Plastic Surgery Market: Fat Grafting Grabs A Hefty Slice Of The Plastics Pie

Fat, fillers, and a "funnel" that may minimize a common cause of breast implant complications are among the hot topics in both aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. Meanwhile, the acquisition by Actavis of Allergan – a leading player in the aesthetics market with BOTOX and breast implants – has the combined company poised for long-term double-digit revenue and earnings growth.

After an eternity as the ugly stepsister, fat is finally the belle of the ball. The regenerative properties found in fat’s stem cells are not only being used – in the hands and syringes of aesthetic plastic surgeons as an autologous "filler" – to maintain and restore the fullness and blush associated with youth, they are increasingly associated with research that supports fat’s role in improved function – culminating in a veritable Bauhaus effect rife with possibilities.

New York plastic surgeon Sydney Coleman, MD, is the leading expert on autologous fat transfer (AFT), the practice of harvesting a patient’s excess fat from an undesired area and re-injecting...

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