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THE PREOPERATIVE FEATURES
- "My hands give away my age"
- Desire for a more youthful appearance to the top of the hand.
- Focusing on aged hands, especially the noticeable thin skin, prominent veins and
tendons.
THE PROCEDURE
- Anesthesia is local and the procedure takes about two hours. It can often be done
right in the office.
- Fat is an ideal filler substance that is naturally occurring in our body. The cells
are very small and fragile and kept alive by a very delicate, but important, network of blood vessels. Fat cells and the tiny
blood vessel supply can be easily damaged and disrupted when they are harvested. Although our own body fat has been used as
a natural filler for years, it is not until recently that the technique has been perfected to where we now can predictably
obtain more permanent results. The key to successful fat grafting (which is not the same as fat injection) is dependent
solely on one thing: transplanting healthy fat cells into an area where a new blood supply can grow into them so they can
survive. Once the blood supply grows in some of the fat cells, they will have the potential to survive as permanent
with a lasting result. The advanced technique involves careful harvesting of the fat cells using small instruments and local
anesthesia so the cells are minimally damaged. Next the fat is carefully spun down in a centrifuge and prepared so that the
healthy cells are separated from the injured cells and tissue fluid. This portion of live, healthy cells is then grafted by
delicate instruments into the exact areas of the hands to be enhanced. The incision is very inconspicuous location for a variable
length.
- Dressings and a light compression garment are used for several days.
- This can be combined with other plastic surgical procedures.
THE RECOVERY
- You can go home or return to work immediately after the procedure.
- You can shower the next day.
- There is mild to moderate pain that is mostly gone by the second day and easily
controlled by medications.
- Swelling is mild to moderate and peaks at two to three days then disappears rapidly
over the next three weeks.
- Mild bruising is usual.
- Camouflage makeup can be applied the next day to cover bruising if desired. We offer
this service.
- You can resume almost all activities immediately.
- There are no stitches to be removed.
THE RESULT
- Beautiful, balanced and proportioned contour and fullness to the upper hands and
sometimes the base of the fingers.
- Expect a 30% improvement and occasionally more. It is our intention that some volume
of the fat graft should last forever. If you desire more improvement then it may be necessary to repeat the procedure at two
month intervals.
- If you do not get any lasting improvement on the first attempt, then your body does
not accept fat grafting and there is no use in repeating it.
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