Why did my breast size shrink suddenly after simple exercise 5 weeks after fat transfer to breast?

The rate of fat survival depends on grafting technique and how well the recipient area is cared for after surgery. You should consult your surgeon to make sure you adhere to his protocols. In our practice, we only recommend very, very light exercise after a few weeks. We also have strict guidelines on how to care for the recipient area after surgery assuring a high rate of fat survival. 

If you noticed such a sudden change in the appearance of the fat grafted areas it likely is related to fluid shifts and changes in the degree of swelling in that particular area.  I would follow your surgeon's instructions carefully but it is very unlikely that your workout has done any harm.

I appreciate your question

I perform a natural breast augmentation with fat. This can be removed from any unwanted areas including the breast itself as part of my lipo-lift procedure. I perform the fat grafting in multiple planes including under the muscle to give the best, most natural enhancement. Fat grafting is a great solution for someone who wants to bring their breast size up a cup or so and use natural tissue vs an implant. However, it can also be combined with an implant or used as a secondary procedure to fill in areas that are flat or thin. It does not affect mammograms or breast feeding. It can be a little lump or hard at first but tends to soften over time.

 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 breast plastic surgery. 

Best of luck!

   

Dr. Schwartz

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

#RealSelf100Surgeon

#RealSelfCORESurgeon

Unfortunately, there can be a fair amount of swelling from the fat injection process which can take a few weeks to fully go away.  On top of that, you have to take into consideration that only about 70% of the fat injected,on average, will take hold and live where injected.  This process can take a few months to fully settle so you really will not know for another two months how the volume will lay out.  I doubt the exercise had anything to do with the volume change.  I hope this helps.

Keep in mind, there is swelling after fat transfer, which may now be starting to resolve. Also, not all fat will remain after fat transfer, there will be some volume loss. I always recommend prp and sculptra injections after fat transfer to help maintain results. I recommend following up with your Doctor about your concerns. Best, Dr. Emer

When you transfer fat from one area to another, you are taking fat that has a blood supply and moving it to a new area. However, it does not have a blood supply in the new area. So it will survive on the fat it is storing. Therefore the volume of the fat shrinks. Next, the fat sends out feelers to reconnect to the blood supply of the recipient area. Once it is connected, it can absorb lipids and enlarge. You are going through the period where the fat is surviving on what it is storing and it will naturally shrink. Dont worry. It will come back. Just make sure you do not smoke and are not around smokers.

Keep in mind that fat grafting to any location of the body is exactly that..fat. So generally with proper diet and exercise, you burn and lose fat. Fat grafting will always change based on weight loss and weight gain. There is also no way to guarantee results from fat grafting because it is a living thing and the majority of the time you can expect somewhere around a 50% retaining rate.