Will Fat Grafting Work Well For Paranasal-Premaxillary Facial Augmentation?

Q: Dr. Eppley, My paranasal-premaxillary area is very recessed. I was wondering If is it possible to do paranasal-premaxillary augmentation with fat grafting. I know that peri-pyriform implants exist, but I want to know If fat grafting can achieve 4mm or more augmentation. Thank you Dr.

 A:Thank you for your inquiry. Can fat grafting be done to the midface and can an initial 4mm paranasal-premaxillary augmentation be achieved….the answer would be yes. The question is not whether fat grafting can be done to the midface but whether it would be successful. (i.e., survive) My experience and the observation from patients who had it done by other doctors is that the survival rates are low. There is also the issue that, even if it survives with some reasonable volume, the look is often more of a bloated/full one and not that of a skeletal augmentation effect which is the source of the problem. Once fat grafts are in there should the look be undesired there is no good way to remove the fat.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana