Facial hollowing
Age-related volume loss in the cheeks, temples, and under-eye area, restored in small, controlled amounts.
Sieveking/Plastic Surgery/Fat Transfer
Fat Transfer in Nashville
Your Own Tissue · Natural Volume · Sculpted Contours
Fat transfer uses your body’s own living fat to restore volume, refine contours, and renew areas that have lost their fullness over time. The procedure adds soft, lasting volume precisely where you want it — guided by the philosophy consistent with everything Sieveking Plastic Surgery represents: conservative, harmonious, natural-looking results that refresh without overreaching.
Natural volume. Sculpted contours. Your own living tissue.
Harvested gently. Purified carefully. Reinjected precisely.
Fat transfer — also called fat grafting or autologous fat grafting — is a surgical procedure with three distinct stages. Dr. Sieveking harvests your own fat from a donor site using gentle liposuction, purifies it to isolate the highest-quality viable fat cells, and then precisely reinjects those cells into the target area in small, carefully placed amounts.
Because the material is your own living tissue, fat transfer carries no risk of allergic reaction and produces results that look and feel like a natural part of your body. Some degree of reabsorption is expected in the weeks and months after surgery; Dr. Sieveking accounts for this at the time of transfer and discusses realistic expectations at consultation.
The approach
How fat transfer works.
The procedure follows a precise three-stage technique: harvest, purification, and reinjection. Fat is collected by gentle liposuction from a donor site — commonly the abdomen, flanks, inner thighs, or back — then processed to isolate the highest-quality viable fat cells. Purified fat is layered across multiple tissue planes in small, carefully placed amounts to maximize contact with the blood supply and improve long-term survival.
Facial fat grafting restores volume that naturally diminishes with age in the cheeks, temples, under-eye hollows, nasolabial folds, lips, and along the jawline. Because the face leaves very little margin for overcorrection, Dr. Sieveking places fat in small, controlled amounts using precise technique and careful artistic judgment — often combined with a facelift or eyelid surgery in a single surgical setting.
Fat transfer to the breast suits patients seeking modest, natural augmentation without implants, typically in the range of one-half to one full cup size. It is also used to correct contour irregularities, address asymmetry, or support reconstruction after a lumpectomy. For patients seeking a significant size increase, augmentation with implants remains the more appropriate choice — a determination made together during your consultation.
Concerns fat transfer can address.
A good candidate is a healthy adult at or near a stable goal weight, with accessible donor fat and realistic expectations about the settling process.
Deflated features
Facial features that look depleted after weight loss regain soft, natural fullness with living tissue.
Breast volume loss
Fullness diminished after pregnancy or weight changes, restored with your body’s own fat.
Implant-free augmentation
A modest, natural breast augmentation — typically one-half to one full cup size — without an implant.
Contour irregularities
Depressions and uneven contours remaining from prior procedures, smoothed with precisely placed grafts.
Breast asymmetry
Differences in breast size or shape corrected, or reconstruction supported after a lumpectomy.
Why choose this procedure
Benefits of volume from your own tissue.
Fat transfer adds soft, lasting volume precisely where you want it — using the most personal material a surgeon can work with.
-
Your own tissue
The graft is your own living fat — no implanted device, no risk of allergic reaction, and results that feel like a natural part of you.
-
Two improvements, one procedure
The donor site is contoured by gentle liposuction as fat is harvested, so both areas improve within a single operation.
-
Naturally modest volume
Fat is placed in small, carefully judged amounts for soft, proportionate enhancement — conservative results that refresh without overreaching.
-
Long-lasting results
Fat that successfully integrates and establishes a blood supply is considered long-lasting, with the final stable result apparent at 3–6 months.
-
Honest expectations
Some reabsorption is expected; Dr. Sieveking accounts for it at the time of transfer and discusses realistic outcomes before any decision is made.
-
Accredited on-site surgery center
Every procedure is performed in the practice’s brand-new, accredited on-site surgery center, most on an outpatient basis.
Combined with a facelift or eyelid surgery when appropriate, fat transfer addresses both volume and laxity together — comprehensive rejuvenation completed in a single surgical setting.
Selected results
Natural results, built from your own tissue.
Fat transfer cases are included in our full results archive — each pair represents a single patient photographed at the same angle, light, and camera.
What to expect: procedure and recovery.
01
Consultation
A clear, realistic plan
Your fat transfer journey begins with a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Sieveking. During this appointment, he evaluates your areas of concern, assesses available donor sites, and discusses your aesthetic goals in detail. You will leave with a clear understanding of what fat transfer can realistically achieve for your anatomy, which areas will serve as donor sites, and how the procedure fits within any broader treatment plan. Realistic expectations around volume retention and the settling process are discussed thoroughly before any decisions are made.
02
Procedure
Harvest, purification, reinjection
Fat transfer is performed in the practice’s brand-new, accredited on-site surgery center. Dr. Sieveking uses gentle liposuction to collect fat from the donor site, then processes it to isolate the highest-quality viable fat cells. Purified fat is layered across multiple tissue planes in small, carefully placed amounts to maximize contact with the blood supply and improve long-term survival. Most procedures are performed on an outpatient basis, and many patients choose to combine fat transfer with a complementary procedure such as a facelift or eyelid surgery in a single surgical setting.
03
Recovery
Staged and manageable
Recovery is staged and manageable for most patients. You will wear a compression garment on the donor site during early healing, and pressure on the recipient area should be avoided while the fat establishes itself. Most patients return to desk work within 1–2 weeks as bruising fades and swelling begins to resolve. Light activity resumes around weeks 3–4, with strenuous exercise restrictions typically lifting at 4–6 weeks per Dr. Sieveking’s guidance. Discomfort is generally mild and well controlled with prescribed medication during the first several days.
04
Results
Volume that settles in
Volume settles gradually as the body reabsorbs fat cells that did not establish a blood supply. This is an expected part of the process, and Dr. Sieveking accounts for it at the time of transfer. Swelling continues to resolve over the first several weeks, and the final, stable result becomes fully apparent at 3–6 months. Fat that successfully integrates is considered long-lasting. Individual retention rates vary by anatomic area and healing factors, and a secondary session is occasionally considered if the final result falls short of the desired outcome.
Why Sieveking
Meet Dr. Sieveking
Precision at every stage.
Stanford-trained. Triple board-certified (including The American Board of Wound Management, ABWM) plastic surgeon.
Fat transfer is a procedure where surgical precision at every stage determines how much fat survives and how natural the result appears. Dr. Nicholas Sieveking is triple board-certified (including The American Board of Wound Management, ABWM) in plastic and reconstructive surgery, Stanford-trained, fellowship-trained in anti-aging and functional medicine, and a multiple-time recipient of Best Plastic Surgeon in Nashville.
His post-residency fellowship under legendary Brazilian plastic surgeon Ivo Pitanguy refined an approach that prizes proportion, subtlety, and conservative results — the philosophy consistent with everything Sieveking Plastic Surgery represents, applied to every fat grafting procedure performed at the practice.
Sieveking Plastic Surgery is the only practice in Middle Tennessee combining world-class plastic surgery, advanced medical aesthetics, and clinical functional and longevity medicine under one triple board-certified (including The American Board of Wound Management, ABWM) physician at one address — and 90% of new patients arrive by referral.
Investment
Cost of fat transfer.
The cost of fat transfer reflects that it is genuinely two procedures in one — gentle liposuction of the donor site and precise grafting of the recipient area — along with anesthesia and the operative time each stage requires. Because every surgical plan differs in scope, and many patients combine fat transfer with a complementary procedure, pricing is reviewed transparently at consultation and itemized for your specific plan.
Financing through PatientFi and CareCredit allows the investment to be spread over time, and HSA and FSA funds are accepted for eligible expenses. During your consultation, Dr. Sieveking outlines a realistic surgical plan and reviews all associated costs with complete transparency, so every question is answered before any commitment is made.
Questions, answered.
The questions most prospective patients ask before booking a consultation.
-
Fat that successfully integrates and establishes a blood supply is considered long-lasting and, in many areas, essentially stable long-term. A portion of transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed in the weeks to months following surgery — an expected part of the process that Dr. Sieveking accounts for at the time of transfer. The final settled volume is generally visible after 3–6 months.
-
Retention rates vary by anatomic area, individual healing factors, and surgical technique. Dr. Sieveking accounts for expected reabsorption at the time of transfer and will discuss realistic expectations specific to your anatomy during your consultation at his Franklin, TN practice. A secondary session is occasionally considered if the final result falls short of the desired outcome.
-
Most patients return to desk work within 1–2 weeks, with full activity resuming around 4–6 weeks following surgery. You will wear a compression garment on the donor site during early recovery and should avoid pressure on the recipient area while healing. Discomfort is generally mild and well controlled during the first several days, and volume settles gradually over 3–6 months.
-
Fat transfer uses your own tissue and eliminates implant-related risks such as rupture, capsular contracture, and foreign-body response. It is still a surgical procedure with its own considerations, including the rare possibility of fat cysts or contour irregularity at the donor site. The right choice depends on your individual anatomy and goals and is determined together during your consultation.
-
Yes. Facial fat grafting is frequently paired with a facelift or eyelid surgery to address both volume and skin laxity in a single setting — comprehensive rejuvenation completed in one operation. Combining procedures is planned individually during your consultation at Sieveking Plastic Surgery, and Dr. Sieveking will advise on the safest, most effective approach to your goals.
-
Fat transfer uses your own living fat cells, while dermal fillers use synthetic or naturally derived materials such as hyaluronic acid. Fillers are non-surgical with no downtime and temporary results, typically lasting 1–2 years. Fat transfer is a surgical procedure, but the portion of fat that integrates may provide lasting results. Both approaches have a role depending on your goals and anatomy.
More in Plastic Surgery.
Facial Sculpting
Begin your journey
Schedule your fat transfer consultation at Sieveking Plastic Surgery in Franklin, TN.
If you are ready to restore natural volume and refine your contours using your body’s own tissue, we invite you to schedule a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Sieveking. Together, you will review your goals, evaluate donor sites, and build a tailored surgical plan designed around your anatomy and your life. Sieveking Plastic Surgery serves patients throughout Franklin, Brentwood, Williamson County, Nashville, and greater Middle Tennessee — consultation, surgery, and follow-up at one address, in an accredited on-site surgery center.
1200 Old Hillsboro Road, B2 · Franklin, Tennessee
Mon–Thu 9–4:30 · Fri by appointment