Fat transfer to breast before or after kids? Current breasts: B cup. Expecting to have kids within the next 2-3 years

Question

Looking to do fat transfer to my breasts. Is it ok to do before children, or is it advisable to wait? My concerns: 1) No current stretch marks on my breasts. If I do a fat transfer, is there a high probability I will have stretch marks after the size increase that comes along with pregnancy? 2) Will my post fat transfer chest deflate after breast feeding like normal, or would my breasts hold their volume like an implant? Thanks in advance for any and all responses!!

John L. Burns Jr., MD · Answer

With pregnancy and breastfeeding there will be changes in the breast which usually require a combination of volume replacement and breast lifting procedures.  With a planned pregnancy it is generally advisable to wait.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

I am not sure that anyone can give you a definitive answer for this.   Fat transfer to the breasts can be an effective form of breast augmentation for up to one cup size increase.  Schedule an in-office consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss the pros and cons of performing the fat transfer now.Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Farbod Esmailian, MD · Answer

Fat transfer to the breast will not increase the size of the breast that significantly to cause stretch marks.  Stretch marks happen when the skin stretches and the subsequently deflates down.  This is more common with pregnancy than with fat transfer and augmentation with implants.Everyone breasts change differently and some do exceptionally well after pregnancy and breast feeding and some other don't do as well.I would recommend you seek out a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your desires and see if fat transfer is a viable option.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear myzest4life,it is hard to tell whether you will have any stretch marks, but generally speaking stretch marks occur easier if the breast skin is already stretched by bigger breast size. In most cases, breast deflate after pregnancy and breastfeeding and it will affect you even if you had fat transfer earlier. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS 
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery  
Member, Am. Society of Plastic Surgery

Johnson C. Lee, MD · Answer

Fat transfer to the breasts can be done either rbefore or after children. Stretch marks are due to the hormonal changes to your body and changes in breast volume during pregnancy. They will not be affected by fat grafting alone. Fat that is transferred will continue to act like the fat from the location it came from. Therefore losing weight after breast feeding may cause the fat to decrease, but breast feeding itself is unlikely to affect the transferred fat. You may lose some breast tissue mass from breast feeding as well. Hope this helps!Johnson C. Lee MDBoard-Certified Plastic Surgeon@drjohnsonlee

Brian Dorner, MD · Answer

I have never heard of fat grafting to the breasts causing stretch marks. This is also extremely uncommon with an implant.  The volume and hormonal changes with pregnancy can lead to stretch marks.  Although there is no data I am aware of, adding volume to the breasts before pregnancy may increase your risk as the breasts swell given the fact the end volume will be larger.  However, this is just postulation, not proven.  One thing to keep in mind, is that fat transfers act like the fat from where it was taken.  The biggest issue this creates, is that when you gain weight with pregnancy, your grafted fat will expand more than average breast tissue.  This is particularly prominent in facial fat grafting.  The weight gain will additionally increase your breast size.It is very difficult to determine whether the fat will remain after pregnancy.  Many patients find that their breasts completely deflate after pregnancy, and some do not.  Common sense might indicate that the fat should remain, but unfortunately the body doesn't always follow. You might find due to the multiple changes with pregnancy that even the fat graft involutes after breast feeding.Hope this helps some, even though most of the answers are simply that we don't have enough data to give you the best answer.

Karthik Ram, MRCS, DNB · Answer

Hi thanks for your question. In case you are referring to breast feeding when you are talking about children, in that case breast fat fill does not affect the architecture or nipple sensation and hence safe before pregnancy. Fat fill does not increase your chances of getting stretch marks.Chest deflation post lactation is common in both fat fill and implant. Meet a board certified plastic surgeon for further consultation.

Arian Mowlavi, MD, FACS (license on probation) · Answer

It is actually not a bad idea to do fat grafting prior to kids because after kids you will likely need a breast lift. Breast lifts can not be performed at the same time as breast fat grafting. The more important consideration is to make sure that you have VASER lipo to optimize your results.

Jon A. Perlman, MD (retired) · Answer

I think you be best advised to have a face-to-face consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss your concerns.  In my opinion fat grafting unlike placement of breast implants provides much more subtle change that is unlikely to have major impact on the post pregnancy changes that are normally expected.  These of course include deflation and appearance of stretch marks and relaxation of skin.  If this is a good time for you to undergo a conservative enhancement of your breast with your own fat that I would not hesitate to proceed.Best wishes,Jon A Perlman M.D., FACSDiplomate, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)Beverly Hills, California

Fat transfer to breast before or after kids? Current breasts: B cup. Expecting to have kids within the next 2-3 years

Answers (9)

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