Fat grafting techniques are an increasingly popular alternative to implants, with surgeries such as the Brazilian butt lift and facial fat grafting offering dramatic results. According to a recent article in the Australian daily newspaper Herald Sun, it seems that the land Down Under may also soon experience the benefits of autologous fat grafting.
With this technique, which uses the patient’s unwanted fat to fill out other parts of the body, plastic surgeons can offer more natural results without the risks associated with implants.Liposuction or a large needle is used to extract fat from the tummy, thigh, or other body part. The fat is treated before being injected into the target site.
While fat grafting is performed in the US and Europe, it is not widely available in Australia, since most insurers refuse to cover the procedure under their policies. However, after the recent PIP silicone breast implants scandal, many patients are hesitant to use implants. The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is now in talks with insurers over the technique.
Fat grafting has the potential to become “one of the main techniques for both cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgeries,” Dr. Graham Sellars, a leading Sydney plastic surgeon, told the Herald Sun. “People will prefer to have their own tissue to something synthetic if it gives comparable results.
“You’re going to get a more predictable result with a silicone implant, but there’s now an alternative for people who don’t want implants…. A silicone implant will wear out. But it’s possible to have this kind of enlargement for life.”
Australian insurers may be covering the procedure within a year as talks continue.
