There is risk in any surgery. Natural breast augmentation is being done at an increasing rate but is complicated by the fact that not all of the fat with the adult derived stem cells survive after the placement. We think that even in the best of hands that 50-60% of the fat survives and the rest goes away over time. Patient's usually like the early result but not so much the late result if they've lost the volume. There can be contour deformities where the fat is transferred from and this is just the beginning of a long list. The operation takes me 4-5 times longer than a implant based breast augmentation due to the tedious nature of small fat grafts and meticulous transfer techniques. With lupus it is not a bad idea, but you have to temper your expectations. You must also understand that repeat surgery may be necessary and it is not a revision of the first surgery, but a completely second operation with all of the fees associated with that. Expect to pay more than for implant surgery.
Lupus can be a pretty serious condition. There are a lot of variables to take into consideration. The first person to talk do it as your rheumatologist. If that person thinks you’re fine to have surgery and have a few in person consultations with local board-certified plastic surgeons. They will most likely ask for a clearance from your rheumatologist. If you’re taking medications then you may need to stop those for a certain number of days before and after the procedure.Best,Mats Hagstrom MD
