Is Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation Right for You?

Breast augmentation surgery has been one of the most popular plastic surgeries for decades. While most breast enlargements use implants, there is another, more natural-looking option. Breast fat transfer augmentation uses fat harvested from your body to enlarge your breast size.

Natural breast augmentation, or breast fat transfer, has evolved in the last several years and become a more popular option for breast enlargement. To perform this procedure, a plastic surgeon harvests fat from another area of the body and injects or grafts the fat onto the breasts.

How Is Breast Fat Transfer Augmentation Performed?

Natural breast augmentation usually requires general anesthesia to perform the two plastic surgery procedures. First, liposuction is completed to harvest the fat for the transfer. Most patients have fat removed from an area they want to shrink, such as their abdomen or thighs.

Once the fat is removed, it is filtered and purified. The quality of fat cells is important to ensure they will survive in the new environment. It is normal for some fat cells to die after transfer, which means as much fat as possible is harvested to inject into the breast area.

The next step is injecting the fat into the breast tissue. Special techniques are often used to massage the fat into place to create a smooth and natural appearance. Most natural breast augmentations do not require large incisions on the breasts to graft the fat into the desired areas.

Benefits of Natural Breast Augmentation

There are many reasons that fat transfer breast augmentation has gained popularity. Unlike breast implants, fat transfers to the breast use biological material from the patient. While the body can reject an implant or have an adverse reaction, it is unlikely to reject fat transferred from another part of the body.

The chance of capsular contracture, implant ruptures and other implant-related problems are reduced or eliminated with breast fat transfer. This is considered a safer option for breast augmentation. Some of the other benefits include:

• Reducing fat in another area of the body – two plastic surgery procedures in one session
• A more natural appearance to the breasts
• Breasts feel more natural
• Smaller incisions and less scarring
• Quicker recovery than breast implant surgery

For many individuals considering breast augmentation, fat transfer may be an excellent choice. However, there are some drawbacks or limitations to this plastic surgery procedure.

Drawbacks of Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation

While natural breast augmentation is alluring for many, it does have some drawbacks when compared to the results of breast implants. Breast implants come in many sizes and shapes and can offer significant changes to the breasts. Some of the limitations and drawbacks of breast fat transfer include:

• Longer surgery time. Since two procedures must be performed, the surgery usually takes about 3 hours, while implant surgeries are much shorter.
• Limited size increase. Only so much fat can be transferred to the breasts and some fat will be lost. Most patients can only increase about one cup size with fat transfer.
• Not suitable for thin patients. Fat transfer requires liposuction from a fatty area. Very thin patients may not have enough fat to harvest for the procedure.
• May be more costly. Since two procedures are performed, natural breast augmentation may be more expensive than augmentation with breast implants.

Fat transfer breast augmentation is ideal for patients who only want a small increase in their breast size and have an area that could benefit from liposuction. Breast implants may be a better choice for those wanting a larger increase or with not enough fat stores to perform the procedure.

Breast Fat Transfer with Implants

There is another option that can combine the benefits of fat transfer and implants for breast augmentation. Many plastic surgeons now offer breast augmentation with implants and fat transfer. This procedure places an implant in the breast and adds a layer of fat above it for a more natural appearance.

The breast augmentation using fat transfer and implants can accomplish multiple objectives. It gives the individual the size and shape of breasts desired with a saline or silicone implant. The fat transfer creates a softer, natural appearance and reduced size from liposuction in another area of the body.

Breast Fat Transfer with Mastopexy

Another option for fat transfer breast augmentation is to combine it with a breast lift procedure (mastopexy). This is an excellent option for women who have loose breast skin or saggy breast tissue after pregnancy or weight loss. The lift can remove excess skin while the fat transfer increases size.

If you want to increase your breast size and reduce another area on your body, fat transfer breast augmentation may be right for you. To learn more about the various breast fat transfer options available, contact a plastic surgeon that offers natural breast augmentation.

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