Adipose tissue transplantation in fascial reconstructive operations: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Autologous fat transplantation (AFT) for soft-tissue enhancement is a frequent procedure that lacks a widely approved method. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate AFT outcomes in facial reconstructive surgeries by using meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: An electronic databases search was done on PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane. We screened the results, then extracted the data. Meta-analysis was done using the Open Meta-analyst program. Results: We included 62 studies in our meta-analysis, which have various study designs, including cohort, case series, and trials. They included 2326 unique patients. Our meta-analysis revealed a high rate of the patient (91.7%) and surgeon (93.1%) satisfaction with AFT surgeries which is confirmed by high scores of 7.8 and 7.9, respectively. Complications resemble a minor ratio of 2.1%. Conclusion: In experienced hands, autologous fat transfer is an effective way to correct facial deformities and leads to greater patient and surgeon satisfaction, as well as a lower risk of complications.