Autologous fat grafting: procedure, survival and risks
Autologous fat grafting moves a person's own fat from one area to another to add volume. This article explains the steps, why part of the graft is lost, the risks and how cell enrichment fits in.
Quick answer
Autologous fat grafting (fat transfer) removes fat by liposuction, processes it and injects it in small amounts into another area such as the breast, face or buttocks. Because the graft has no blood supply at first, part of it is resorbed; long-term results depend on how much fat survives.[1]
Procedure
- Harvest: liposuction from the abdomen, flanks or thighs.[2]
- Processing: washing, centrifugation or filtration to remove oil, blood and fluid.
- Injection: many small aliquots in multiple planes to maximize contact with vascularized tissue.
Why fat is lost
Grafted fat survives only where new vessels grow into it. Cells far from vessels or damaged during processing die and are resorbed over months, so surgeons limit volume per session and may plan repeat sessions.[3]
Cell enrichment
Cell-assisted lipotransfer adds stromal vascular fraction to the graft to support survival; systematic reviews report generally higher retention but variable study quality.[4]
Risks
- Lumps, oil cysts and calcifications.
- Asymmetry and unpredictable volume.
- Donor-site bruising, contour irregularity, numbness.[2]
- Rare: infection, fat embolism.
References
- organizationFat Transfer Breast Augmentation — American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- organizationLiposuction — American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- academicAdvancing fat graft survival: from adipose-derived stem cell mechanisms to next-generation regenerative strategies — Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2026)
- academicCell-Assisted Lipotransfer: A Systematic Review of its Efficacy — Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (2024)