As people age, they naturally lose the appearance they once had when they were younger. Some of them will do anything to keep them from acquiring that extra fat that accumulates in unwanted areas of the body. Some want to augment certain areas of the body that suddenly become “droopy” as the normal aging process occurs.
Many plastic surgeons will perform what is called a “fat transfer procedure” to augment areas of the face, breasts, hands, and even the buttocks. The procedure involves taking fat from your body via liposuction, and reapplying the fat to sagging skin around the body. This technique has been around for years, however, it was very difficult for the transplanted fat to survive. Today however, a cosmetic surgeon from Dallas, Texas is using cutting edge technology to lengthen the effectiveness of fat transfer procedures. Dr. Kevin Light from the Texas Institute of Functional Medicine is utilizing platelet rich plasma(prp) mixed with fat to help the transferred fat survive and grow. Platelets are made up of many growth factors, proteins, and theses growth factors could also attract stem cells that could potentially lengthen the effectiveness of a fat transfer procedure.
Obtaining prp used to be a lengthy process. Recent technology has allowed physicians to acquire prp by drawing as little as 10ml’s of blood from a patient, placing this blood in a centrifuge for 15 minutes, and extracting the prp from the machine when it is finished. Dr. Light says that prp used with fat is new and cutting edge technology. He also states,”I am finding that 95 percent of the fat I inject survives with the addition of prp.”
It is a very intriguing idea for many because you are using your own bodies healing properties and reapplying it to your body.
