Association of Autologous Fat Injection in Facial Artery With Ophthalmological Complications

IMPORTANCE: Complications caused by autologous fat filling have been reported. Comprehensive knowledge of the possible adverse effects of autologous fat filling is needed. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of autologous fat filling with ophthalmic function complications. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Four adult New Zealand white rabbits were killed for a facial anatomy study. Sixty-four adult New Zealand white rabbits underwent fat harvest using the Coleman technique. Autologous fat was minced or digested with collagenase 1 and centrifuged to separate fat lipid and fat granules. Either 0.2 mL or 0.4 mL of minced fat, fat granules, fat lipid, or saline (control) was retrogradely injected into the facial artery of rabbit models. Electroretinography and ophthalmic fundoscopy were performed to measure the retina and fundus artery occlusions 2 weeks after surgery. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Visual impairment, blindness, and death. RESULTS: Injection of 0.2 mL of fat granules, fat lipid, and saline resulted in 100% (8 of 8), 62.5% (5 of 8), and 0 ophthalmic complications, respectively; and 0.4 mL resulted in 87.5% (7 of 8), 12.5% (1 of 8), and 0 ophthalmic complications, respectively. Injection of 0.2 mL and 0.4 mL minced fat led to 100% (8 of 8) ophthalmic complications and death, respectively. The mortality rates were 37.5% (3 of 8), 12.5% (1 of 8), and 0 for 0.2 mL emboli injection, and 100% (8 of 8), 50% (4 of 8), and 0 for 0.4 mL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this study, minced fat injection was associated with more ophthalmic complications than injection of fat granules and fat lipid. Increasing the injection volume of fat tissues could raise the incidence of morbidity and mortality. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA.