Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer

Fat Transfer To Breast(s)

Fat Transfer is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure in which an individual’s own body fat is harvested from suitable areas such as inner knees, outer thighs, flanks, buttocks, or abdomen and injected into the desired area (e.g., the breasts, buttocks, hand, neck or face) to add volume. It results in the loss of unwanted fat from the donor area along with an increase in size of the recipient area. It is a safe alternative to breast implants which can have complications like capsular formation (hardening), migration or rippling among others. It is also known as autologous fat transfer because the fat that is injected is harvested from your own body. Generally, fat transfer is a safe technique to add volume in the desired area but it is popular for breast enhancement because it increases the size and creates a better-contoured breasts.

Am I a Candidate for Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer?

  • If you feel that your breasts have reduced in size after giving childbirth, on breastfeeding, due to weight loss or ageing and don’t want to use an implant to increase the size of it.

  • If you have asymmetric breasts (one breast is smaller than other) then you can go for fat transfer breast augmentation.

  • If your breasts implants have been removed because of scar tissue formation

  • If you want to improve the size and shape of your breast and looking for a safe procedure with minimal downtime and recovery period.

However, fat transfer technique is not good for you;

  • If you have extremely large or hanging breasts due to breast feeding or ageing

  • If you want a significant augmentation (2 or more sizes of bra)

  • If you are physically weak and fat cannot be extracted from the thighs and abdomen

  • If you have a family history of breast cancer.

 

The Fat transfer breast augmentation procedure-

The autologous fat transfer is performed under local anaesthetic or sedation and takes approximately 1-2 hours to complete. It is a three-step process:

  1. Extraction of fat with gentle liposuction

  2. Isolation and cleansing of the fat cells

  3. Re-injection of fat cells into the targeted areas.

Extraction of fat with gentle liposuction:

At Aesthetic Beauty Centre, we commonly use minimally invasive VASER liposuction technique for fat harvesting from donor area. In this procedure a very thin ultrasound probe is inserted into the donor area which emits the high-frequency sound energy to break up and dislodge fat from nearby soft tissue fibers. The fat then becomes liquified and is gently extracted out by a thin metallic tube called cannula by suction through keyhole incisions.

Isolation and cleansing of fat cells:

Once enough fat is obtained from the desired area, the surgeon will process it to prepare the fat cells to transfer it in a small syringes that will be used for fat injection.

Re-injection of extracted fat cells into the targeted areas:

The surgeon will insert a needle or cannula into the incision point of the site which is being augmented. The cannula is usually passed multiple times in and out of the augmented area. Thus a line of fatty tissue bundle is carefully deposited in planes of natural tissue. This procedure is repeated until the desired correction has been achieved. The surgeon may also use a dressing and support bra over the grafted area for safety.

Features and benefits of Autologous Fat transfer –

Due to following features and benefits, the autologous fat transfer technique is considered better than the traditional methods for breast enhancement.

  • Fat transfer is a simple and less stressful surgical procedure on the body than other traditional methods

  • The fat which is to be transferred is extracted by minimally invasive VASER lipo technique which ensures little to no damage to surrounding tissue such as nerves, blood vessels and connective tissues

  • There is no chance of allergic reaction because the fat cells already belong to your body.

  • Relatively less invasive as compared to traditional methods

  • Suitable for both large as well as small areas

  • It helps reduce weight from other parts of the body as the surgeon uses patient’s own excess fat to enhance and augment the size of the breasts

  • Can be performed under local anesthesia

  • Can be performed as a day case procedure, i.e. does not require an overnight stay in hospital

  • Minimum downtime and quicker recovery than traditional methods

  • Minimal scarring, bruising and bleeding

  • Noticeable and predictable immediate results with continued improvement up to six months after surgery

  • Safe and effective procedure

  • Results are usually long lasting.

Downtime and recovery-

You can perform your normal activities within 1-3 weeks after surgery. However, it is advisable to avoid stressful activities for at least 4-6 weeks. In some cases, patient may experience some swelling and bruising at the injection site. The recovery time is between 1-4 weeks, depending on how many areas were treated and the size of the procedure. We at Aesthetic Beauty Centre, advise our patients to wear a sports bra for at least three week to aid recovery.

Risks and complications-

Autologous fat transfer is considered as a safe procedure but there are a few risks. These risks may include:

  • Appearance of the lumps or irregularities in the breast shape due to over-absorption of the injected fat cells

  • Swelling, bruising and pain

  • Minimal scarring

  • Cyst formation or closed sac of the injected fat cells which is rare.

The Fat transfer Results-

Results will be noticeable immediately after surgery. The size of your breasts will decrease a little because a small amount of the injected fat cells may be absorbed by the body, but those fat cells that remain will provide long term natural results. The shape of your breasts will gradually stabilise over the next six months as the fat cells settle and get established. The results are long lasting, if you maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle but as the breasts are injected with living fat cells, they will naturally change over time with your age. Often an additional touch up procedure may be required to further enhance the results.

At the Aesthetic Beauty Centre, your progress is reviewed on a regular basis through appointments with your surgeon. Before any cosmetic treatment takes place with the Aesthetic Beauty Centre, we will outline the entire process, including potential side effects. Our surgeon Dr Ashish Dutta, operates in a number of clinics in the UK, including two in the North East.

The other procedures he routinely performs can be found onwww.aestheticbeautycentre.co.uk.  For your free consultation contact us by completing our online enquiry form or call us on 0191 567 2900.

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