Use of beta blockers for increasing survival of free fat grafts.

Fat tissue is abundant in the body and preferred in soft tissue augmentation. Since resorption is its greatest disadvantage, many agents have been tried in an attempt to increase fat graft survival in various studies. Yet selective beta1 blocker had not been used before. The effect of selective beta1 blockers on resorption following auto-transplantation of free fat graft was examined in rats. The effect of selective beta1 blockers was compared with those of insulin and saline solution as a control. For this comparison, the weight of fat grafts was measured both during and nine months after operation using the "liquid overflow method" in which obtained material was put into 5 cc syringe filled with saline solution and the increase in liquid level was recorded as graft volume. Histological examination of grafts and statistical analyses of the results were also made. Our in vivo study demonstrated that selective beta1 blocker significantly increased free fat graft survival. It is our conclusion that selective beta1 blocker is a promising agent for decreasing fat graft resorption.