Your own tissue, relocated with care.
Body fat grafting uses your own fat, harvested from an area with excess through gentle liposuction, purified, and then re-injected in small deposits into a target area that needs volume, contour correction, or asymmetry improvement. Because the tissue is your own, there is no risk of allergic reaction or rejection, and results — for the fat cells that survive the transfer — are permanent.
Not all fat survives. Body fat grafting has a variable graft-take rate that depends on technique, patient factors, and the specific anatomy of the recipient site. Realistic expectation-setting is essential: some patients need a second grafting session to achieve their goal after seeing how their initial transfer settled.
Body fat grafting sits alongside our other fat-transfer procedures — face, breast, and buttock — but has its own set of indications and its own technical considerations. Consultation determines whether this is the right approach for your specific goal or whether an implant, filler, or different surgical option would serve you better.
Who this procedure is designed for.
Body fat grafting addresses a specific set of contour and volume problems. The consultation determines whether your anatomy and goals are a match.
Hip dip correction
The lateral indentation at the greater trochanter that many patients want smoothed. Fat grafting is the standard approach; results depend on the volume of the deficit and the tissue elasticity of the surrounding area.
Muscle asymmetry correction
Congenital or post-traumatic muscle asymmetries — pectoral asymmetry in men, calf asymmetry, or asymmetric contour elsewhere — can often be addressed with grafting to the smaller side.
Post-traumatic contour deformity
Areas of scar-related indentation or volume loss following prior surgery, trauma, or liposuction over-treatment.
Sternal groove or clavicular hollowing
Age-related or genetic thinning in the sternal or clavicular area. Small-volume grafting can restore contour.
Combined with liposuction elsewhere
Fat grafting is often paired with liposuction — the fat harvested from one area serves as the donor tissue for another. Efficient use of the operative session.
Alternative to synthetic implants
Patients who prefer autologous tissue to implants, where the specific anatomic target allows a grafted alternative.
Realistic expectations about graft take
Understanding that some grafted fat resorbs, that results settle over 3–6 months, and that a second session is sometimes needed.
Enough donor tissue available
Very lean patients may not have adequate donor fat to harvest. This is discussed during consultation.
Every scheduled surgical patient is offered a free Rest-Assure pre-operative consultation with Dr. Rand Scott personally — medical history, medication planning, and discharge coordination before surgery day.
Three stages, one procedure.
Body fat grafting is a three-stage procedure performed in a single operative session. Each stage has technical considerations that affect graft survival:
Harvest — gentle liposuction of donor site
Fat is harvested from an area of excess using low-vacuum liposuction techniques that preserve fat cell viability. Common donor sites: flanks, abdomen, medial thighs, medial knees.
Processing — separation and purification
Harvested fat is separated from tumescent fluid, blood, and lysed cells. Various techniques (decanting, washing, centrifugation) may be used depending on the surgeon's preference.
Injection — small-volume, microdroplet placement
Purified fat is re-injected into the recipient site through small cannulas in small deposits — many small droplets rather than large bolus injections. This maximizes contact between the grafted fat and its new blood supply.
Multi-plane placement
Grafting into multiple tissue planes (deep, mid, superficial) improves the aesthetic outcome and increases the total volume that can be reliably placed.
Volume calibration for expected resorption
Because a portion of grafted fat will resorb, surgeons typically over-graft slightly to account for expected loss. The specific over-grafting ratio is a surgeon's judgment call based on the recipient site and patient factors.
Combined with concurrent procedures
Body fat grafting is frequently combined with liposuction (as the donor), and can be added to other procedures already scheduled.
Every case at NCSS is performed under physician anesthesia in our AAAHC-accredited operating rooms — no CRNAs. Sessions are same-day, outpatient.
Two sites. One recovery.
Body fat grafting has two recovery sites — the donor area (where fat was harvested) and the recipient area (where fat was placed). Recovery reflects both:
Discharged the day of surgery. Some bruising and swelling at both donor and recipient sites. Compression garments at the donor site (if extensive liposuction). Multi-modal pain protocol keeps discomfort manageable.
Progressive resolution of donor-site bruising. Recipient-site swelling can make grafted volume look temporarily larger than the final result. Loose clothing over the recipient area. Return to sedentary desk work typically at day 5–7.
Continued swelling resolution. Recipient site begins to show its early final contour as swelling subsides. Progressive return to normal activity.
Return to full exercise once cleared by your surgeon. Avoid direct pressure on the grafted area during this period — pressure can affect graft take.
Final settled volume becomes apparent. Grafted fat that has taken is permanent; unresorbed volume represents the long-term result.
If a second grafting session is needed for optimal outcome, typically scheduled 6+ months after the first to allow full settling.
Fat that has taken behaves like the tissue around it — gains and loses volume with body weight changes, ages with the recipient site, is permanent unless significant weight loss occurs later.
Every body fat grafting patient at NCSS is covered by our Rest-Assure program: physician anesthesia on the day of surgery, one nurse from arrival through discharge, and post-operative direct access to your surgeon — not an answering service.
The fat-transfer specialists on our roster.
Fat grafting requires specific technical experience. The following surgeons at NCSS have particular focus on fat transfer work:
Dr. Edward Bednar
FAT-TRANSFER SPECIALISTPractice specialty in autologous fat transfer. Refined low-vacuum, microdroplet technique.
View surgeon →Dr. Hendricks
BODY CONTOURING · REGIONAL LEADERThree decades of body contouring practice. Combines fat grafting with VASER liposuction for efficient donor-recipient workflow.
View surgeon →Dr. Nichter
AESTHETIC EXCELLENCE · CBL® CO-DEVELOPERCo-developer of California Breast Lift® fat-transfer technique. Extensive body fat grafting experience.
View surgeon →Dr. Horowitz
AESTHETIC EXCELLENCE · CBL® CO-DEVELOPERCo-developer of California Breast Lift® fat-transfer technique. Extensive body fat grafting experience.
View surgeon →The right starting point is a conversation.
Every body fat grafting consultation at NCSS begins with an honest assessment of your anatomy, donor availability, and whether grafting is the right tool for your specific goal.
Call (949) 644-8182Monday–Thursday, 8am–3pm · Friday by appointment only.
Related procedures.
Liposuction
Often the paired procedure — liposuction elsewhere serves as the fat harvest for grafting.
Learn more →Fat Transfer to Face
Face-specific fat grafting. Same principles, different target and technique refinements.
Learn more →Fat Transfer to Breast
Breast-specific fat grafting including California Breast Lift® and Bednar's low-vacuum microdroplet technique.
Learn more →