Eating for maintenance of fat transfer

Question

I have been told after breast fat transfer you need to eat to feed the fat extra protein calories etc. How long would you need to do this for? How long does it take for the fat to be established?

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear foxylady86,
I instruct my patients not to sit for 2 solid weeks. We provide them a specialized pillow that our patients can sit on during that time. They can sleep on their stomachs or sides. Fat viability depends a lot of surgeon technique. The fat has to be placed back into the buttocks as soon as possible so that it has a greater chance of survival. It has to be placed carefully so that not too much fat is placed in only one area.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Ajaya Kashyap, MD · Answer

Thank you for your query. I usually advise moderate increase in protein and calorie intake for three months after fat transfer. Please find an experienced board certified Plastic surgeon who can examine you and help you with all your concerns. Follow his/her protocol. All the best!

Lawrence Iteld, MD · Answer

After any surgical procedure, it is important to consume adequate protein and maintain overall caloric intake. Your body is going through a recovery process from trauma. This is not the time for caloric restriction, “skinny shots” unless under supervised weight loss by a physician, or fad diets.

Fat grafts, to my knowledge, do not have unique or specific dietary requirements distinct from the rest of your healing body.

Fat grafts, to my knowledge, do not have unique or specific dietary requirements distinct from the rest of your healing body.

Danielle Atwood, MD, PhD · Answer

Hello,
Scientific studies actually support this theory in mice. (Xingtang Niu et al. Front Cell Dev Bio 2022; Xingtang Niu et al. Aesthetic Surg 2022). These studies showed that preoperative high carbohydrate diets and high fat diets promote overall fat survival and reduction in oil cysts (fat death). While it isn't human studies and there aren't many of them, I do believe and recommend to my patients to focus on a fully rounded diet with more healthy fats than usual to promote survival. These include avocados, olive oils, nuts, flaxseeds, nut butters, full fat dairy, hummus, tahini, healthy carbohydrates etc. The drawback is that if you go overboard, or focus on unhealthy fats, your fat in other areas will also absorb this and you could develop metabolic disorders. Additionally, if you lose weight in the future, your transferred fat will also shrink. It is a healthy balance. But yes, eating a diet high in healthy fats and carbs for the first 3 months post op can help with fat survival, just don't over do it!

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

Usually, the fat transfer is fairly stable by 6 months. However, fat is fat whether itis transferred or not. Should you lose weight, your transfer may shrink. Try to keep your weight stable.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

And my personal opinion, your diet after fat transfer has absolutely 0% impact on your final outcome.
I’m not sure where people come up with these ideas, but I can assure you that they are not based on science.
Breast transfer outcomes, almost every plastic surgical procedure are based on two primary variables.
 The first is patient candidacy and the second is the skill of the provider.
Some patients are ideal candidates for breast fat transfer, and some patients are not good candidates for this procedure.
Some plastic surgeons have the skill and experience to deliver consistent quality results and some providers simply don’t.
A patient who is an excellent candidate has the potential of having an excellent candidate if the procedure is done by your skilled provider.
 That same Patient can have a poor outcome, develop complications or be left disfigured if provider selection is not done correctly.
A patient who is not a good candidate for breast fat transfer does not have the potential of having quality results, regardless of who does the surgery.
In order to be satisfied with the outcome it’s also very important for patients to have a good understanding of what breast fat transfer can and cannot accomplish.
 The procedure done correctly. Candidates is going to be subtle.
The best patient can probably hope for about a 50% increase in breast size which in Reality equals to maximum one cup, considering that cup size is inherently subjective.
It is also important to recognize that breast fat transfer is not a good procedure for changing the shape of the breast.
If patients are looking for a procedure to change the breast shape like increased volume and the upper half of the breast, then fat transfer is not going to deliver That outcome.
Fat transfer is not a good procedure to change the shape of the breast.
The procedure only increases size modestly.
For those considering breast fat transfer, I suggest focusing efforts on the two variables that matter, which is understanding your own candidacy for the procedure, and secondly finding the right provider, which is often much more difficult than people recognize.
Finally, it’s important to recognize that breast fat transfer is always two procedures done at the same time.
The procedure is always Liposuction combined with fat transfer.
I’ve seen too many cases for patients came in for the sole purpose of having larger breast without implants and being poorly done, Liposuction because the Patient failed to adequately vet provider in regards to both Liposuction and fat transfers skills.
Highly experienced plastic surgeons should’ve access 100 or preferably thousands of before, and after pictures to choose from.
During each consultation, ask each provider to open up their portfolio and show you their entire collection before and after pictures of previous patients who had similar body characteristics.
 Pay close Attention to both Liposuction and fat transfer results.
Finally, I recommend people taking the consideration that early fat transfer results can look very impressive. Early fat transfer results are however, not at all representative of final long-term outcomes.
If results look too good to be true, then they probably are.
Always insist on asking at the timeframe of when after pictures were taken from the date of surgery.
In order for results to be representative after pictures should be taken at least three months from the date of surgery.
 Good luck,
Matt hagstrom MD

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