Dr. Sam Lam Plastic Surgery Forum

Dr. Lam,
Can fat grafts be used instead of silicone to raise depressed areas in the cheek. I have two small areas on both cheeks from a previous scar revision that are slightly indented. Is there a limitation in using fat grafts, How deep is it injected, and what is your success rate of the grafts surviving? Is fat comparable to silicone or which one is a preferable treatment.

Thanks for your help

fat grafting should not be used to raise discrete problems. silicone is preferred. i have addressed this issue in another forum post. in short, the reason that fat sucks for this kind of thing is that fat is a live graft. if you gain weight or lose weight or even don't change your weight, the fat can grow and blend over time. therefore, you might be left with a bump where a hole once was. it is dangerous to fill specific defects. fat is for even and broad contouring for aging. that's it. i believe silicone is better for discrete holes. however, tethered linear scars generally are not amenable to silicone. silicone is for a slightly wider depression. i would have to see you in person to make that decision.
best,
sml