Does "Washing" the Fat Cells Damage Them when Doing Lipo/fat Transfer to Breasts?

We have been studying the effects of different processing techniques of fat grafts using 3D photography to measure the long term take in the face.  We compared the amount of fat take using centrifuge processing and Puregraft (a filtration technique which uses washing in a closed membrane filter system).  In the midface, the average long term (over 1yr) take using centrifugation was about 30% and using puregraft was about 50%.  This study was presented at the national ASAPS meeting 2012.

To answer your question directly, their is no damage done to fat cells with properly performed washing.

Of the numerous methods used for fat graft preparation for injection, washing is one of the accepted ways of doing it. While there are no proven scientific studies that conclusively prove one method is better than another, several studies have shown the theoretical benefits of washing with saline through a filter.

Washing harvested fat is beneficial in that it allows for the separation of viable fat cells from damaged fat cells, oils, blood, and debris. The less "contaminated" the transferred fat is, the better it survives. Thanks for sharing your question. Best wishes.