Many patients interested in breast augmentation aren’t interested in significantly increasing their breast size, but would like to improve the shape of their breasts. As a plastic surgeon in Chicago, patients often ask how they can create more volume in their breasts without implants. Luckily, there is a solution that offers long-lasting, effective results without saline or silicone implants: fat transfer. This method uses fat from one area on the patient’s body to add volume to another. For example, fat from the buttocks can be used to add volume to the breasts.
In a previous blog post, I discussed the benefits of treating volume loss in the face using the fat transfer or fat grafting method. Here I am sharing the benefits to using this treatment for a breast augmentation procedure.
Breast Augmentation Using Fat Grafting
Re-contouring the breasts with fat grafts makes sense, right? Let’s say you don’t want breast implants because you don’t necessarily want to “go bigger,” but you’d love to have rounder, more youthful-looking breasts.
This can be a goal for young women as well as older women. For genetic reasons even teenagers can be afflicted with limp breast tissue. Everything else about their bodies is lovely, but they’re unhappy with their downward-pointing or uneven breasts. Fat transfer is often the perfect answer for them.
Plus, it’s a huge confidence-builder for older women. Both in and out of clothing, firm, round breasts make life happier and easier for many patients.
The greatest benefit for breast augmentation using fat grafting is that the results are all about subtlety. Not all patients want larger breasts, but many are unhappy with the loss of fullness in the upper breast over time. In a subtle way, that youthfulness can be restored without going up a bra size.
Jane Fonda is an example of someone who had a breast augmentation without “going up” in size. She actually had her breast implants removed but did not sacrifice the shape of her breasts in the process.
Both fat grafting procedures for the face and breast require re-locating large quantities of fat. This goes against the most basic principle for successful fat grafting: placing the fat in thin threads so it can regain a blood supply and become living tissue. Because of this, some fat cells die in the process and results may vary.
As with many treatments, there are a few risks of the procedure, including pooling of the fat, oil cysts, calcifications, and occasionally more severe problems. The more fat that is re-located, the lower the ratio of fat cells that survive the process. For this reason, I’ve decided not to offer total breast augmentation using fat or the Brazilian Butt Lift in my practice. I leave them to other doctors willing to wrestle with these limitations.
The fat transfer method is an effective and rewarding breast augmentation treatment for many patients. If you’d like to learn more about the treatment, please visit the fat transfer page on my website. Or, call my office in Chicago to request a consultation at (312) 788-2560. I would love to meet with you in person to determine if you are a candidate for the treatment and answer any questions you have.
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