Ankle Fat Grafting

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in ankle fat grafting. I would like to know if fat augmenting will be good for my leg and ankles. I have very thin legs and ankles and I’m unable to wear heels because it hurts. I am also ashamed of not being able to wear skirts and dresses which I love to wear and can’t.

A: Fat grafting to the lower extremities, particularly the ankles, has a low rate of fat retention for most patients. As a general rule injectable fat grafting works best in areas that already have some fat. (good recipient site The thinner the natural subcutaneous fat layer is the less fat grafting takes. This may be partially overcome by a large amount of fat grafting if one has adequate donor sites to harvest. While injectable fat grafting may not have a high predictable take in the ankles, it is the only treatment option that exists for making them bigger.

Ankle fat grafting should be undertaken with the knowledge that it may likely require more than one treatment session. Thus the importance of having enough donor sites to undergo more than one fat harvest and grafting surgery.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana