Breast Augmentation (Breast Enlargement Through Fat Transfer)

Women have always wanted to move fat from their waist or thighs to their breasts. Now it is possible! Dr. Saboeiro and Dr. Coleman have just published a paper in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal discussing breast enlargement using a woman’s own fat. Using the technique of LipoStructure™, fat can be used for augmentation and reshaping of the breast to create a long-lasting and natural result. Fat can be used as an alternative to implants for augmentation, to “fine tune” breast reconstruction, and to disguise the edges or rippling of existing silicone gel and saline implants.

Fat grafting to the breast consists of two procedures performed on the same day: the first involves suctioning a significant amount of fat from the body, and the second involves meticulous placement of the refined fat into the breasts.

This takes considerably longer than placing breast implants, typically five to eight hours, however some of the advantages of fat grafting to the breasts include the following:

• Fat is a completely natural substance
• Harvesting, or suctioning of the fat, can enhance your body shape
• The breast can be sculpted and shaped, as well as enlarged
• Only tiny incisions are necessary, reducing the possibility of scarring

The overriding concern with injecting fat into the breast is the issue of breast cancer detection. As with any breast procedure, calcifications and lumps can occur with fat grafting. Breast studies, including physical examination and mammography, are used to monitor every patient diligently. However, there is no evidence that fat grafting to the breast is less safe than any other breast procedure. Large studies all over the world have begun to study fat grafting to the breast.

Obviously, surgeons with extensive experience in grafting large volumes of fat to the body are most likely to obtain the best results with fat grafting to the breasts. We caution that fat grafting to the breast should only be performed by a board certified plastic surgeon experienced in not only fat grafting, but also the anatomy and aesthetics of the breast.

Who is a candidate?

• Healthy women with excess body fat
• Women considering breast implants
• Women with visible saline or silicone breast implants
• Women without a family history of breast cancer
• Women with normal mammograms
• Women who have had or require breast reconstruction