Breast Augmentation using Fat: The Pros and Cons

Breast enhancement can look different for every woman. It should, because every patient’s body is unique. Dr. Shridharani performs procedures like breast augmentation frequently. His experience using various techniques, including breast implants and fat transfer, helps patients achieve outstanding outcomes. Knowing that many women are interested in achieving better contours in an all-natural way, we want to discuss the pros and cons of the fat transfer procedure. 

PROS

More Extensive Sculpting

Body sculpting isn’t about taking away, it is about creating more pronounced curves. This is one of the most noticeable advantages of natural breast augmentation. Because the surgeon uses fat to enhance the shape of the breasts, another area of the body must be slimmed. Darn! Common areas from which fat is harvested for breast augmentation include the abdomen, hips, flanks, buttocks, and thighs. The liposuction aspect of this procedure can smooth away up to a few inches of extra padding, achieving even better contouring than breast augmentation alone. 

Surgery is Minimally-Invasive

Breast augmentation using implants is not necessarily complicated, but it is slightly more invasive than fat transfer to the breasts. The incisions needed for fat transfer surgery are very small, usually about 4 millimeters. This is true of both the harvest area and the recipient area. 

Few Risks

Fat transfer extracts fat, processes it to get the purest fat cells, and injects fat into the breasts. The primary risk associated with this is infection and, because incisions are so small, even that risk is low. While the vast majority of breast implant procedures occur without complications, there are risks to consider, including capsular contracture, in which the scar tissue around a breast implant grows firm and rigid. 

CONS

Limited Increase

In general, surgeons expect to achieve an increase of about one cup size using the fat transfer procedure for breast enlargement. Patients need to discuss their desired outcome not only in terms of size, but also shape. Breast augmentation using fat transfer may not achieve dramatic cleavage, so patients interested in particular details such as this may be better suited to breast implants. 

It’s Not Right for Everyone

To be a good candidate for breast fat transfer, it is necessary to have sufficient adipose fat in one or more other areas of the body. 

Unpredictability

Successful fat grafting results rely on the survival of inserted fat cells. At first, these cells do not have their own blood supply. Therefore, some of the injected fat is bound to get absorbed. Every patient’s body reacts to fat transfer in its own way, so it is difficult to predict how much fat will survive. Generally, 50% to 70% does. Patients who desire a more substantial increase may repeat the fat transfer procedure after they have completely healed from their first. 

Breast enhancement can be a gratifying experience for any woman. To learn more about the various techniques available, schedule a consultation at our NYC office at (212) 508-0000. 

Posted in: Breast Augmentation

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