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

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.