Copyright © 2019 American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
www.PRSJournal.com 823
A
utologous free fat grafting has become the
mainstay for management of craniofacial
contour deformities.
1–6
Because craniofa-
cial fat grafts have highly variable retention rates
(33 to 94 percent),
7
some patients require a com-
plementary (or secondary) procedure to obtain
satisfactory craniofacial symmetry.
1–8
A complementary fat graft has been shown
to achieve signifcantly better outcomes than an
initial fat graft in adult patients with Parry-Rom-
berg syndrome.
8
To the best of our knowledge, no
craniofacial investigation has focused on evalu-
ating complementary fat graft outcomes during
the frst year of follow-up and/or in subgroups of
Disclosure: None of the authors has a financial
interest to declare in relation to the content of this
article. There are no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Copyright © 2019 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000005389
Rafael Denadai, M.D.
Cesar Augusto Raposo-
Amaral, M.D.
Simone Alves da Silva
Celso Luiz Buzzo, M.D.,
M.Sc.
Cassio Eduardo Raposo-
Amaral, M.D., Ph.D.
Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
Background: The purposes of this study were to (1) assess complementary fat
graft outcomes, (2) compare initial and complementary fat graft retention
rates, and (3) evaluate the infuence of different postoperative time points (3,
6, and 12 months after the initial procedure) for performing complementary
fat grafting on fat graft outcomes.
Methods: A prospective analysis was conducted on patients with unilateral cra-
niofacial contour deformities (n = 115) who underwent initial and comple-
mentary fat grafting. Complementary fat grafting was performed 3, 6, or 12
months after the initial fat grafts. Standardized ultrasonographic craniofacial
soft-tissue thickness measurements were performed blindly to determine the
initial and complementary fat graft retention rates at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months
after surgery.
Results: A signifcant (p < 0.05) reduction of fat graft retention was observed
within the frst 3 postoperative months, and a maintenance of retention
(p > 0.05) was observed at 3 through 12 months after surgery for both initial
and complementary procedures. No signifcant (p > 0.05) differences were ob-
served in comparative analysis of the postoperative time points. Complemen-
tary retention rates were signifcantly (p < 0.05) superior to initial retention
rates at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Complementary retention rates at 3,
6, and 12 months after surgery were signifcantly (p < 0.05) superior to initial
retention rates for patients aged 18 years or older, those with Parry-Romberg
syndrome, those who had undergone previous craniofacial bone surgery, and
those with a recipient site at the forehead unit.
Conclusion: The complementary fat graft retention rates were superior to the
initial retention rates, with no signifcant differences among the postoperative
time points for performing complementary procedures. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg.
143: 823, 2019.)
CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, II.
From the Institute of Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery, SO-
BRAPAR Hospital.
Received for publication April 17, 2018; accepted August
27, 2018.
Complementary Fat Graft Retention Rates
Are Superior to Initial Rates in Craniofacial
Contour Reconstruction
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PEDIATRIC/CRANIOFACIAL