Breast Augmentation using Fat Transfer

Breast Augmentation using Fat Transfer has seemed like a pipe-dream for many years. However, it is slowly gaining acceptance within the medical profession.

Most breast augmentation surgeons will have lost count of the times that they've been asked if the fat from one part of the body can be transferred to another. This has traditionally been one of the times when the cosmetic surgeon laughs politely, but breast augmentation with fat transfer is now catching on in clinics around the world.

Breast Augmentation using fat transfer is also known by the terms fat grafting, fat injections, and autologous fat transfer.

Ironically for a procedure that is regarded by many surgeons as not sufficiently advanced for breast augmentation, the autologous fat transfer technique was pioneered in the late 1800s. However, early results were often unsuccessful, and Breast Augmentation using Fat Transfer was put on the back-burner.

Breast Augmentation using Fat Transfer is one of those ideas that seemed too good to be true. Fat removed by liposuction and transferred to the breasts would be a perfect idea, if it can be relied upon for predictably good results. The results would be natural, with no foreign bodies implanted in the patient. And because the fat is from the patient's own body, rejection of the implants should not take place.

FAQs About Breast Augmentation using Fat Transfer

What are the Benefits of Breast Augmentation using Fat Transfer?

How is Breast Augmentation with fat transfer performed?

How permanent are the results of Breast Augmentation with Fat Injections?

Is the Fat Grafting Breast Augmentation Method right for me?

What are the Risks of using Autologous Fat Transfer for Breast Augmentation?

How much does Breast Augmentation using Fat Transfer Cost?

What are the Benefits of Breast Augmentation using Fat Transfer?

The main benefit of performing a breast augmentation using fat transfer from the patient's body is that for many patients, the process somehow seems more natural than using breast implants made from synthetic materials. This makes the process a naturally popular choice with many patients.

Also, for the patient and surgeon alike, a big positive that the patient is unlikely to reject the fat transfer, because it is harvested from the patient's own body.

How is Breast Augmentation with fat transfer performed?

Fat is harvested from the body, via the normal liposuction procedures. Because fat is very delicate when outside the body, the process must have very strict controls, if the fat is to be transferred to the breasts. The most suitable areas for the fat to be donated by are the lower stomach, inner thighs and inner knees.

The fat is then treated and processed, before being transplanted into the breasts. The fat transfer is usually performed with injections, using a blunt syringe to prevent nerve damage, but is also occassionally performed with strips of harvested fat being placed in the breasts.

How Permanent are the Results of Breast Augmentation with Fat Injections?

The results of breast augmentation with fat injections will not be permanent, and the procedure will need to be repeated. The duration is not certain, but evidence suggests that the results should last for between half a year and eight years.

Is the Fat Grafting Breast Augmentation Method right for me?

Whether fat grafting is a good technique for breast augmentation has been a matter for controversy. Many cosmetic surgeons will not perform this operation, preferring to continue to use silicone breast implants. Those surgeons who resist the idea, and there are many of them, will argue that the procedure is not sufficiently reliable, and that the fat injections have a high chance of being reabsorbed into the body, or even of calcifying into a hardened mass, which can create future problems with mammograms.

In other areas of cosmetic surgery, autologous fat transfer is used quite commonly, but for much smaller areas. Autologous fat transfer is, for instance, often used for the lip enhancement procedure, for filling facial wrinkles, and also for the Brazilian Butt Lift procedure. There are signs that fat injections as a method of breast augmentation is more reliable than it once was.

The right candidate for fat grafting breast augmentation will be already planning liposuction, but is interested in combining the procedure with a boob job.

At the end of the day, it is for the patient to decide if they would like to go ahead with a breast augmentation procedure that many medical professionals still regard as in its experimental stages.  However, caution is recommended, and you will certainly want plenty of evidence that your breast augmentation surgeon is very experienced at this type of breast augmentation.

What are the Risks of using Autologous Fat Transfer for Breast Augmentation?

Of cause, all surgery carries with it risks of complications, including haematoma, infection and nerve damage. Breast augmentation using the autologous fat transfer technique does away with the risk of implant rejection, but as is often the way, replaces that risk with new ones.

As stated above, fat cells transferred from one area of the body to another do not always survive.  Some of the fat is reabsorbed by the body, which makes consistant results difficult. Also, there is the danger of the implanted fat mimicing or masking breast cancer. 

How much does Breast Augmentation using Fat Transfer Cost?

A typical cost for breast augmentation using fat transfer is hard to accertain at the moment, as there are still too few cosmetic surgeons performing this kind of breast surgery. However as it is a specialised area of breast augmentation, requiring a good deal of experience, it is generally to be expected that the procedure will exceed the normal costs of breast enhancement.

A good referral service should be able to give you advice on where to find a reputable surgeon specialising in fat grafting breast augmentation.