Cerebral fat embolism after facial fat grafting during reconstructive surgery: a rare mechanism of stroke in the young

• Stroke in young adults represents 10–15 % of all ischemic strokes, with increasing incidence in adults aged 20–64, especially in resource-constrained settings. • Cerebral fat embolism is a rare stroke cause, often linked to trauma or procedures like facial fat grafting. • Fat embolism occurs via vascular anastomoses during high-pressure injections, requiring clinician awareness of this rare but severe complication. • Thrombolysis in this specific patient population has the potential to enhance clinical outcomes. • Surgeons and anesthesiologists are the medical specialists most frequently encountering and suspecting this clinical scenario.