Transfer that fat for a new-looking you.

• Position: Plastic Surgery - Brief article

From filling in contours of the face to body fat reduction to augmentations of the breast and buttocks, the use of fat has shown an increase in popularity, affirms the Annual Statistics Report by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Arlington Heights, III.

"One trend involving fat transfer has been the ability to take unwanted fat from a certain area and move it to a more desirable place. It's a bit like recycling of the patients' own material," says Michael Burgdorf of Music City Plastic Surgery, Nashville, Tenn. "Fat can be a great and somewhat 'renewable' resource for many to use to change the contours of the body or the face."

Fat transfer involves removal from one area with liposuction, treating it with specialized techniques--which often vary from surgeon to surgeon --and then relocating the fat into the more desirable location. This can be a more permanent or longer-lasting solution than some fillers.

The major drawback is the degree of unpredictability in the amount of fat that...