Fat Transfer Q&A

52%

WORTH IT RATING

136 Reviews

Ask a Question

View Before and Afters

Average Fat Transfer Cost: $3,950

Learn about Fat Transfer

1,090 people and 473 doctors are talking about Fat Transfer

Get Free Email Updates

Lumps and Infection After Fat Transfer to Breasts

asked 1 year ago by k_rand in Tulsa, OK
Latest answer by Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
Question viewed 1,451 times
Tags: infection, lumps

I think I've been conned. Doctor and nurse assured me I could do smart lipo and transfer to breasts (transfer only costing an extra $500). Like an idiot, I did it last week. Felt large, hard lumps in breast and asked dr about it, he said it was normal. Today one became infected and he called in cipro. I'm scared and don't know who to call for sound advice & helping me fix this in any way I can. Am I in danger? He said the lumps go away. I'm scared I'll be deformed or even harmed from this.

14 answers to Lumps and Infection After Fat Transfer to Breasts

Possible infection after fat grafting to breasts

Fat grafting of fat pretreated with Smart Lipo is not a good idea. There is a lot more non-viable fat used, which can lead to fat necrosis and lumps. It seems that you may be suffering from this and a local infection. If you have a fever at all, you should either see a plastic surgeon, a breast surgeon or go to an emergency room. Breast abscesses are considered an emergency and need to be drained. If you do not have a fever than it is likely this is not an... more

Leif Liu Rogers, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.leifrogersmd.com

Lumps and infection after (dead) fat transfer to breasts from SmartLipo!

You WERE conned by an unscrupulous and unethical doctor, or you were unfortunate enough to be operated on by an idiot (strong words, I know) who doesn't even understand the basics of how SmartLipo works AND how fat grafting is done properly. This does not sound like the work of an ABPS-certified plastic surgeon, and once you get the mastitis properly treated (by someone other than this doctor), you should report this doctor to the state medical board, and perhaps consider other options... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

Fat transfer to Breasts

HI, Fat transfer can work well to the breasts, but it must be done correctly-if too much fat is placed in any one spot it does not have an adequate blood supply and dies (the laser lipolysis is also fairly destructive and not the best modality for fat transfer). When the fat dies, it results in an inflammatory response that can form a hard lump. Over time much of the fat can be reabsorbed by your body, so the lumps can and will improve significantly. At this point, especially given the... more

Daniel A. Medalie, MD
Cleveland Plastic Surgeon

Fat transfer to breast

IS YOUR SURGEON A BOARD CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON?(AMRICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY)? yOU NEED TO SEE A RTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON ASAP THIS MAY NEED TO BE DRAINED(SURGERY) REMOVE ALL DEAD FAT AND TRAET WITH ANTIBIOTICS AFTER CULTURS ARE TAKEN. SMART LIPO IS WHERE LASER IS USED TO MELT THE FAT CELLS THEREFORE THE FAT CELLS ARE DEAD AND CAN NOT BE TRANSFERED YOU NEED TO BE SEEN TODAY

Samir Shureih, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

You will be okay

I know you are scared and angry right now - but although the fat transfer may not work because of the Smart Lipo or other technique related problems, your infection will clear up quickly and the lumps will get softer over time. You will be okay! And after you are better, you can still have fat transfer or implant-based augmentation and get the breasts you have always wanted. Hang in there!

Bivik Rajnikant Shah, MD
Columbus Plastic Surgeon

SmartLipo KILLS fat cells

If you were promised to have fat transfer to your breasts with SmartLipo then you were fooled by someone who doesn't know what they're doing or intentionally deceived you. SmartLipo is laser assisted liposuction. The LASER melts the fat to allow for easier aspiration. However, melting fat kills it. It is absolutely useless for transfer to another area such as breasts. I strongly recommend you check the credentials of the individual that treated... more

Martin Jugenburg, MD
Toronto Plastic Surgeon

Infection after fat transfer to the breast

You are in trouble, and should contact your family doctor and be seen immediately. You may need to see a surgeon to drain the breast, and a culture is needed to make certain that you are on the correct antibiotic. Don't delay. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Transferred fat can die and lead to infection. You need to see a good doctor.

If fat removed by laser assisted liposuction was injected into your breasts, death of the fat is predictable and infection is not unexpected. Your body should be able to clean up the dead fat and the bacteria but I would seek the consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Fat injections to breasts

Fat injection to the breasts has to be done correctly for it to be succesful. Harvesting needs to be done correctly and gently, and insertion has to be done carefully and evenly. But, yes lumps can occur.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

You will need drainage

Laser lipo destroys fat cell and should be used for the fat grafting to the breast. The use of fat for the breast require experience and I would guess your doctor was tiring to gain the experience. Pleas make sure to see a board certified plastic surgeon to treat you. you will be fine..

Kamran Khoobehi, MD
New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

Lumps and Infection After Fat Transfer to Breasts

You have mastitis which is a breast infection, it should be treated immediately. Call your physisian amd let him see it, you may need more than just antibiotic treatment.

Erel Laufer, M.D.
Tampa Plastic Surgeon

Infection after injection of dead fat into breast

Fat grafting is a wonderful procedure and will continue to grow in popularity. But, I do not believe it is a good idea to inject SmartLipo aspirated fat into the breast or any other body part! Fat must be removed in a special way to preserve the viability of the fat cells. Using high power suction or laser type lipo mostly certainly destroys the fat. Injecting a large load of dead tissue into the body can lead to problems. You need to see a doctor immediately.... more

Stephen J Ronan, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

Breast and fat injections

I advise you to have professional plastic surgical care as you heal and get better. So, If you are uncomfortable or not sure about your physician who performed the procedure, you should seek out and see one that can help you. If you have an infection with drainage, redness, swelling, warmth etc. you will have to be treated with possible drainage and antibiotics. But a doctor has to examine you physically to determine how to treat you. Lumpiness may be fat necrosis (dead fat... more

Shashidhar Kusuma, MD
Plantation Plastic Surgeon

Infection after fat transfer to breasts for augmentation

Hello k_rand Fat transfer to the breast is a relatively new procedure. Although it sounds glamorous and the media has run with the "natural breast augmentation", there can be problems like any other surgery. Infection is one issue and long-term survival of the fat without lumpiness is another. There is a very specific process for fat removal and preservation. It could be that if the fat was lasered, it could be less viable long term. For the present problem,... more