Facial Fat Grafting Benefits From Autologous Fat Processed By Cotton Pad Filtration

HealthDay News — Autologous fat processed by means of a cotton pad filtration technique is an effective method of facial fat grafting, according to a study published online in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.

Rongwei Wu, MD, from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing, and colleagues randomized patients with facial asymmetry undergoing initial facial fat grafting to 1 of 3 fat-processing techniques: sedimentation, centrifugation, or cotton pad filtration. Patients underwent 3-dimensional scanning preoperatively, as well as at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.

Based on the 30 patients completing follow-up, the researchers found that the mean percentage volume maintenance of the 3 groups postoperatively ranged from 49% at 1 month to 41% at 12 months for the cotton pad filtration group; from 41% to 34% for the centrifugation group; and 37% to 31% for the sedimentation group.

The cotton pad filtration group demonstrated a statistically significant higher percentage volume maintenance vs the centrifugation and sedimentation groups, in variance analysis.

“The use of 3-dimensional technology provides an objective and accurate way to evaluate different fat-processing techniques,” the authors write. “Autologous fat processed by cotton pad filtration had a significant higher volume retention than did that processed by centrifugation and sedimentation technique.”

Reference

Wu R, Yang X, Jin X, et al. Three-dimensional volumetric analysis of 3 fat-processing techniques for facial fat grafting [published online January 11, 2018]. JAMA Facial Plast Surg. doi: 10.1001/jamafacial.2017.2002