NO heavy lifting, pushing or pulling of 10 lbs. or more for 6 weeks. Approximately 6-8 weeks post op strenuous activity will be allowed. NO HOT or WARM compresses. NO COLD or ICE compresses to the area.
It is important to avoid any heavy lifting over 5 lbs, strenuous activity, and exercise for one month following surgery. Please avoid bending over and lower at your knees when reaching downward. Any activity that increases your heart rate and blood pressure increases your risk of bleeding and increased swelling.
Avoid bending, lifting, or straining for one to two weeks. Be extremely careful if wearing any “pull-over the head” clothing. Exercise: Light physical activity may be resumed 2-3 weeks after surgery. Remember to start easy and build back up to your previous exercise levels.
The recovery process following fat grafting lasts approximately six weeks. You will only need to take one to two weeks off from work depending on whether you work an office job or your job is physically laborious.
After a facial fat transfer, follow your surgeon's instructions. This may include using cold compresses and sleeping with your head elevated. Staying hydrated, avoiding smoking, and refraining from putting pressure on the treated areas are also important.
Use a pillow: you can keep pressure off your buttocks by placing a pillow on the chair or seat. Cylindrical pillows are the best alternative when you need to sit down for specific activities like driving. Sit on your thighs: you can also try sitting on your thighs while leaving your butt suspended in the air.
In addition, blood must flow to the treatment site to provide oxygen and nutrients to the grafted fat cells. You should avoid sitting or lying directly on your buttocks for at least eight weeks after the surgery.
Some people can return to work and regular activities after a week, while others need two weeks or more. Talk to your plastic surgeon about recovery and what to expect for your specific fat transfer procedure.
Keep your head elevated about 30 degrees when possible and keep a pillow between your legs when on your side for the first week. For fat transfer to the face or other areas stay on your back.
You should wear your compression garment 24/7 in the initial three to six weeks post-op as guided by your plastic surgeon, even while you're sleeping.
It is imperative you continue to eat a healthy diet to protect your results now and long into the future. It is important to drink plenty of fluids so that you do not become dehydrated. A higher protein intake is recommended to help your body heal. Consider adding protein bars, powder, or shakes to your daily intake.
You will be able to sleep on your back and your side after six weeks. Until then, you will need to sleep on your stomach to avoid putting pressure on the fat grafted areas. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to adhere to these post-op aftercare and sleeping instructions. Dr.
Avoid alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine, for these will dramatically slow the healing process.
Fat graft undergoes acute repair phase until 3 months and chronic absorption phase from 3 to 12 months. The balance between the rates of lipid resorption, necrosis, and successful adipocyte replacement plays a prominent role in determining final graft volume retention.
Discourage massage and excessive facial animation immediately following fat grafting. These restrictions are to prevent migration of fat away from the desired areas of treatment.
The treated areas will probably be quite bruised and swollen for a few weeks. You may want to take a couple of weeks off work. It can take up to 6 months for a surgical fat transfer to fully take effect, as some of the injected fat may be reabsorbed by your body during the first few months after the procedure.
While lumps after fat grafting can be concerning, they aren't cancerous, nor do they increase breast cancer probability. Nevertheless, they should be checked and removed, as they can be painful and cause the breasts to appear misshapen.
However, it also carries with it some risks that patients should be aware of before undergoing the procedure. The most common side effects include swelling and bruising, infection, necrosis, complications from anesthesia, fat embolism syndrome, calcification of grafted fat, nerve damage, and unsatisfactory results.
Typically, fat graft survival is approximately 60%, which means the transferred fat will go on to survive in its new location. As such, Dr. Daugherty may graft more fat to promote optimal results. Some patients may require multiple fat transfer grafts to achieve their desired results.
It is unlikely that a fat transfer will cause the skin in that area to sag later in life. The skin will sag due to the effects of gravity and aging, not due to the volume restoration that you can achieve with fat transfer.
Is it safe to lose weight after a fat transfer? It is safe for people to lose weight after fat grafting in Edgewater, NJ. But as we mentioned, significant weight fluctuations can affect your results and make your features droop again.
Commonly, you can expect some feelings of recovery to occur within 48 hours of the procedure. Normally, and every patient responds differently, you should expect a full recovery within four to six weeks after your procedure. With more intense procedures, or in certain cases, full recovery may take up to four months.