There are multiple enhancement avenues when you’re considering breast augmentation surgery options.
It’s very likely you’ve heard of saline or silicone implants. But have you considered fat transfer for your breast augmentation?
If not, you may want to consider learning more about it — at least if you’re a candidate, according to metastudies. Believe it or not, fat transfer breast surgery has a one hundred years-plus history, and is becoming a choice for more women across the United States.
Why Choose Fat Transfer for Your Breast Enhancement?
For decades, women have used synthetic implants to enlarge and reshape their naturally small or deflated breasts. However, implants are not the only way to add fullness to the breasts. For qualifying candidates, fat transfer breast augmentation (or natural breast augmentation) can fill out your breasts. This process moves from one area of the body to the breasts for subtle, natural fullness that looks and feels like real tissue — because it is!
Sometimes referred to as “fat grafting,” fat transfer is a safe enhancement method that offers a nearly nonexistent risk of bodily rejection. And while results are not as dramatic as those achieved with implants, using body fat instead of saline or silicone implants can deliver a more natural appearance.
But is fat transfer always the right choice for breast augmentation? Here’s what to consider.
What Does Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation Involve?
Fat transfer harvests fat from one part of the body and injects it into another area.
The fat is removed via liposuction, a technique that is safe in most cases when performed by an expert on a healthy patient.
We’ll take a deeper dive into breast augmentation fat transfer in a moment.
Who Is a Candidate for This Procedure?
The ideal patient:
- Has enough fat on her body to fill out the breasts with injections
- May have lost volume in the breasts due to pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight loss
- Has less fat tissue in the breasts than she desires
- May have asymmetrical breasts or breast “dimpling” not due to an illness
- Does not smoke, or is willing to stop smoking before the procedure and during recovery
Who Shouldn’t Have Liposuction Fat Transfer?
Ask whether fat transfer if still an option if you:
- Have excessively low body weight currently
- Expect to lose a substantial amount of weight soon
- May expect to gain fat in a short period of time in the near future (for example: you plan to get pregnant)
- Have had a fat transfer procedure before, and the fat reabsorbed into your body
What Happens During Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation?
Here’s what you can expect during your procedure:
- Fat will be removed from another area of your body, such as your abdomen, thighs, love handles, or hips, using a liposuction tool called a cannula.
- The fat will then be put through a centrifuge to remove blood, oil, and water.
- The surgeon strategically injects the purified fat into the breasts to add volume and create a natural shape.
Does Fat Transfer Hurt?
The actual procedure should not hurt at all. Most fat transfer breast augmentations are performed either with general (“sleeping”) anesthesia, or using IV sedation.
You may have discomfort after you wake up and the anesthetic has worn off. Follow your surgeon’s instructions on how to treat post-surgery pain.
Is the Procedure Safe?
Fat transfer breast surgery is considered to be safe, with a low risk of complications.
However, any surgical procedure carries risks. A low percentage of patients have reported:
- Development of cysts in the injection site
- Fever or infection
- Microcalcifications
- Reabsorption of the fat into the body
- Necrosis of the fat cells (“cell death”)
How Much Breast Volume Can Be Added Via Fat Transfer?
One drawback to this method is that surgeons usually limit the volume of the transfer to a smaller size than can be achieved via saline or silicone implants.
This procedure is considered a good fit for a patient who wants noticeable but not dramatic results, and who wishes to move some fat out of another area of the body, such as the hips or abdomen.
This procedure often offers an increase of roughly one cup size.
How Long Does it Take to Recover from Fat Graft Breast Augmentation?
Most patients say they had some soreness but not significant pain in the breasts for about a week. Some women may have tenderness for up to two weeks.
Bruising and swelling generally last about three weeks. After that, some residual swelling may remain for as long as six months. However, this swelling should be less noticeable than during the first month post-surgery.
Are the Results of Fat Grafting Breast Augmentation Permanent?
Fat that is removed from another part of the body using liposuction will not “grow back.” However, if you gain weight, the surrounding area can still grow larger, resulting in a less balanced appearance.
Fat injected into the breasts may also grow if you gain weight. If you lose weight, the injected fat can lose volume, but the fat cells will still be there.
In addition, a small percentage of women will experience some of the fat either dying off (cell necrosis) or being reabsorbed into the body. Both situations will result in a loss of initial post-surgical volume.
Contacting a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
Your best bet in pursuing fat-graft breast augmentation is to contact a board-certified plastic surgeon. Your doctor can guide you to the right choice for your body and your lifestyle.
The better prepared you are, the better your chances at a quick recovery and beautiful results you can enjoy now and in the future.
