Should Fat Injections Be Done Before or After Hip Implants?

Q: Dr. Eppley, . I’m interested in hip augmentation and I have the following questions:

1- I know that you advise having fat injections first on the hips but, is it possible to augment the hips with custom implants first and, if implant edge reveal becomes an issue, to come back and fix it with fat injections?

2- If the answer to the previous question is “yes”, then how soon can one have fat injections on the hips after having custom hip implants?

3- Would the fat be injected just on the edges that can be seen?

Thanks in advance

A: The reason that I advise fat injections before hip implants is the hope that the fat will create enough of a hip augmentation result that implants will not be necessary. Hip implants have a high rate of complications so they should only be done when autologous augmentation is not an option. (don’t have any or enough fat to harvest)

Fat injections are a treatment option (along with synthetic fillers) for the most common hip implant complication of inferior edge show Such show is not evident until 8 to 12 week after placement when all swelling has resolved and the soft tissue shrink wrap effect has occurred. Fat injections are placed around the visible implant edge to try and camouflage it.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon