Autologous Fat Grafting in Severe Lower Extremity Asymmetries: Report of Four Cases

BACKGROUND Lower extremity asymmetries are challenging problems in plastic and aesthetic surgery practice. Regardless of their origin, atrophies and asymmetries can be extremely varied and difficult to solve with simple techniques. OBJECTIVES   The author reports his experience in the treatment of four patients suffering from severe lower extremity atrophy and asymmetry of different etiologies with autologous fat grafting. METHODS A total of four cases are presented. Patient selection was based on the severity of atrophy and asymmetry. Two patients were treated with two sessions of simple fat grafting and two patients with one session of cell-enriched fat grafting. The end point in each session was determined by tension/blanching of soft tissues. All patients were followed up for at least 12 months after the last session. During the postoperative follow-up, variables, such as objective volume improvement, objective girth loss, return to daily activities, and patient satisfaction, were analyzed. RESULTS The initial analysis of postoperative results showed a good patient satisfaction rate with no relevant complications and an early return to daily activities. Estimated mean volume improvement for simple fat grafting cases was estimated as 44% after two treatments. Mean volume improvement in cell-enriched fat grafting cases was estimated as 25% after only one treatment. CONCLUSIONS Autologous fat grafting is a safe, effective, and reliable technique to perform aesthetic and reconstructive reshaping of a lower extremity in cases of atrophy or severe asymmetry. Depending on the preoperative soft tissue compliance, cell-assisted fat grafting will play an important role in reducing the number of sessions to perform.