Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation is becoming increasingly popular. This is a procedure that is appealing for first time augmentation in women who want to avoid an implant and who also want the added benefit of Liposuction of a body region to provide the fat needed to augment the breast.
It is also a nice added procedure to a breast lift for women who want some added cleavage, particularly in post menopausal women or women who have sustained significant weight loss. And another excellent group of women who are candidates for Fat Transfer are those who had breast augmentation with implants and are ready to have their implants out, but are anxious about an extreme sudden loss of volume.
The Results
Results I see with Fat transfer to the breast are lovely: not as large as with an implant, but there is definite increase in size, with added roundness and lift in the breast and less emptiness in the upper chest between the collarbone and the breast mound. There is an improved freshness to the tissues as the fat provides not only volume but also a stem cell effect, so the breast and nipple are rounder and softer and the skin becomes more youthful and healthy.
The most important aspects to this procedure include gentle management of the fat that goes into the breast as well as limiting the volume of fat that goes in, to assure proper healing and respect for the limits the breast tissue can heal. This optimizes “take” and reduces the risk of cyst formation. The paradox of this procedure is the smaller the breast, the less fat can be transferred – the host tissue can only provide circulation to fat that is in touch with it.
Many women therefore return for second or even third rounds of fat transfer to achieve larger cup sizes: as the initial fat heals, this in turn can provide more host tissue to fat grafted to the area. Generally I promise ½ to 1 cup size with 1 round of fat grafting.
What are the Donor Regions?
Donor regions for fat to the breast are many. The best site for fat harvest is the abdomen, as the location is convenient and allows for a win-win result with gently larger breasts and a flatter abdomen, improving the whole “landscape view.” Other donor sites include the arms, inner and outer thighs, knees and back. A fat source is required, so really thin women might not have enough.
The results are amazing and the recovery is relatively easy. Within 7-10 days physical activity should be at regular level and all sutures are out. Special compression garments and massage are recommended for the area that is liposuctioned. I am hugely excited about Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation and my patients’ experiences with it!
