Parry-Romberg syndrome, often referred to simply as fat atrophy, is a medical condition that predominantly affects children. With fat atrophy, the fat and muscle tissue on one side of the face will gradually waste away. This, in turn, will lead to structural changes in the bones and skin on that side of the face, resulting in unnatural sagging on the affected side of the face.
Unfortunately, it is unknown what exactly causes fat atrophy in the face to occur. While the condition always results from fat degradation on one side of the face, medical experts have not been able to come to concrete conclusions as to what exactly causes the fat to degrade. There also is not an exact cure for fat atrophy in children.
However, there are treatments that can correct any damage that the condition causes to the face, mouth, and head. There are also treatments that can replace the damaged fat in the face, potentially causing the condition to stop. The key to success with these treatments is to diagnose fat atrophy properly and to stop the progression of the condition before administering corrective treatment.
If it is determined that you have fat atrophy, the first step to correcting it is to stop the degradation of fat on the affected side of the face. To do this, you will need to have the existing fat removed and replaced with healthy fat from another part of the body.
While this was once considered impossible, there are now state-of-the-art treatments to transfer fat from one part of the body to another. Typically, this involves removing the bad fat from the face, then using a needle and suction to suck healthy fat out of another part of the body.
The healthy fat is then cleaned, and any debris inside of it is removed. The healthy fat is then inserted into the part of the face that was affected by fat atrophy. There will then be a waiting period to determine whether or not the facial atrophy has stopped or whether it is still happening. If fat atrophy no longer occurs, you can proceed with facial reconstructive surgery.
In addition to transferring fat from another part of the body, you may also need synthetic implants for the affected side of the face. Synthetic implants are similar to those used for breast implants, and they consist of silicone or similar materials that mimic fat and skin. Synthetic implants can be used in addition to fat transfers or in place of them in the event that there simply is not enough healthy fat to replace the unhealthy deposits.
The reason you need to wait until fat atrophy has stopped is that reconstructive surgery will not be permanent if the face continues sagging. Therefore, once doctors have determined that fat atrophy has stopped thanks to synthetic implants, fat transfers, and fat removal, reconstructive surgery can begin.
The extent of surgery that your child needs will vary from case to case. Some instances of fat atrophy are much more severe than others, and more extensive surgeries will be needed. There is also a chance that you will need multiple procedures, depending on how much of the face is affected.
More extensive surgery can include bone grafts, skin grafts, and muscle replacement, whereas less invasive surgery can include face and brow lifts. The ultimate goal of reconstructive surgery is to make the face appear as normal as possible.
While fat atrophy in children is extremely rare, it is a frightening condition for both children and their parents. The key to treating fat atrophy is to receive a proper diagnosis followed by careful monitoring. When the time is right, fat transfers, synthetic implants, and reconstructive surgery are the best ways to treat fat atrophy.