Breast Augmentation Via Fat Grafting

Breast augmentation via fat grafting is a breast enhancement procedure that uses the body's own fat cells to enlarge the breasts. This method of breast augmentation uses liposuction to remove unwanted fat from another part of the body, such as the thighs, buttocks or abdomen. The fat is then used to create larger breasts that look and feel natural.

Find a Breast Augmentation Via Fat Grafting Surgeon

The information here will get you started in your research for breast augmentation, but only a doctor can determine for certain if breast augmentation via fat grafting is right for you. We work hard to connect you with the top breast augmentation surgeons in your area. Use our Physician Locator to set up consultations with surgeons in your area.

Benefits of Breast Augmentation Via Fat Grafting

A main benefit of breast augmentation via fat grafting is that you aren't inserting foreign material into your breasts. And because this procedure uses tissues similar to the tissues that make up the breast, it's possible to form a breast that feels natural and creates a natural silhouette.

Breast augmentation via fat grafting can result in an added benefit: a trimmer body. Liposuction removes excess fat from areas of the body that have not responded well to diet and exercise. For a breast augmentation procedure, this fat is then used to enhance the breasts.

Other reasons to choose a fat grafting technique include:

• Only miniscule incisions are required, resulting in minimal scarring.
• No risk of rejection by the body because no foreign materials are inserted.
• Less downtime after surgery and quicker healing.
• Implants carry the risk of leaking, rupture and deflation. In fact, many implants need to be replaced at some point. Once the fat attaches to the breast tissue, the results are permanent.

Breast Augmentation Via Fat Grafting Procedure

This procedure involves three steps:

1. Removing the fat using liposuction
2. Processing the fat for optimal survival
3. Injecting the fat into the breast

The fat cells are first removed from the area decided upon beforehand. Often this is the buttocks, abdomen or thighs-common areas that contain excess fat and can be slimmed and toned by the removal of fat.

Liposuction

The growth in popularity of breast augmentation via fat transfer is due in part to advances in liposuction technology. Liposuction has gained wide popularity because of improvements in technology and cost. It's now a safe and common cosmetic procedure that helps patients improve their appearances and self-confidence. For this procedure, a cannula, or thin tube, is used to suck out the fat. Next, the doctor processes the fat using techniques designed to preserve the fat and ensure a high percentage of fat survives the injection.

Finally, the doctor injects the fat into the breast through very small incisions. The doctor may inject small amounts of fat into different parts of the breast to create a full, natural look. In fact, one benefit of a fat grafting technique is that the doctor can inject fat into specific parts of the breast that require shaping. After the fat is injected, it might take several months before the results are visible, but you should see some results right away.

One of the challenges of fat transfers is that some of the fat will die before it attaches to the breast tissue. Fat that does not survive will not enhance the breast but will be reabsorbed into the body. Because of this, doctors are continually developing new techniques for processing fat cells, and advances in technology are leading to higher rates of fat survival.

Is Breast Augmentation Via Fat Grafting Safe?

Breast augmentation via fat grafting is a safe and effective technique for enhancing the breasts. Although the procedure is not without risk, severe complications are not common.

Fat grafting has a long history in medicine and has been performed for over a century. For years, doctors have been using patients' own fat to restore areas of the body affected by illness or injury, or to improve the appearance of certain trouble spots that deflate with age.

A report presented at the 2008 American Society of Plastic Surgeons and Plastic Surgery (ASPS) conference demonstrated the success of fat grafting for fixing breast reconstruction imperfections. The procedure proved safe, and patients were happy with the results. Because the fat is not injected into any living body tissue when correcting imperfections in a breast reconstruction, some of the normal risks of fat transfers are eliminated.

Risks and Complications of Breast Augmentation Via Fat Grafting

You should talk to your doctor about the possible risks and complications of a breast augmentation via fat grafting. As with any medical procedure, this procedure is not risk free, although severe complications are not common.

Risks and complications may include:

• Lumps or ripples resulting from some fat being reabsorbed into the body
• Calcification or hardening of the inserted fat
• Infection
• Fat embolism, which is when a bit of fat comes loose, is carried through the body and causes a blockage in a blood vessel
• Sometimes a second fat transfer is needed to achieve the desired result.

Am I a Good Candidate for Breast Augmentation Via Fat Grafting?

You are likely a candidate for breast augmentation via fat grafting if you have a medical condition that has affected the size or shape of your breasts or if you are simply dissatisfied with your breasts and would like to create a fuller, shapelier chest.

Women choose to have breast augmentation via fat grafting for a variety of reasons, including:

• Reconstruction of the breast due to mastectomy or the removal of lumps from the breast
• Reconstruction of a collapsed breast implant
• Correcting the breasts caused by genetic problems, such as tuberous breasts or Polands Syndrome, conditions that cause misshapen or underdeveloped breasts
• Increasing self-confidence by increasing cup size
• Improving the look of the breast after the effects of motherhood
• Improving the look of the breast due to the effects of aging

After Breast Augmentation Via Fat Grafting

After your breast augmentation, your doctor will go over instructions for your recovery. You might be able to return to work in as soon as 48 hours and resume most of your normal activities right away. You might experience bruising and discomfort from the incisions where the fat was injected and from the liposuction site. Over-the-counter medications should take care of your pain, but you can discuss options with your doctor.