Robert Whitfield MDAmerica's Breast Implant Illness Expert™

Why slim patients can still get fat transfer

1 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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In this brief talk, Dr. Robert Whitfield addresses the common misconception that patients who are very thin cannot undergo fat grafting. He explains that overall body mass alone does not determine eligibility. Instead, he evaluates patients through a physical examination and prefers DEXA scans (over InBody) to assess body composition. He outlines the typical donor sites—inner and outer thighs, flanks, abdomen, mid‑back, upper back, and arms—and notes that even a modest amount of donor fat can be sufficient for a smaller patient. However, he cautions that if a patient lacks enough usable donor fat, the surgeon will decline the procedure.

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Now the myth that brings a lot of you here is you're too thin. So body mass, it's by itself is not the only deciding factor. I look at physical examination, and then we like metrics such as DEXA or DEXA scans. I don't prefer InBody for this. I look for donor fat in inner thigh, outer thigh, flanks, abdomen, mid-back, upper back, arms. Obviously those are the the most common places we would find fat. We do obviously, uh, probably a higher number of these than most, and less fat can still go a long way on a smaller person. That does not mean everyone is a candidate. If there is not enough source of fat, there is not going to be a good transfer, and the surgeon will just say no.