I'm looking to get a fat transfer to my breasts. My doctor says they can get me up 2 cup sizes ( I am about 5'4 107 lbs and 22 years old). They're going to be using UAL technique. I've been hearing so many different opinions and I just want to know the truth. I dont know what to do, I'm really stuck. I want larger breasts but if I can do it without implants, I'd be ecstatic. My biggest fear out of all of this is the results of the Liposuction (I don't want to end up like Tara Reid with all the dimples). Can someone advise me on this matter?
Fat transfer for breast augmentation is still controversial. The few surgeons that do it, can maybe increase the breast size by about a cup in one session. The procedure takes 4-5 hours in some of these doctor's hands (normally, breast augmentation takes about 1-2 hours) and the fees are even more expensive than Face Lift fees. Ultrasonic liposuction can cause fat emulsion than other harvesting techniques.
This form of breast enlargement is experimental at best and dangerous at worst, in my opinion. Silicone and Saline breast enhancements are well studied, safe, effective and may be permanant ways of increasing your breast size. If you do not like the implants, they can be removed or replaced with either larger or smaller ones. Fat injections have problems - and it can not be easily reversed.
1- The fat needs to be gotten from somewhere else on your body, and needs to be preserved and left alive. Ultrasonic liposuction breaks up the fat cells and is not a good way of preserving fat for re-implantation.
2- The fat then needs to be injected and it needs to live. If it dies and does not live, it can be lumpy and leave calcifications which can be interpreted as possible cancers or x-rays or mammograms of the breast. Also it can appear a cysts and may require further surgery.
3- You will need at least 150cc of fat per side in order to go up one size, and if half of this is aborbed by the body, you may barely notice a difference.
4- Fat grafting is fine for small areas, but I will not do it for total breast enlargement as I am worried as to the permanent effects on my patients health. Implants have been around for over 40 years, they are studied and safe.
5- Personally, I would not be the person to be experimented on. I would not allow my daughter or wife to do this. They could have implants if they wanted to instead.
Barbiebionda16, First of all, fat grafting for breasts is an emerging practice. Very nice results are possible with the newer micro-fat injection techniques. However, it is important that you see someone with extensive experience with fat grafting, but cause you can also end up with poor results.
Also, there is currently controversy about the effect of fat grafting on mammograms and other breast imaging techniques, so it is very important that you have baseline imaging studies done before the procedure.
Finally, you say they are using the UAL technique. This would be unusual since the ultrasound-assisted-liposuction would be traumatic to the fat cells. So, I would question the viability of the cells for transfer. Good luck with your surgery.
To barbiebionda16,
Hi! The national plastic surgery societies do not recommend fat injection breast augmentation. Terrible complications have been reported. It may have a place eventually, but I would not do it now.
We get great results with implants. Why take a chance?
Contact the doctor
