Is Brava Fat Transfer to Breasts an Option for Petite, Thin Woman? (photo)

Hi Julia,

The Brava system is the only way to maximize graft take (how much fat permanently survives the transfer), and I would only considerate in you, given your paucity of donor material. In someone like you, we would need to harvest from multiple areas to accumulate enough fat to graft.  In the best of circumstances, plan a 40% loss, average is 50%.  So to get a 300 cc augmentation, we'd need 600 cc per breast, a lot of fat to harvest!  

The results are definitely a great alternative to implants, and are superior in feel and natural appearance, however the process with the Brava system is cumbersome. Preparation time is down to 2 weeks though.  One thing to consider is that if the final result is less than desired, you are now a better candidate for a small, anatomic breast implant. 

Best of luck!

Thank you for your question and photo. The BRAVA system acts as an external expander that the patient wears over her chest for 8-12 hours/day for 4-6 weeks prior to fat grafting surgery. It's purpose is to expand the tissues under negative pressure and this leads to tissue recruitment and increase in blood vessels.The idea is that when you get fat grafting into the breasts, the fat will survive better due to increased vascularity. Not all surgeons use the BRAVA system and excellent results are achieved without it as well. Matter of fact, in Europe the BRAVA system is not used, and great natural results are achieved. In certain situations, without a question it is very advantageous to use it. Looking at the limited view of your photo, it is possible to collect enough fat from your abdomen, hips and possible thighs to give you at least a cup size augmentation. Normally, you would loose 35% volume in the long run. The volume that you will have at 4 months, is permanent. BTW, a cup size for you is about 150cc. See a board certified plastic surgeon familiar with these techniques for an in person consultation/examination. Good luck.