Facial fat grafting (lipofilling)

Facial fat grafting involves taking a small amount of fat from an area where there is an excess (abdomen, hips, inner knees), preparing it, then reinjecting it in very small quantities into the areas of the face that have become hollow: cheekbones, under-eye hollows, temples, folds, jawline, lips. With age, the face does not only sag: it also loses volume. Fat grafting corrects this loss of volume using the patient's own tissue. It can be performed on its own or alongside a facelift or blepharoplasty. It is also used in reconstructive surgery, to fill a depression after an accident, a scar or an illness. Part of the injected fat does not survive and is reabsorbed during the first few months. The surgeon takes this into account, and a second session is sometimes needed to achieve the desired volume. The result varies from one person to another; this is explained honestly in consultation, where time is also taken to listen to the patient's expectations. At Clinique Pasteur Tunis, facial fat grafting is performed in the operating theatre by a plastic surgeon, most often as a day case, with regular follow-up until the volume has stabilised.