Plastic surgeons have been using autologous fat transfer in reconstructive plastic surgery and for cosmetic surgery procedures for decades. Plastic Surgeons first began experimenting with fat transfer in the late 1980s for reconstructive plastic surgery procedures and for cosmetic rejuvenation procedures. Through the years, the system of harvesting fat from the patient and then processing it for the graft has been refined with technology and knowledge. One of the first Plastic Surgeons to explore fat transfer is Dr. Paul Howard in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Dr. Howard has used fat for facial rejuvenation, cosmetic hand rejuvenation, lip enhancement, and to improve contour deformities as the result of trauma or birth defects. Dr. Howard refers to fat transfer as “the perfect filler.” Only recently has he been able to notice the extended benefits of fat transfer on patients who have had fat grafting. “I see patients who had fat transfer for facial rejuvenation more than 5 and 10 years ago presented with exceptional results of not only the filler, but in the quality of their skin tone, laxity, and overall appearance,” states Dr. Howard. “We used to not understand why fat grafting was so fantastic for skin tone, but now understand it is due to the presence of stem cells surrounding the fat and those stem cells are grafted alongside the fat,” he continues.
This scientific discovery of stem cells within adipose tissue has set off a frenzy in the medical community with Plastic Surgeons as the center of attention. Although embryonic stem cell research is off limits to researchers who receive federal funds, adipose stem cells open a new world to the medical community in search of vaccines and cures for a wide variety of diseases and cancer. Although the FDA regulates the biologics of adipose stem cell tissue fractions, the use of autologous fat transfer for facial rejuvenation is available and widely regarded as a more natural facial rejuvenation. Surgeons like Dr. Paul Howard who have mastered the scientific processing of adipose tissue transfer will continue to offer fat grafting as an alternative to artificial facial fillers which are temporary. “Fat is forever,” says Dr. Howard. “I often suggest to patients seeking liposuction to consider grafting their fat to their face or hands for rejuvenation.” In time, the FDA regulations will be challenged and updated to acknowledge the use of adipose tissue for harvesting stem cells to improve medical vaccines and cure diseases.
About Dr. Paul Howard
Dr. Paul S. Howard is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Howard specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery of the face and body. Dr. Howard is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. In addition, he if founder of the NewFace Foundation, a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) Non profit organization that benefits children born with facial deformities. Please learn more about Dr. Howard on his very informative web site: http://www.paulhowardmd.com
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