Sequential Grafting of Fresh and Cryopreserved Fat After Mechanical Processing is a Safe and Effective Facial Rejuvenation Strategy

Background The survival rate of fat transplants is variable and consequently multiple operations are often required to achieve satisfactory results. Fat cryopreservation technology is a good solution to this problem. At present, cryopreservation of fats needs to be added with cryopreservation agents, which brings unsafety and operational complexity to clinical applications. An efficient and safe strategy for fat cryopreservation must be developed. Methods A retrospective study was performed of all patients who underwent facial fat grafting and agreed to have their fat tissue cryopreserved from January 2018 to May 2021. Fat samples were physically processed to obtain SVF-gel, which was cryopreserved at - 20 degrees C for up to 3 months and injected after thawing. Images acquired by preand post-operative 3D scanning of the temporal region were compared to evaluate the retention rate of transplanted cryopreserved SVF-gel. Results No patients experienced serious complications after receiving cryopreserved fat transplantation. The retention rate of cryopreserved SVF-gel was 46.3 +/- 7.7% at 3 months and 43.1 +/- 7.2% at 6 months after transplantation. The swelling duration was significantly shorter after cryopreserved SVF-gel transplantation (5.5 +/- 0.8 days) than after fresh fat transplantation (7.5 +/- 0.7 days) (p < .031). Conclusion Injection of cryopreserved SVF-gel achieves good retention rate for facial rejuvenation and has few side effects. Cryopreservation of SVF-gel is a safe and effective strategy for serial fat grafting for facial rejuvenation.