Why is Fat Transfer For Breasts a More Difficult Procedure than BBL?

They are about the same difficulty, and fat transfer to breast works best in women who have invloution of pregnancy (breasts that have shrunk after a baby.)  The thing that limits both procedures is that as the fat is placed into the breast or buttock, eventually the skin gets tighter and tighter until no more fat can be placed.   Hence it is hard to go up more than one cup size for a fat transfer to the breasts, it also takes longer so it costs more.   Most patients want more than one cup size enlargement and also would rather pay the smaller cost for breast augmentation.  I am happy to perform fat transfer to your breasts, just contact me at my office (google me to find me.) 

 

Best regards,

 

Dr. Lane Smith

    Fat transfer to either area is not a particularly difficult procedure for those surgeons who fat graft to many areas of the body.  Fat transfer to the breasts creates for a more conservative augmentation than some patients are willing to accept.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Fat transfer to the breast is a procedure that has come under criticism and scrutiny by the plastic surgery community for many years.  Long term studies have demonstrated that there is NO increased risk of cancer or increased difficulty in detecting cancer after fat transfer to the breast.  Once patients accept that the amount of augmentation is variable, patient satisfaction is very high.  The breasts are natural appearing and feeling with really none of the potential long term complications of implants.  The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has reversed their position on the procedure and surgeons are slowly adopting the procedure.  

 

You bring up a great point.  The short answer is experience.  Buttock implants have been around for a long time.  Buttock implants have given a lot of trouble so the alternative has won.  Buttock cancer is not an issue so fat transfer is a safe option.  Breast cancer is a hot topic and implants have been around for a long time.  Breast augmentation with implants has been a gold standard for decades.  Breast augmentation via fat transfer is a newer approach and only became accepted recently.  Most surgeons haven't been trained in it and therefore feel unsure.  The reality is that it's a great way to add volume without an implant.  At this time, we can't increase the breast size 2 cups with fat transfer, but we can increase it one cup size.  The focus is to increase the volume more in the upper aspect of the breast.  This is usually where the volume is needed.  The nice thing about fat transfer to the breast is that is can be performed under local anesthesia.  This is different from a breast augmentation with an implant.  Plus, fat transfer is your own tissue so there is very little risk.  Come to Beverly Hills and see me.  It's a great option. 

Performing fat transfer for breasts can be more challenging than a Brazilian butt lift due to several factors. The breast tissue is less forgiving than the buttocks, making it harder to achieve a consistent and lasting result. Additionally, the blood supply to the breasts is more delicate, increasing the risk of fat cell death during the transfer process. Moreover, achieving symmetry and a natural-looking outcome in breast augmentation requires careful attention to detail, making the procedure more intricate compared to enhancing the buttocks.

There are many "factual real explanations" to answer your question.  The reasons may not be scientific, but they are, none the less, real concerns of some surgeons.  I am sure this is not a complete list, but here are several answers:


Scar tissue and calcification on mammogram can limit effectiveness of mammogram

One cup size is typical enlargement and not enough for most patients desires

The need to use the BRAVA device before surgery is cumbersome to patients and, as a result, is not used effectively or completely

Difficult to obtain enough fat to accomplish the procedure

The procedure take 2 to 3 times as long as a typical augmentation, making it too expensive


These answers do not apply to all patients seeking the procedure, but I think they give a reasonable overview of the concerns.  Hope this helps.

When you harvest fat to transfer it, at one point it is dying in a syringe with no blood flow.  Unless the fat regains a blood flow from the tissue you put it into, it will finish the dying process and either be resorbed by the body or turn into scar tissue, making potentially hard lumps.  This may cause problems in breast cancer detection.

That is why may of us are still not sold on this "hot" new idea that has actually been around since the 1980's at which time it was resoundingly denounced by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.  I'd still consider it experimental and potentially something that can set you up for problems down the road.