Oscar Tellez
07/19/2026
10:00 AM
Preserve your own adipose (fat) tissue in one short in-office procedure, so it stays documented and available if you and a licensed physician ever explore a future FDA-regulated pathway. Banking is preservation, not treatment.
This page explains, in plain language, what adipose (fat) tissue banking is for patients: 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. Banking is a way to preserve your own tissue now for potential future use. It is not a treatment for any condition.
Key takeaways:
Adipose tissue banking is a way to preserve your own fat tissue, and the cells within it, through cryopreservation (long-term storage at very low temperatures). It is a preservation service, not a therapy. SaveMyFat connects you and your provider with a U.S.-based tissue bank that processes and stores the tissue; SaveMyFat does not collect, process, or store it. Whether stored tissue could ever be used in your own care depends on future FDA decisions, the pathway available at the time, and your physician’s judgment. Today, adipose-derived cell products used for most conditions are investigational and are not FDA-approved to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Fat (adipose) tissue is a rich, accessible source of cells that scientists study, including mesenchymal stromal cells. In a short in-office procedure, a provider collects a small amount of your adipose tissue. A U.S.-based laboratory then processes and cryopreserves it. Storing your tissue now simply keeps your own biological material available. It does not diagnose or treat any condition, and it does not guarantee that any future use will be possible or appropriate for you.
Some clinics collect and use cells on the same day, outside FDA-regulated pathways. SaveMyFat takes a more conservative route: we connect you with a bank that preserves your own tissue for the long term, so it is documented and available if a lawful, FDA-regulated option ever becomes relevant to you. Banking does not enroll you in any treatment, and any future use would be decided with a licensed physician, not with SaveMyFat.
There is no guarantee that stored tissue can be used to address any condition. Most adipose-derived cell uses are investigational and are not FDA-approved. If lawful options ever apply to you, they run through tightly controlled channels: a registered clinical trial, the FDA’s Expanded Access program for serious conditions, or a therapy that has completed the full FDA approval process. Registration of a trial is not proof of safety, effectiveness, or approval. Any decision would be made by you and a licensed physician.
Fat tissue is an abundant, accessible source of cells that researchers study, and collecting it is less invasive than a bone marrow draw. A typical collection is a short outpatient procedure. Because the tissue is your own (autologous), banking it avoids the donor-matching questions that come with tissue from other people. Like any procedure, collection carries risks such as bruising, bleeding, or infection, which you should discuss with your provider.
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.
It is not a therapy. SaveMyFat is a facilitator, not a treatment provider or a laboratory. It does not diagnose conditions and does not promise that banked tissue will treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates human cells and tissues under 21 CFR Part 1271. 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 consumer alert on regenerative medicine products explains this in more detail. To see where the science is heading, read our overviews of emerging research and research areas.
Under some legal and medical guidelines, eligible first-degree blood relatives may be able to use your banked tissue in the future. Eligibility is not guaranteed. It depends on the pathway, your relationship, and the regulations in place at that time.
Once cryopreserved, tissue is stored at very low temperatures and documented for the long term. Storing tissue does not treat anything and does not guarantee that any future use will be possible or appropriate.
No. Banking is preservation, not treatment. Adipose-derived cell uses for most conditions are investigational and are not FDA-approved to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Stored tissue is not a ready-to-use therapy, and having it banked does not make you eligible for any treatment.
Your tissue is processed and cryopreserved 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 collect, process, or store tissue itself.
Yes. Banked tissue comes from your own body, which avoids the donor-matching questions associated with tissue from other people. It is not risk-free, and collection carries normal procedure risks. Your provider can explain what this does and does not mean for you.
Banking 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 treat any disease. Storing tissue does not change that.
Our network includes providers and laboratory partners with 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. Any future medical decision should be made with your own licensed provider.
Orthopedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine
Owner of Regenevada and Professor at UILC
Board-Certified General, Vascular & Cosmetic Surgeon
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.
Bring compliant, U.S.-based adipose tissue banking to your organization.
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Our team can help you understand how adipose tissue banking works and what it is and is not. We do not provide medical advice; any medical decision is between you and a licensed physician.
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; FDA, Patient Information on Regenerative Medicine Therapies; 21 CFR Part 1271 (HCT/Ps); FDA Expanded Access; ClinicalTrials.gov.
Last reviewed: July 2026.
