Would you be awake for the breast fat transfer?

Many physicians will do this to save money on anesthesia, but in many cases, you will need to harvest at least 600 cc of pure fat to perform the procedure.  The liposuction of this amount of fat may be 3 liters of lipoaspirate, and most patients cannot tolerate this with just local anesthesia.  Also, the injection of the fat can be painful as well.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

Thank you for your question. No, I perform the procedure under general anesthesia.  About 60-70% of the grafted fat survives.  At 6 months you will have a good idea of your results. Some women have a second or third procedure which continues to increase your volume safely. The best way to assess and give true advice would be an in-person exam. Please see a board-certified plastic surgeon that specializes in aesthetic and restorative breast surgery. Best of luck! Dr. Schwartz Board Certified Plastic Surgeon #RealSelf100Surgeon

Personally I'm not a fan of doing liposuction and fat grafting with the patient awake. In cases of small transfers, certainly that is a possibility. It depends on how much. I would definitely discuss this with your plastic surgeon. Best of luck to you. 

The best type of anesthesia depends on the patient, procedure and surgeon. Please see a board certified plastic surgeon for in person evaluation.

Fat transfers can be done awake, however, the Lidocaine volume used to numb might limit the amount of fat transferred. Also, with local anesthesia, there is a limitation of the amount of local anesthetic that can be used. If you want several areas treated with liposuction, you might want to choose general anesthesia.

Thanks for the great question. Like the others have stated, although it is possible to perform face grafting under local anesthesia, I prefer to perform these types of procedures with the patient asleep. It is much more comfortable for the patient to be asleep for these types of procedures. Best of luck!~Dr. Sieber

Dear Aamira21,Although it is possible to be awake for a fat transfer breast augmentation, it is not usually recommended.  Large surface areas of the body are difficult to fully anesthetize with local anesthesia.  If you do choose this route, be prepared for some discomfort.  Good luck!

Good Afternoon

Thank you for your question.  Because fat has to be harvested from one or more areas (liposuction) and then injected into the breasts, this procedure is commonly done under general anaesthetic.  This can very from surgeon to surgeon, however as always, be sure to consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for your best and safest outcome.

Best of Luck,

Dr. K.