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Save My Fat

How Adipose Tissue Banking Works

One in-office procedure. Long-term cryopreservation of your own adipose (fat) tissue and the adipose-derived cells within it. 

Stored in the United States for potential future use.

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U.S.-Based Labs | FDA-Compliant Processing Standards | Educational Resource, Not Medical Advice

What This Page Covers

This page explains, in plain language, how adipose (fat) tissue banking works with SaveMyFat: how a partner provider collects your tissue, how a U.S.-based tissue bank processes and cryopreserves it, and what banking can and cannot do. SaveMyFat’s role is to connect you and your provider with that bank. Adipose-derived stem cell banking is a way to preserve your own tissue now for potential future use. It is not a treatment for any condition.

To understand the rules and the science behind it, see our guide to FDA regulation of adipose tissue and the stem cell science glossary.

Key takeaways:

  • Collecting adipose tissue usually takes under 20 minutes in a provider’s office.
  • A partner provider collects your tissue and a U.S.-based tissue bank (L2 Bio) processes and cryopreserves it. SaveMyFat coordinates the connection.
  • Banking is preservation, not treatment. It is not an FDA-approved therapy and makes no promise of future benefit.
  • Any future use depends on FDA decisions, available pathways, your health, and your physician’s guidance.
  • Review the costs, the process, and the limits with your own provider before you decide.
Important: SaveMyFat connects patients and providers with a U.S.-based tissue bank for adipose tissue banking. SaveMyFat does not collect, process, or store tissue itself, and it does not provide treatments or cures for any disease. Most adipose-derived cell products that are more than minimally manipulated are regulated as biologics and are not FDA-approved to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Banking your tissue today does not guarantee eligibility, access, or clinical benefit from any future therapy or clinical trial. This page is educational and is not medical advice. Talk with your own licensed healthcare provider about any medical decision.
The Process

From Harvest to
Long-Term Storage.

Adipose tissue banking begins with a short visit to a SaveMyFat partner provider. In under 20 minutes, a provider collects a small amount of your own fat (adipose) tissue. That sample is sent to a U.S.-based laboratory, where it is processed and cryopreserved for long-term storage. Your tissue remains yours. It is preserved so that it may be available to you in the future if you and a licensed physician decide to explore an FDA-regulated pathway, such as a clinical trial or an approved therapy, should one apply to your situation. Banking does not diagnose, treat, or cure any condition, and it does not guarantee future access or benefit.

Find A provider
How adipose tissue banking works | savemyfat
Step 1
Consult

Meet with a SaveMyFat partner provider to discuss your goals, review the process and its limits, and see whether adipose tissue banking fits your planning. This is an educational conversation, not a medical recommendation.

How adipose tissue banking works | savemyfat
Step 2
Harvest

A short, in-office procedure collects a small amount of adipose (fat) tissue, usually in under 20 minutes. Like any procedure it carries risks such as bruising or infection, which you should discuss with your provider.

How adipose tissue banking works | savemyfat
Step 3
Process

Your sample ships to L2 Bio's U.S.-based laboratory, where the adipose tissue is processed and prepared for cryopreservation under strict quality controls.

How adipose tissue banking works | savemyfat
Step 4
Store

Your cryopreserved samples are stored in the United States. They remain available to you, and under applicable guidelines may be available to eligible first-degree relatives, for potential future use through lawful, FDA-regulated pathways.

Why Choose us

The Premier Choice for
Stem Cell Banking.

FDA-Compliant Processing Standards
U.S. Based Labs
Your Own Cells (Autologous)

A single collection can yield a large number of cryopreserved vials of your own tissue. Storing more now preserves more options later, though any future use always depends on evolving science, FDA decisions, and your physician's guidance.

Under certain conditions, eligible first-degree blood relatives may be able to use your banked tissue in the future. Eligibility is not guaranteed and depends on the pathway, your relationship, and the regulations in place at that time. Your provider can explain what may apply to your family.

Once cryopreserved, your samples are stored and documented. If you and a licensed physician later pursue a lawful, FDA-regulated pathway, your stored tissue can be located without a new collection. This does not guarantee that any therapy will be available or appropriate for you.

Your tissue is processed and stored entirely in the United States by L2 Bio under FDA-compliant tissue-handling standards. There is no overseas shipping and no unregulated foreign labs. SaveMyFat connects you and your provider with this bank; it does not process or store tissue itself.

Yes. Banked tissue is your own, which avoids the donor-matching questions associated with tissue from other people. Your provider can explain what this does and does not mean for you.

Banking itself is a preservation service, not a medical product that the FDA approves or disapproves. Separately, most adipose-derived cell products that are more than minimally manipulated are regulated as biologics and are not FDA-approved to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Storing tissue does not change that.

No. Banking does not guarantee eligibility, access, or benefit from any future therapy or clinical trial. Any future use depends on FDA decisions, the pathway available at the time, your clinical situation, and your physician's judgment.

SaveMyFat is a tissue preservation service. It is not a treatment provider and does not offer stem cell injections or therapies for any disease. Banking is meant to position you for potential participation in lawful, FDA-regulated pathways in the future.

Adipose collection is a medical procedure and carries risks such as bruising, bleeding, or infection. Long-term storage outcomes depend on many factors and cannot be guaranteed. Discuss all risks with a licensed healthcare provider before deciding.

What Adipose Tissue Banking Is, and What It Is Not

Adipose tissue banking is a preservation service. A partner provider collects a small amount of your own fat tissue, a U.S.-based tissue bank processes and cryopreserves it, and it is stored for the long term. SaveMyFat’s role is to connect you and your provider with that bank and coordinate the process, not to collect, process, or store tissue itself. The goal is to keep your own biological material available in case lawful, FDA-regulated options become relevant to you in the future.

It is not a therapy. SaveMyFat is a facilitator, not a treatment provider or a laboratory. It does not diagnose conditions, does not collect, process, or store tissue, and does not offer stem cell injections or promise that banked tissue will treat, cure, or prevent anything. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates human cells and tissues under 21 CFR Part 1271. Tissue that is minimally manipulated and used for the same basic function it serves in the body faces fewer requirements, while cells that are more than minimally manipulated, or used for a different function, are regulated as biologics that require FDA approval before they may be marketed to treat disease. The FDA’s own consumer alert on regenerative medicine products explains this in more detail.

Legitimate future pathways are tightly controlled. They include registered clinical trials, the FDA’s Expanded Access program for serious conditions, and therapies that complete the full FDA approval process. Banking tissue does not automatically enroll you in any of these. To see where the science is heading, read our overviews of emerging adipose research and the areas being studied.

Trusted By Medical Experts.

Backed By Decades Of Expertise.

SaveMyFat works with providers and laboratory partners who bring decades of combined experience in regenerative medicine, surgery, and tissue processing. Their involvement reflects our focus on U.S.-based, standards-driven handling of your tissue. Physician involvement is part of responsible banking, and any future medical decision should be made with your own licensed provider.

  • U.S.-Based Processing
  • Millions of Cells Per Vial
  • Strict Quality Controls
  • Long-Term Storage
Dr. Jose R. Ortega MD

Orthopedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine

Dr. Thomas Lobe

Owner of Regenevada and Professor at UILC

Dr. Rafael Diaz-Yoserev

Board-Certified General, Vascular & Cosmetic Surgeon

Ready to Get Started?

Whether you want to bank your own adipose tissue or offer banking in your practice, the next step is a conversation. We will walk you through the process, the costs, and the limits, so you can make an informed decision with your provider.

For Clinics and Networks

Bring compliant, U.S.-based adipose tissue banking to your organization.

Contact Us

For Patients

Informed planning starts with one conversation.

  • Find a provider near you.
  • See what the procedure involves.
  • Learn about potential future uses in FDA-regulated pathways.
  • Understand the science in plain language, not medical speak.
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For Providers

Add a U.S.-based, compliance-first service to your practice.

  • Training and certification pathway.
  • Simple integration into existing workflows.
  • U.S.-based lab processing through L2 Bio.
  • The science of adipose-derived cells, explained for your team.
Become a Provider

Every Partnership Includes:

  • U.S.-Based Lab Processing
  • FDA-Compliant Technology
  • Long-Term Cryopreservation
  • Dedicated Support Team

About the Author

Oscar Tellez is the founder and CEO of SaveMyFat. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from Florida Atlantic University and is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer. Oscar has spent more than a decade working across the regenerative medicine industry, including product distribution, laboratory and vendor relationships, and provider training. He founded SaveMyFat to connect patients and providers with compliant adipose tissue banking and to simplify the process. This article is educational, reflects current FDA guidance, and is not medical advice or a substitute for consultation with a licensed clinician.

Sources and further reading: U.S. FDA, Consumer Alert on Regenerative Medicine Products; 21 CFR Part 1271 (HCT/Ps); FDA Expanded Access; ClinicalTrials.gov.

Last reviewed: July 2026.

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