Volumetric Effect of Pregnancy on a Unilateral Facial Fat Graft

Abstract

Summary:. Weight gain can affect the volume of a facial fat graft, resulting in unfavorable asymmetries. Weight gain during pregnancy is more complex and does not just entail an increase in adipose tissue. This case report objectifies whether pregnancy results in volume changes of a facial fat graft. A 24-year-old woman received a fat graft (7 ml) in the mandibular area to mask a volume deficiency. This deficiency occurred after a fibula reconstruction of a mandibular defect resulting from the removal of an ameloblastoma. The patient became pregnant 3 weeks after the fat graft procedure. Standardized 3-dimensional photographs (3dMD) were available preoperatively and at 7 weeks (first trimester), 6 months (second trimester), 9 months (third trimester), and 14 months (4 months after delivery) postoperatively. Three-dimensional analysis revealed that no substantial volume changes of the fat graft occurred during pregnancy other than the overall proportional gain in facial volume. Pregnancy apparently does not affect the volume of a small unilateral fat graft applied in the facial region.