Facial rejuvenation with staged injections of cryopreserved fat and tissue cocktail: clinical outcomes in the past 10 years

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Background Facial rejuvenation by autologous fat transfer is common in aesthetic plastic surgery. The main drawback is progressive resorption, requiring repeated harvesting and microfat grafting. Objective The authors present a method for cryopreservation of excess harvested fat and tissue to enable subsequent use of previously harvested excess material. Methods Fat grafts were harvested using a 50-mL syringe and a 3- or 4-mm cannula. A tissue "cocktail" composed of dermis, fascia, and fat was prepared from excised scar tissue, tissue from abdominoplasty, or tissue from reduction mammaplasty. Cocktail specimens were placed in sterile tubes, immersed in a liquid nitrogen tank (-196°C), and stored at -80°C. At 3- to 6-month intervals, repeated cryopreserved fat graft injections were performed. Patients were evaluated by comparing preoperative and postoperative photographs. Results Between 2000 and 2010, a total of 5199 cryopreserved fat or tissue injections were performed in 2439 consecutive patients (age range, 19-80 years). Nasolabial folds and lips were the most common injection sites. Clinical outcomes were satisfactory, and improved contour was achieved in most patients after repeated injections. Conclusions Cryopreservation of excess tissue for future injection is promising since repetitive injections are often required after resorption of microfat grafts. In our study, the

Evidence level

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

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