Where Does the Fat Go if It Doesn't Survive the Graft to Breasts? Does the Number of Cc's Really Matter for Size Increase?

I want to go from 32B to a C or small D. Why does some doctors only inject 150-200cc'sof fat in each side while others inject 300-600plus(each)? Why are some drs so set on the low amount? Wouldn’t injecting more give a better chance at bigger breasts? Will the fat that doesn't survive flush out through urine and stool? Why not inject more fat if I want to and my breasts can fit it? I can't afford to repeat this over and I'm not sure I would even have enough fat or the nerve to go a second round.

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Fat Transfer to the Breast

Fat transfer to the breast is an exciting but still somewhat controversial new area in Plastic Surgery. Fat is harvested from an area where you dont want it such as the abdomen, flanks or thighs, processed, and re-injected in an area that is deficient such as the face, buttocks or breasts. Fat is usually injected in small droplets to increase the chances of the graft surviving by being perfused by blood and oxygen from surrounding blood vessels and tissues If large amounts... more

Natural Breast Augmentations

The results are difficult to predict because "fat take" (the amount of fat which survives after being transferred) can vary anywhere from 20 to 80%. The success depends on several factors. It is like trying to predict how many seeds will sprout when you plant them in the ground. Fat must be obtained from a donor site and therefore satisfactory quantity and quality of fat must be available. The procedure requires an anesthetic and may be performed in the office or... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

200 cc per breast at a time

In general, 200 cc per breast is typically the upper limit of injection recommended by most. It is not that more cannot be injected, but on average this has been determined to be the most that can be expected to live during one transfer. The fat must be injected through multiple planes in small amount passes. Most surgeons will perform more than one procedure for greater augmentations. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Fat transfer for breast augmentation

The fat that doesn't survive a fat transplant simply gets reabsorbed and metabolized. A small breast will only accept a certain amount of fat since each strand or droplet needs to touch a normal piece of breast to grow a blood supply. The fat is woven in strands or droplets into the breast and is a true transplantation of tissue the same way that a skin graft is. Not all of the fat survives the transplant so some will be reabsorbed. A bigger breast can accept a bigger... more

Fat Transfer to breast expectations

The advantages of fat transfer is that you get a completely natural feeling enhancement that looks like a normal breast. The down side is that the amount of augmentation is variable. How much fat a breast can take is uncertain but at a point fat is being injected and the pressure is increasing and survival is decreasing. A large skin envelope can take more fat and this can be modified in tighter skin with Brava expansion. We typically find that about 300cc in most... more

Mark Glasgold, MD

14 reviews

Bedminster Facial Plastic Surgeon

glasgoldgroup.com

Limitations on fat grafting to breasts

Although fat grafting techniques have improved, there are certain limitations. One of the reasons it was not done for many years is because fat cells that don't survive can leave lumps, cycts, and specks called calcifications on mammograms. In order for the fat cells to survive each clump of cells has to be surrounded by healthy tissue to deliver oxygen. It seems that about 150-200 cc's is the most that can be reliably done for most breasts.