From Reuters Health Information

Under-Eye Fat Transfer Lasts a Few Years: Study

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jul 21 - Fat transferred under the eyes to create a
younger-looking face can last for at least three years, suggests a new study of
people who had the surgery.

紐約（路透社健康版）2011年7月21日報導：臨床研究發現，下眼眶區填補脂肪，可以使人看起來年輕，效果可望持續3年以上

The procedure involves liposuction from the abdominal area or thighs and then
injection of the fat below the lower eyelid, to puff up an area that surgeons
say generally begins to lose its shape by the time people are in their 30s.

手術內容為，從腹部或是大腿抽脂，將脂肪注入下眼眶凹陷區。一般人到了30出頭的年紀之後，這個區域就會開始凹陷。

Doctors say it's more "natural" and lasts longer than injecting
commercially-made wrinkle fillers, but there's also a risk of complications and
a higher price tag that comes along with the fat-transfer surgery.

醫師們說，自體脂肪注射比市面上的醫療填充物質效果要更自然，維持更久的效果，但是價錢不菲，同時也還是有可能產生併發症。

"It's becoming a very common procedure and a way to naturally rejuvenate
especially the lower eyelid area," said study author Dr. Cory Yeh, a plastic
surgeon from Laguna Woods, California.

"The vast majority of patients are seeing results up to three years," Dr. Yeh
told Reuters Health. "The question is always, are we going to be seeing results
past that point?"

Surgeons said the procedure typically takes an hour or more, and costs $3,500
to $4,000.

加州整形外科醫師柯瑞葉說:"這種手術針對下眼眶區自然年輕化來講，已經是極為普通的手術了"，"絕大多數案例，都能夠維持達到3年以上的效果".一般來說，這項手術須進行一個多小時，費用3500～4000美金。

For the new study, published in Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, online
July 18, Dr. Yeh and Dr. Edwin Williams, from the Albany Medical Center in New
York, tracked photos of 99 people who had the fat-transfer surgery between 2004
and 2008.

Patients were between 35 and 71 years old, and almost all were women.

柯瑞葉醫師等人於2004～2008年間，共計追蹤99位年齡35～71歲，絕大多數為女性的紐約艾伯尼醫學中心案例，將結果發表於2011年7月18日出刊的面部整形外科雜誌。

Those patients came back to the office for photos of their eye area every few
months for up to four years following the surgery. Without knowing when the
photos were taken, other members of the study team rated how much improvement,
if any, they saw in patients' faces from their original, pre-surgery photos.

In pictures taken a year or less after the surgery, 5% of patients showed no
improvement, 51% had mild improvement, and 44% had marked improvement.

By two to three years post-surgery, 14% of patients had no improvement from
their original photos, 68% had mild improvement and 18% had marked improvement
-- but the researchers only had data on 22 patients that far out.

研究人員不被告知患者拍照日期的情況下,將手術後追蹤照片,與術前照片比對,發現手術後三年後,仍有86%患者,手術效果仍然存在,有14%的患者,手術效果已經消失不見.

 The most common complication of the surgery was swelling lasting more than a
couple of weeks. Some patients also had bruising under the eyes or minor
asymmetries. Patients can also get small lumps under their eyes post-surgery,
researchers said.

這種手術較常見的併發症是:手術後可能會腫脹約兩星期,有些患者會發生瘀血,或是輕度的不對稱情況.也有的患者,於術後追蹤時,發現脂肪移植部位,有小硬塊的情況發生.

Dr. Yeh said the findings "matched our expectations" in terms of how long the
results would hold up after surgery.

"We know that the person's going to continue to age, and that they're going
to continue to lose volume" under the eyes, he said. "I would have been shocked
if we'd said, 'No, everybody remains perfect.'"

柯瑞葉醫師認為,這項研究符合臨床經驗,並且聲明,隨著年齡老化,臉部產生凹陷是正常現象.

Dr. Jason Meier, a plastic surgeon from Jacksonville, Florida, said the
procedure is a few times more expensive than typical commercial injections, but
that those injections need to be repeated about every year.

The current study didn't look at any results from patients who got those
injections.

儘管研究者沒有將注射人工醫材患者列入此研究對象,傑森醫師說,雖然注射工醫材較為便宜,但是必須每年注射一次.

"Fat transfer is an excellent, permanent option for patients who want a
natural, rejuvenated look in the under-eye area," Dr. Meier, who wasn't involved
in the new research, told Reuters Health.

"Some things don't end up perfectly precise," but that can be corrected with
follow-up procedures, he added. "Uniformly, everyone is very satisfied."

未參與此項研究的邁爾醫師則說,脂肪移植是下眼眶區回春最自然而長久有效的手術方法,即使偶爾效果差些,還是可以靠後續措施補強,幾乎每一位患者都滿意.

Dr. Yeh said the extra volume may not last as long in elderly patients, or
those that smoke or exercise a lot.

But he said the fat-transfer procedure is becoming more common, and that it's
"appealing to many patients because this is a natural way of using their own
body fat."

柯瑞葉醫師說,即使老年患者或是吸菸者,或是運動狂熱者,移植脂肪後可能吸收較快些,這種手術還是越來越受到患者歡迎,因為使用自己身上的脂肪,是最自然的醫療方式.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/ri3Vs0

Arch Facial Plastic Surg 2011