In the pursuit of beauty and confidence, women often seek ways to enhance their appearance in the most natural and safe manner possible. Fat transfer breast augmentation offers a groundbreaking solution in the realm of cosmetic breast surgery, merging the desire for fuller breasts with the appeal of using one’s own body fat. Natural breast augmentation with fat transfer stands out for its ability to harmonize body proportions while ensuring a natural look and feel. Dr. Samuel Sohn, a celebrated board-certified plastic surgeon serving patients from the Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg, Florida areas, specializes in this technique. His expertise in crafting natural, aesthetically pleasing results has made him a trusted name in cosmetic surgery.
Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
- What is Fat Transfer?
- Benefits of Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
- Who is a Candidate for Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer?
- Preparing for Your Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
- The Fat Transfer Procedure for Breast Augmentation
- Recovery After Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
- FAQs About Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
What is Fat Transfer?
Fat transfer, often referred to as fat grafting or autologous fat transfer, involves harvesting excess fat from one area of the body through liposuction, purifying it, and then meticulously injecting it into the breasts to enhance their size and shape. This dual-benefit procedure not only augments the breasts but also contours areas like the abdomen, hips, or thighs, where the fat is harvested from, resulting in a more sculpted and balanced body silhouette.
Trusted Source
The use of autologous fat grafts in breast surgery: A literature review
Bayram Y, Sezgic M, Karakol P, Bozkurt M, Filinte GT
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Unlike traditional breast augmentation with breast implants, fat transfer is a minimally invasive procedure. Very small incisions are made to introduce the liposuction cannula to the donor areas on the patient’s body, and the fat is reintroduced into the breasts with a syringe. Not only does this lead to very minimal visible scarring, but fat grafting breast augmentation also requires a much shorter recovery time than traditional breast augmentation with implants.
Benefits of Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
Fat grafting for breast augmentation offers numerous advantages:
- Natural Results: Your own body fat is used to augment your breasts, ensuring the breasts look and feel natural.
- Minimized Risk: Because your own tissue is used, there is a lower risk of rejection or allergic reactions.
- Dual Benefit: Fat grafting breast augmentation enhances the breast size while slimming down areas with excess fat.
- Less Invasive: No implants mean fewer risks and scars.
- Improved Body Contour: This procedure reveals a more proportionate body shape.
- Correct Breast Asymmetry: Fat transfer helps women achieve more symmetrical breasts.
- Reduce Sagging: For appropriate patients, this procedure can help restore lift and firmness to saggy breasts. Some patients, however, may be better candidates for a formal surgical breast lift.
- Correct Breast Implant Defects: Fat grafting can correct cosmetic issues caused by breast implants such visible implants, rippling, and dimpling.
Who is a Candidate for Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer?
If you are interested in a moderate increase in your breast size but want results that look and feel natural, you may be a good candidate for fat transfer breast augmentation. In general, good candidates for this procedure:
- Desire a moderate increase in the size of their breasts
- Have sufficient fatty tissue for transfer
- Are able to maintain a stable body weight
- Are not smokers
- Are in good overall health
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Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
Cleveland Clinic
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Preparing for Your Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
The key to feeling well-prepared for fat transfer breast augmentation is a thorough consultation with Dr. Sohn, where you will discuss your medical history, expectations, and aesthetic goals. You will learn more about the fat grafting procedure, and Dr. Sohn will help you make an educated decision about your treatment plan. You may be advised to maintain a stable weight, avoid certain medications, and stop smoking to ensure optimal healing and results.
The Fat Transfer Procedure for Breast Augmentation
Fat grafting breast augmentation with Dr. Samuel Sohn is an outpatient procedure, and may be performed under local anesthesia with IV sedation or general anesthesia, according to the patient’s comfort and medical requirements.
The fat transfer procedure begins with Dr. Sohn identifying and marking the predetermined harvest sites, where excess fat is often found, such as the abdomen, thighs, or flanks (“love handles”)—areas typically resistant to diet and exercise. Using thin liposuction cannulas, Dr. Sohn carefully harvests the fat from these areas. This harvested fat is then purified through a meticulous process.
Once purified, the fat is ready for injection into the breasts. Dr. Sohn strategically injects and sculpts the fat to achieve the desired volume increase, ensuring symmetrical and natural-looking contours. An ultrasound may be used during the procedure to help guide the placement of fat into the appropriate tissue planes and to improve patient safety. His approach involves using multiple carefully placed injections to create an even distribution of fat, which is essential for a seamless, natural appearance. Patient safety and aesthetic goals are paramount throughout this process, guiding each step to ensure the best possible outcome.
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Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
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Recovery After Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
Following your fat transfer breast augmentation procedure, you’ll be equipped with a compression garment at the liposuction sites to aid in healing and shaping. You will need to avoid direct pressure on the breasts to ensure the success of the fat transfer. Initial discomfort, swelling, and bruising are common but tend to subside quickly, and Dr. Sohn will prescribe pain medication to help you feel more comfortable. Most patients are able to return to work and resume daily activities within a week, though it’s essential to avoid strenuous activities for a few weeks to facilitate optimal healing.
Initially after fat transfer breast augmentation, the breasts will appear much larger than targeted. As the body heals, some of the transferred fat will be absorbed back into the body. The final, natural-looking results become apparent 8 to 10 weeks post-surgery, as the body adapts to its new contours. Dr. Sohn provides thorough follow-up care to monitor recovery and ensure the best outcome.
FAQs About Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
The cost of breast augmentation with fat grafting varies according to the extent of treatment required to meet a patient’s goals. You will receive a detailed cost breakdown for your unique plastic surgery treatment plan following your consultation with Dr. Sohn.
Fat transfer is ideal for those seeking a moderate increase in breast size. It may not achieve the same volume increase as implants but offers a more natural result.
Yes. Many of Dr. Sohn’s patients choose to undergo a breast lift at the same time as their fat transfer breast augmentation. This allows for a total rejuvenation of the breast area, revealing breasts that are not only larger, but perkier and more youthful.
No. While fat harvesting from the abdominal area will result in a flatter tummy, it won’t yield the same results as a full tummy tuck, which also addresses muscle laxity in the area.
Liposuction removes fat from the targeted area, which reduces the appearance of bulges or stubborn fat pockets. However, liposuction is not a weight loss procedure and should not be considered as such.
The results can be long-lasting. While some fat may be reabsorbed by the body initially, the remaining fat typically stays, providing permanent enhancement.
Yes, a few visible scars will remain after this cosmetic procedure at the sites where the liposuction cannula was introduced. However, these incisions are very small and Dr. Sohn carefully places them in areas where they will be well-hidden.
Any surgical procedure is associated with some risks and side effects. Risks of fat grafting breast augmentation include:
- Infection
- Cysts
- Migration of some fat cells outside of the breast area
- Microcalcification
- Death of fat cells (necrosis)
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Accessed February 26, 2024
org/cosmetic-procedures/fat-transfer-breast-augmentation/safety
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- Fat embolism (blockage of blood vessels)
No. Because the patient’s own fat is used to augment the size of the breasts, there is no increased risk of breast cancer or other breast implant-related risks like allergic reactions or rejection.
Trusted Source
The use of autologous fat grafts in breast surgery: A literature review
Archives of Plastic Surgery
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Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Sohn
Are you interested in learning more about natural breast augmentation with fat grafting? Contact us to schedule your personal consultation with Dr. Samuel Sohn, a board-certified plastic surgeon proud to serve patients from Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg and nearby Florida communities.
1 Bayram Y, Sezgic M, Karakol P, Bozkurt M, Filinte GT. The use of autologous fat grafts in breast surgery: A literature review. Arch Plast Surg. 2019 Nov;46(6):498-510. doi: 10.5999/aps.2019.00416. Epub 2019 Nov 15. PMID: 31775202; PMCID: PMC6882697. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6882697/. Accessed February 26, 2024.
2Cleveland Clinic. Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation. Available: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24033-fat-transfer-breast-augmentation. Accessed February 26, 2024.
3American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation. Available at: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/fat-transfer-breast-augmentation. Accessed February 26, 2024.
4 American Society of Plastic Surgeons What are the risks of fat transfer breast augmentation? Available: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/fat-transfer-breast-augmentation/safety. Accessed February 26, 2024.
5 Archives of Plastic Surgery. The use of autologous fat grafts in breast surgery: A literature review. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6882697/#. Accessed February 26, 2024.
Dr. Samuel Sohn has reviewed and approved this content.
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