Am I A Good Candidate Injectable Fat Grafting for Shoulder Augmentation?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had my pectoral implants replaced last year. If the photo looks familiar, Implantech has posted it on its website. I am very happy with how they turned out. I am now planning on ab etching of the waist, lower back, and flanks. I have read on your site that you have experience with fat transfer to the shoulders. My ideal would be to harvest as much fat as possible and transfer to areas where it would most successful. I am thin 5’10 and 155lbs and 56 years old. From first glance, do you think I would be a candidate for fat transfer to the shoulders? 

A: In answer to your question, you are a good candidate for far transfer to the shoulder IF your primary motivation for the surgery is the liposuction/etching etc. The reason I make that statement is because in that scenario you have nothing to lose by taking the harvested fat and transferring it to the shoulders. The worst that can happen is that the fat doesn’t survive. But even if that occurs it prepares the shoulder tissues for the placement of deltoid implants if you are so motivated. (the definitive shoulder augmentation procedure)

You have to recognize that at your age and low body weight, fat transfer to any face or body area is far from assured in terms of volume retention. The reality is that fat is more likely to survive at a very low percentage than a higher one.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana