Objective: To study the efficacy of autologous fat transplantation after preservation at −2 to −18°C in a domestic refrigerator.

Patients and methods: This study was conducted in a private clinic from December 2017 to December 2021. A total of 973 female patients were included. Under a full aseptic technique, fat was harvested using a 4 mm suction blunt cannula with three longitudinal slits. Three 50 mL syringes of fat were obtained before transferring it to 10 mL syringes; then, the fat was centrifuged at 3500 rpm for 1 min and injected through an 18 gauge blunt cannula. In addition, 50 mL of fat without centrifugation was stored in a domestic refrigerator for 3 weeks to be reinjected after fast thawing for 20 min, and then centrifuged to be ready for the second session. All participants had follow-up visits at 3 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year.

Results: Participants ranged in age from 18 to 65 years. The abdomen was the fat donor site in 63.3% of the patients, while round-face style augmentation was performed in 48.3% of the patients. An assessment at 3 weeks revealed that 84.1% of patients required a second session. After 6 months, on an assessment using a 10-point scale, patients who received a single session and a second session scored 6.05 and 7.46, respectively. At 1 year, the assessment scores were 5.65 and 7.12 for those with a single and second session, respectively, and 60% of patients were fully satisfied.

Conclusion: Autologous fat preserved in a domestic refrigerator for 3 weeks is a safe, cheap, and tolerated filler for facial augmentation.

Keywords: autologous fat; cryopreserved; fat grafting; augmentation