Fat Transfer for Breast Augmentation — What it Can and Can`t Do

Posted Thursday, June 24, 2010 to PROCEDURES > Breast

Posted by James Romanelli, MD, FACS

www.longislandbreast.com

For as long as I've been performing breast augmentation (enlargement) on Long Island, women have been asking the same question: "Can't you just move some of the unwanted fat from my belly or hips to my breasts where I need it?" Now, some plastic surgeons are offering this "natural" breast augmentation option to a very select group of patients. But before you get your hopes up, you should understand that fat transfer (or fat grafting) for breast augmentation is a relatively new procedure with some significant limitations. What seems like a dream come true probably isn't a realistic option for most breast augmentation patients.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Most women who come to me for breast enlargement on Long Island want to noticeably increase the size of their breasts. The doctors who offer fat transfer for breast augmentation caution that this approach can only increase volume subtly – perhaps a cup size. And studies show that only 60 to 70 percent of the grafted fat is retained after the transfer.
• I also see a great number of patients who need a breast lift along with their augmentation in order to correct sagging. Most doctors performing the fat transfer procedure will not do so on a patient with more than minimal sagging.
• Other criteria that may exclude you from being a candidate include prior breast surgeries, including biopsies and previous breast augmentation. There are also concerns about how this procedure will affect the accuracy of mammograms, so patients with a history of breast cancer may not be candidates.
• Furthermore, this approach requires a minimum of two surgeries: the liposuction for harvesting fat, and the fat transfer to the breasts, which may need to be repeated. And while it may sound appealing to have liposuction at the same time as your breast augmentation, not everyone has the volume and type of fat that is needed for best results.

I have found that my breast augmentation patients are highly satisfied with the improved shape and size that I can achieve using implants. In my opinion, this safe, popular, and proven approach will continue to be the standard for breast augmentation.

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