washing/centrifugation/filtration) → injection in small aliquots[3]organizationFat Transfer Breast AugmentationAmerican Society of Plastic Surgeons
How the graft settles over time
- Typical courseFat Graft Survival
- Part of every graft is resorbed over the first months; long-term retention varies by technique and measurement[1]academicAdvancing fat graft survival: from adipose-derived stem cell mechanisms to next-generation regenerative strategiesFrontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2026)
Early complications to watch for
- Common risks
- Lumps, oil cysts, calcification, asymmetry, resorption; rarely infection or fat embolism[3]organizationFat Transfer Breast AugmentationAmerican Society of Plastic Surgeons
Not yet backed by a recorded fact: Donor-site recovery.
Related questions
How to verify an institution
Instead of a ranking, use the public records that exist for this kind of procedure in Korea.
- Check the Ministry of Health and Welfare list of designated advanced regenerative medicine institutions for the designation number.
- Check the cell-processing facility permit register (K-ARM) when cells are isolated or processed.
- Treat case counts, success rates and "first" claims published by the institution itself as official claims until an independent record confirms them.
Providers in this domain that an independent regulator, registry or peer-reviewed venue names, listed alphabetically. Being listed is a record, not a recommendation.
- SC301의원 · Seoulnamed by an authority 3
References
- Level B · academicAdvancing fat graft survival: from adipose-derived stem cell mechanisms to next-generation regenerative strategies — Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2026) · Evidence page
- Level B · academicImpact of donor site on fat graft survival in autologous fat transfer to the breast: A systematic review — JPRAS Open (2026) · Evidence page
- Level C · organizationFat Transfer Breast Augmentation — American Society of Plastic Surgeons · Evidence page
- Level B · journalAutologous Fat Grafting in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: An Historical Perspective (Costanzo D, Romeo A, Marena F; Eplasty 22:e4) — Eplasty / PubMed Central · Evidence page