The fate of suctioned and surgically removed fat after reimplantation for
soft-tissue augmentation: a volumetric and histologic study in the rabbit

Kononas TC, Bucky LP, Hurley C, May JW Jr.

Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital.


The use of autologous fat transplantation has seen renewed popularity with the
recent advent of liposuction as a body recontouring technique. However,
clinicians are still faced with uncertainty concerning the ultimate volume
maintenance of the transplanted fat graft at its recipient site. This study was
initiated to examine and evaluate the changes in volume of suctioned versus
surgically excised fat grafts over a 9-month period in the New Zealand White
rabbit. Fat grafts of equal volume were harvested from the groin using standard
suction and surgical techniques and transferred into isolated pockets in the
ear. Results demonstrate that both suctioned and surgically removed fat grafts
undergo significant volume reduction. However, surgically excised fat maintains
its volume (42.2 percent; n = 16) better than suction-assisted fat grafts (31.6
percent; n = 16; p < 0.05). Histologic examination showed that fibrous
connective tissue was more prevalent in the suctioned fat grafts than in the
surgically removed fat grafts.