What Breast Feeding Complications are Associated W/ Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation?

I am debating between "natural" breast augmentation using fat grafts and traditional breast augmentation using saline implants placed below the muscle and inserted either thru the areola or the axilla. I want to know if there is any evidence suggesting fat transfer to the breasts may adversely affect a woman's ability to breastfeed, and if so, whether this risk is GENERALLY greater than that associated with the aforementioned "traditional" approach to augmentation using implants.

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7 Doctor Answers | Asked by Nicole1988 in CA

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Breast augmentation with implants does not affect nursing.

Breast augmentation with implants does not interrupt connections between breast glands and the ducts leading to the nipple, and so does not affect the ability to nurse. Fat grafting to the breast is a new, hot procedure but is not yet well studies regarding long term safety, durability and outcome. No study has looked at breast feeding after fat graft augmentation, but unlike implant insertion in which all work is done deep to the breast, fat grafting involves many large needle... more

Fat Transfer and Breast Feeding

The impact of fat transfer on breast feeding is not known. If you are doing a breast augmentation with fat transfer you will probably need multiple sessions and still not get to the size that an implant can give you. After multiple sessions of fat transfer and some expected fat absorption there is no study to determine what the impact on breast feeding will be. We do know that there is very little impact on breast feeding when an implant is placed below the muscle. Best... more

Marcus L. Peterson, MD

4 reviews

Saint George Plastic Surgeon

Fat transfer breast augmentation and breast feeding

Good question, but to my knowledge there are not enough cases to do a statisticly meaningful study. In my experience in 37yrs. I have not seen any problems with breast feeding with any type of implant , in any incision, in any position.

Breast Feeding After Augmentation

You certainly can breast feed after undergoing an augmentation using implants. There is not a large volume of experience with fat transfer at this time, but there is no reason to suspect that this would have an adverse effect on future breast feeding. The main concern with fat transfer has been calcifications in the transferred fat that might be confusing on mammography, but that seems to be of a theoretical than a real concern at this time.

Fat transfer is NOT a good way to enlarge breasts.

Neither implants (silicone or saline) nor fat transfer should have any effect on ability to breast feed, or cause any change in the quality or safety of the breast milk. This has been looked into exhaustively (as related to silicone breast implants--1999 study by US Dept of Health and Human Services, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences) and the conclusion was that "evidence for health effects in children related to maternal breast implants is insufficient or flawed... more

Affect of fat injections on breast feeding are unknown

There are no available studies or information on breast feeding after fat transfers to augment the breast. There are plenty on breast implants and they will have no effect on breast feeding. Fat transfers to the breast are controversial because of liquid cysts and calcifications produced and the literature is not trending in a 'positive' way. Be careful. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Fat injection

I would not reccomend fat injection for breast enlargement. It has nothing to do with breast feeding, I do not feel it is a good procedure. The fat can die, be replaced with calcification and it is not as good as a standard augmentation.