Facial rejuvenation with staged injections of cryopreserved fat and tissue cocktail: clinical outcomes in the past 10 years.

[BACKGROUND] Facial rejuvenation by autologous fat transfer is common in aesthetic plastic surgery. The main drawback is progressive resorption, requiring repeated harvesting and microfat grafting.

[OBJECTIVE] The authors present a method for cryopreservation of excess harvested fat and tissue to enable subsequent use of previously harvested excess material.

[METHODS] Fat grafts were harvested using a 50-mL syringe and a 3- or 4-mm cannula. A tissue "cocktail" composed of dermis, fascia, and fat was prepared from excised scar tissue, tissue from abdominoplasty, or tissue from reduction mammaplasty. Cocktail specimens were placed in sterile tubes, immersed in a liquid nitrogen tank (-196°C), and stored at -80°C. At 3- to 6-month intervals, repeated cryopreserved fat graft injections were performed. Patients were evaluated by comparing preoperative and postoperative photographs.

[RESULTS] Between 2000 and 2010, a total of 5199 cryopreserved fat or tissue injections were performed in 2439 consecutive patients (age range, 19-80 years). Nasolabial folds and lips were the most common injection sites. Clinical outcomes were satisfactory, and improved contour was achieved in most patients after repeated injections.

[CONCLUSIONS] Cryopreservation of excess tissue for future injection is promising since repetitive injections are often required after resorption of microfat grafts. In our study, the survival of cryopreserved tissue cocktail or fat was comparable to that of fresh fat grafts and is therefore an effective adjuvant method for facial rejuvenation.