Lumps and Infection After Fat Transfer to Breasts

HI,

Fat transfer can work well to the breasts, but it must be done correctly-if too much fat is placed in any one spot it does not have an adequate blood supply and dies (the laser lipolysis is also fairly destructive and not the best modality for fat transfer). When the fat dies, it results in an inflammatory response that can form a hard lump. Over time much of the fat can be reabsorbed by your body, so the lumps can and will improve significantly. At this point, especially given the fact that you may also have an infection, it is difficult to say what the final result will be. It is quite possible that everything will resolve and you will be ok, but if the infection does not clear up quickly you should seek a second opinion from a different plastic surgeon (make sure he or she is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery).

Hope this helps,

Regards,

D. Medalie, MD

If fat removed by laser assisted liposuction was injected into your breasts, death of the fat is predictable and infection is not unexpected.  Your body should be able to clean up the dead fat and the bacteria but I would seek the consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You WERE conned by an unscrupulous and unethical doctor, or you were unfortunate enough to be operated on by an idiot (strong words, I know) who doesn't even understand the basics of how SmartLipo works AND how fat grafting is done properly. This does not sound like the work of an ABPS-certified plastic surgeon, and once you get the mastitis properly treated (by someone other than this doctor), you should report this doctor to the state medical board, and perhaps consider other options as well.

But first, you must have proper treatment as the injected fat was simply dead material injected into your breasts, which consist of ducts with bacteria in them. Or, infection could have been introduced by the actual injection. Cipro is a good broad-spectrum antibiotic, but you should be seen by a board-certified (American Board of Plastic Surgery) plastic surgeon for possible aspiration, culture, and appropriate antibiotic therapy.

Your breasts may develop scar tissue and irregularity where the dead fat was injected, and this can cause calcifications that can interfere with the detection of breast cancer by mammogram (and physical examination, because of the lumps). This infected dead fat MAY be adequately treated with Cipro, but it also depends on how much fat overall and how much fat in single locations was injected, which bacteria are causing your mastitis, and how well the antibiotic can get to the areas of dead fat injection.

If you want larger breasts, please research breast implants. As you have found out, dead fat is NOT "natural" breast enlargement.

Please see another plastic surgeon now. Please stop this doctor from doing this again to someone else. Good luck, and let any of us know if we can help further.