A thorough pre-procedure evaluation. This may require several visits to your surgeon before the procedure. A full history and physical examination will be performed prior to the procedure. Your surgeon may take pre-procedure photographs, an informed consent will be obtained, and your skin may be marked. Either local (‘twilight’) or general anesthesia may be used, depending on your surgeon’s preference.

Fat is harvested using a special suction cannula using sterile technique from various access points on the abdomen, hips or thighs that are not more than a few millimeters in size. Once enough fat is obtained from the donor area, it is then purified. This often requires the use of a centrifuge which spins the fat and removes impurities. The fat is then placed in small syringes and injected into the areas requiring augmentation through small access points in the skin.. A multitude of passes are done as the fat is placed in a three-dimensional latticework that maximizes the in-growth of blood vessels and fat survival.The areas that were injected may then be massaged by the surgeon to create a satisfactory contour. The access points in the skin heal without the need for sutures. The harvest site access points are simply covered with steristrips.

The procedure may take around two to three hours but this varies greatly depending on how soon the desired amount of fat is extracted and the area to be injected.