Treatment of facial fat atrophy related to treatment with protease inhibitors by autologous fat injection in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

A parallel effect of the use of protease inhibitors in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients is the appearance of facial fat atrophy. To correct this, the authors propose lipoinjection of autologous fat into the areas of facial atrophy by a technique based on the atraumatic procurement of fat and posterior treatment with decantation, centrifugation, and cleaning of other material obtained by aspiration. The method of fat injection is also important and is performed by means of interlaced tunnels and the introduction of a small volume of fat into each tunnel as a graft. In 30 percent of the cases, reinjection of fat was required during the first postoperative months. The results obtained after the experience of 2 years were very satisfactory.