Is fat transfer to the breasts permanent? How severe is the scarring?

Hi and thanks for your question! Yes fat transfer to the breasts can be permanent (and the scarring minimal) but it is obvious from some of the answers given that it depends on the Surgeon and the technique. When I started doing this procedure about 3 years ago I was getting about a 50% survival of the fat. This has now increased to 80%! In some women their breasts have increased in size (rather than their hips!) as they have gained weight! So, yes it is permanent! To be suitable, you have to have some spare fat (usually on the abdomen, hips or thighs). This fat is then harvested in a procedure similar to (but not identical to) liposuction. The fat is then processed before being grafted as multiple small injections into the breasts. Only about half the volume of fat harvested is suitable for grafting.So, if 600cc of fat is harvested then 300cc would be available for transfer. This equates to 150cc per side. If, as expected, 80% survives your volume increase would be 120cc which is 1 cup size if you wear a 32 bra. For larger bras, the cup sizes are larger so you would need a little more!If it helps, I was recently discussing breast augmentation with a young female plastic surgeon with whom I work. We were talking about all the usual things:-silicone or saline, in front of or behind the muscle, textured or smooth. I then asked her if she, with all her knowledge as a Plastic Surgeon, were ever to have breast augmentation, what would she choose? Without hesitation she replied that she would only ever have her own fat put in her breasts!So there you are! Find a surgeon who gets good results and have your breasts enlarged while getting rid of some unwanted fat and (best of all) avoiding implants! Best wishes

While it is possible to do fat injections to the breast as a
cosmetic augmentation, currently, it is felt that only up to 50 of transplanted
fat successfully survives in its new location. The remainder doesn’t go
elsewhere. It is just resorbed by the body. Fat injections to the breasts may
be useful in making small modifications and correcting asymmetries, but many
plastic surgeons feel this procedure is not as reliable or predictable as an
augmentation with breast implants.



The concerns: Long term results do not yet exist, like any
procedure there are potential risks including infection, oily cyst formation, mammographic
changes which can be confused with breast tumors, asymmetry, the results are
not totally predictable and are inconsistent as compared to breast implants
which are the most extensively tested and FDA approved medical devices with a
lengthy record of safety and efficacy, it is a lengthier procedure, more
costly, may require additional sessions of fat injection, and to optimize the
results usually requires a prolonged use of an external device called BRAVA
which is uncomfortable and has a poor record of patient acceptance and compliance.
Scarring is usually minimal.



There are an increasing number of satisfactory reports of
this procedure being performed, but there are still a wealth of additional unresolved
issues: The extent of resorption of the fat, the large volume of fat that is
required to produce an improvement, the limitation of the amount of the very
modest augmentation that is possible (usually only up to ½ or one cup size), and
specifically a concern about long term safety with regard to tumor stimulation (does not appear to be a problem so far),
which all need to be further investigated with valid scientific studies before
fat injection should be viewed as a standard procedure for cosmetic breast augmentation.Robert Singer, MD  FACSLa Jolla, California