ENTtoday
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Practice Focus
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Departments
    • Issue Archive
    • TRIO Best Practices
      • Allergy
      • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
      • Head and Neck
      • Laryngology
      • Otology/Neurotology
      • Pediatric
      • Rhinology
      • Sleep Medicine
    • Career Development
    • Case of the Month
    • Everyday Ethics
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Medical Education
    • Online Exclusives
    • Practice Management
    • Resident Focus
    • Rx: Wellness
    • Special Reports
    • Tech Talk
    • Viewpoint
    • What’s Your O.R. Playlist?
  • Literature Reviews
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Events
    • Featured Events
    • TRIO Meetings
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Triological Society
    • Advertising Staff
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • Place an Ad
    • Classifieds
    • Rate Card
  • Search

Repair Revolution: Surgeons use fat grafts to address extensive facial deformities

by David Bronstein • September 2, 2011

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version

“The effects we’ve achieved in some of these soldiers [are] pretty remarkable,” Dr. Coleman told ENT Today. “We’ve actually filled in some huge craniotomy defects that had left the patients with just skin over metal mesh, with no place to put anything, and yet we’ve been able to get some remarkable filling of those defects and improved facial scarring as well. So it’s not just big holes we’re filling.”

You Might Also Like

  • Is Autologous Fat Grafting Superior to Other Fillers for Facial Rejuvenation?
  • Improved Fat Grafting Techniques Gain Popularity, Offering Safety and Affordability
  • New Technique Uses Umbilical Cord Stem Cells for Early Cleft Palate Repair
  • The Revolution and Evolution of Free Flaps in Facial Reconstructive Surgery
Explore This Issue
September 2011

Asked to explain how fat, which does not have much structure or “lift,” could not only fill but also support facial contours in such defects, Dr. Coleman replied that it is probably due to the stem cells in the grafted fat that he maximizes using his harvesting and processing technique. “We collect the fat and then centrifuge in such a way that we are left with only the most dense, stem cell-rich fat,” he explained. “The oily fat residue is either thrown out, placed back into the patient or retained for research purposes.”

As for exactly what those stem cells are doing to help achieve the impressive defect filling he’s reported, “there are lots of theories that have been published by some very well-respected scientists,” Dr. Coleman said. “What most studies have shown, and what I firmly believe is taking place, is that the stem cells promote blood vessel growth and blood flow via some type of angiogenic process. That is absolutely crucial not only for the survival of the fat graft but also wound healing.”

Dr. Coleman stressed that the outcomes he and Dr. Rubin have achieved in the injured U.S. soldiers aren’t attributable just to proper fat-graft harvesting and processing; his methods for injecting the fat are also crucial. The technique involves several steps, including the placement of miniscule amounts of fatty tissue each time the surgeon withdraws a blunt cannula that is used to inject the fat into the defect being repaired. (Dr. Coleman has published extensively on these methods, and his books, “Structural Fat Grafting” [Quality Medical Publishing, 2004], and “Fat Injection from Filling to Regeneration” [Quality Medical Publishing, 2009] are considered major references on the topic.)

He also pointed out that the results he has achieved at UPMC are mirrored in several cases from his own practice. “I’ve had cases in which large craniofacial defects were repaired using these fat-grafting methods,” Dr. Coleman said. In some of the cases, he noted, patients were missing a quarter of their faces. “They still had a rudimentary jawline, so we didn’t have to reconstruct the jaw. But they did have really remarkable defects that I was able to fill in with fat grafts, and the outcomes were very impressive and long-lasting.”

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 | Single Page

Filed Under: Facial Plastic/Reconstructive, Special Reports Tagged With: advances, reconstructive facial surgery, stem cellsIssue: September 2011

You Might Also Like:

  • Is Autologous Fat Grafting Superior to Other Fillers for Facial Rejuvenation?
  • Improved Fat Grafting Techniques Gain Popularity, Offering Safety and Affordability
  • New Technique Uses Umbilical Cord Stem Cells for Early Cleft Palate Repair
  • The Revolution and Evolution of Free Flaps in Facial Reconstructive Surgery

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

The Laryngoscope
Ensure you have all the latest research at your fingertips; Subscribe to The Laryngoscope today!

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
Open access journal in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery is currently accepting submissions.

Classifieds

View the classified ads »

TRIO Best Practices

View the TRIO Best Practices »

Top Articles for Residents

  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Why More MDs, Medical Residents Are Choosing to Pursue Additional Academic Degrees
  • What Physicians Need to Know about Investing Before Hiring a Financial Advisor
  • Tips to Help You Regain Your Sense of Self
  • Should USMLE Step 1 Change from Numeric Score to Pass/Fail?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • Experts Delve into Treatment Options for Laryngopharyngeal Reflux
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • Weaning Patients Off of PPIs
    • New Developments in the Management of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • Eustachian Tuboplasty: A Potential New Option for Chronic Tube Dysfunction and Patulous Disease
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Podcasts Becoming More Popular Method of Education for Otolaryngologists
    • How to Embrace Optimism in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic
    • Tips on How to Approach Conversations with Patients about the COVID-19 Vaccine
    • Steps You Should Take to Protect Your Voice and Hearing During Telemedicine Sessions
    • Routine Postoperative Adjunct Treatments Unnecessary for Idiopathic Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks

Polls

Have you spoken with your patients about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Visit: The Triological Society • The Laryngoscope • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology

Wiley
© 2021 The Triological Society. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN 1559-4939

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.