Liposculpting: I'm So Confused

asked 3 years ago by barbiebionda16 in usa
Latest answer by Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD
Question viewed 723 times

I need to know. Someone please help. I keep going back and forth on whether or not to get fat transfer to my breasts for augmentation and that reason is because of some of the answers from the doctors. Here is a better question I hope someone will answer:). I had a very long over the phone convo w/ this new doctor about the new procedure they use.they pretty much tell me everything good and never say that there may be any risks associated with the surgery. 1st- they use LOCAL TUMESCENT ULTRASOUNG TECHNIQUE to remove fat...what is that? arent these two different types of lipo? 2nd- this person is not an actual plastic surgeon persay, but a physician who is a cosmetic surgeon, but claims to have been performing liposuction for more than 20 years. Is this normal? 3rd- BTW, who performed the first liposuction procedure in the US? (dont have to answer but just curious) 4th- this person uses a STEM CELL technique, where the fat is put into a machine and separated.- is this more doable than any other option? 5th- I would not be part of a clinical trial

10 answers to Liposculpting: I'm So Confused

Breast Shape Improvement

A lot of great questions here. 1. First and foremost, there are many very good board certified plastic surgeons in the world to choose from. I would have significant concerns about going to someone who "is not a plastic surgeon per se". It is just not something you should compromise. Find a board certified plastic surgeon experienced in breast augmentation. 2. Many doctors have several techniques for breast shape improvement and we perform a lot liposuction and lipotransfer. We... more

Steven H. Williams, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

www.trivalleyplasticsurgery.com

Strongly suggest you consult a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery

Barbie, I am glad you wrote Realself for answers. The fact you have so many questions means that you are uneasy with what you have been told over the phone. You have good instincts. There is no board of cosmetic surgery-many doctors with no surgical training call themselves cosmetic surgeons. There are positives and negatives about every procedure and you should be told all of them. By far the most commonly performed procedure for enlarging the breast is breast augmentation with breast... more

Brooke R. Seckel, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

Fat transfer for breast augmentation is still experimental

Barbie: Thank you for your questions. From the information you recieved you clearly have many concerns, and well you should. First, there is NO Board of Cosmetic Surgery which is accepted by the American Board of Medical Specialties. The web is full of doctors with no specific training in plastic surgery who call themselves "Cosmetic Surgeons". The "Gold Standard" is board certification by The American Board of Plastic Surgery. I... more

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction versus liposuction

Liposuction is a safe, popular, and effective way to contour the body. In our practice, we defined liposuction as the technique that we use to remove large amounts of fat. We describe liposculpture as the technique where the fat is contour to simulate the underlying muscle and bone framework. The emphasis in liposculpture is not the removal of a large amount fat but sculpting this fat to create a more toned appearance.

B. Pat Pazmino, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Run the other way from Liposculpture

I would run the other way. This cosmetic surgeon is trying to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge. Stem cells are found in all tissues. No one knows how to use them yet other than in the laboratory. Fat injection to the breast is being proposed by some as an alternative to standard breast augmentation, but it is still controversial and certainly not studied well enough yet. If the doctor is not a plastic surgeon trained to perform breast surgery, I would run the other way. After all, do you... more

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Excellent questions

You are asked a number of excellent questions most of which have been expertly answered by other surgeons already. I would second the caution regarding fat transfer to the breast. Although a cosmetic surgeon might be an excellent liposuction surgeon, unless you personally know of this doctor's reputation, you are gambling. A good place to start is with a board-certified plastic surgeon. As for tumescent, ultrasonic liposuction, you have to separate the hype from the reality. Tumescent... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Fat transfer to the breast carries risk

Dear Barbieblonda16, The question concerning fat transfer to the breast has come up before from followers of the Realself website. The concensis by the American Society of Plastic Surgery members is that fat grafting to the breast is at this stage experimental as to the result and outcome of the procedure. The risks are very great and will cause a lifetime of health concerns if you develop problems from the procedure. Clinical trials are being conducted to help us understand the benfits... more

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Fat injection in the breasts is experimental

To barbiebionda16, Hi! Don't get stuck in technical issues that are hard even for a plastic surgeon to sort out. Find a board certified plastic surgeon who does a lot of breast augmentations. Don't listen to telephone consultations. Don't you think there must be a reason why so few legitimate plastic surgeons inject any kind of fat into the breasts? It is experimental, with major reported complications. The national plastic surgery societies do not recommend it.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Several liposculpture issues to address

Hi there, Your question really brings up more than one issue. As far as fat transfer to the breasts for augmentation purposes goes, what you need to know is that while it CAN be done (meaning that the fat can be transferred and the breasts will be larger), most Board Certified Plastic Surgeons agree that it is probably not responsible to do this procedure right now. This is because in the US, we know that 1 out of every 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their... more

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

You have a lot of good questions

Barbie, There different kinds of liposuction. There are also many kinds of pre-treatment of the fat: laser, ultrasound, etc. After the fat cells are destroyed, they are then sucked out through liposuction, which can be traditional or power-assisted. Experience is good for anyone doing liposuction. However, you also want to make sure you are seeing someone who is qualified, licensed, etc. As for the fat grafting, after the cells are suctioned out, they can be concentrated in a centrifuge... more