Fat Compartments Could Revolutionise Cheek Implant Surgery
Hidden fat compartments and artificial implants are key to youthful look.
Recent research has been made public by plastic surgeons at UT Southwestern Medical Centre in America. It shows that the effective way of combating the hollowed look of the face as it ages lies in newly identified fat compartments in facial cheeks.
Using special dyes to map out the cheek-fat compartments, they found that there are various compartments hidden under the skin. These compartments could be restored using fat, tissue or artificial cheek implants. The overall effect is a more youthful appearance minus the hollow look of the face.
Dr Joel Pessa, assistant professor of plastic surgery points out that the restoration of these fat compartments can improve the volume loss under the eyes and can rid the lines from around the nose and give more curve to the upper lip.
“This research breaks new ground by identifying the boundaries of specific fat compartments that are key to facial rejuvenation involving the cheeks” he added. He is the co-author the study who also points out that cheeks are vital in terms of what we perceive as beautiful, “from chubby-cheeked infants to Hollywood stars like Angelina Jolie.”
Using fourteen cadavers, the research team injected dye and latex to find where the boundaries of the deep medial fat compartments are in relation to the equivalent muscles. Losing volume in these areas is what results in the hollow look often associated with aging, by filling these compartments with tissue or implants, the youthful appearance can be restored. If done properly, little filler will then be needed.
Dr. Rod Rohrich, the chairman of plastic surgery at UT Southwestern and also the lead author of the study points out that this discovery changes how we look at aging in the face, “The process to correct facial aging is now dramatically changed as well. No longer do we remove fat without pre-op analysis or merely lift the cheek; we must now lift and fill the face to restore a natural youthful, un-operated appearance.”
At Cosmetic Surgeon, patients can receive cheek implants as a way of restoring facial balance and structure. It can restore cheek deficiency caused by congenital deficiency and age-related facial trauma. These things have been known to create the look of tiredness in the face, with an expression of being drawn and gaunt.
The new research is an ongoing project being carried out by UT Southwestern plastic surgeons to better map fat compartments in the face and body.
Source: ScienceDaily
