How soon after a breast augmentation can you get fat transfer to the breast?

Question

After a breast augmentation with implants how long do you have to wait until you can have fat transfer to the breast?

Leyla Arvas, MD · Answer

The amount of time you need to wait before having a fat transfer to the breasts after a breast augmentation with implants can vary depending on the specific circumstances of your surgery and your individual healing process.
In general, it's important to wait until your breast implants have fully settled and your breast tissue has fully healed before undergoing any additional breast procedures. This typically takes several months, and your surgeon will advise you on the specific timeline for your situation.
Hi, If you undergo fat transfer to the breasts too soon after breast augmentation, it could potentially impact the placement of your implants or interfere with your healing process. Additionally, the fat grafts may not take well if the breast tissue is still recovering from the previous surgery.
It's essential to discuss your specific case with your plastic surgeon to determine when it is safe and appropriate for you to undergo a fat transfer to the breasts after breast augmentation with implants. They can assess your individual situation and provide you with personalized recommendations based on your unique needs and circumstances.

Derek Fletcher, MD · Answer

I recommend a minimum of 3 months between procedures. The average adult takes at least 3 months to get through the biological milestones of inflammation and swelling. It also depends on which kind of implants you have. Most smooth, round implants drop and fluff faster than textured anatomic implants, which may affect timing of surgery as well.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Fat grafting can be successful after breast implants to improve shape and size discrepancies. Some of the success will depend upon existing tissue available for receiving the fat.

Justin Yovino, MD, FACS · Answer

Following an implant based breast augmentation, I find that the best time to move forward with breast fat transfer is after about 3 months. You want the breast augmentation to settle into place and the healing to be complete before subjecting the breasts to more surgery. The aesthetic plan and result can be tailored more precisely when the surgical site is stable. We perform fat transfer to the breasts all the time and this does not require general anesthesia. Patients are relaxed with medications by mouth and the breasts are numbed.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Honest468593,
you should be fully healed prior to another surgery. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

If you are trying to add more volume, I would suggest waiting about 6 months. If you are needing fat to help improve the inner breast area or hide rippling, then fat can be added around 3 to 4 months.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

Grafting fat over implants is a little tricky and different plastic surgeons will have different opinions about it.
One issue to take into consideration is the possibility of the cannula injuring or rupture in the implants.
For that reason some plastic surgeons myself included I will remove the implants during fat grafting and then put them back in the pocket after grafting is complete.
The space where the implants it can be temporary filter using a temporary breast implant sizer which is a disposable device used for determining implant size. 
The tissues should generally have healed an internal scar tissue should be mature which typically takes about six months.
I would anticipate mask plastic surgeons will say six months it’s an appropriate amount of time to wait.
Adding fat to an augmented breast can help in certain situations when the soft tissues are insufficient to give proper coverage to the implant.Thin layers of soft tissue also significant limit how much fat can be grafted.
Delivering consistent quality liposuction and fat grafting result is more difficult than most people believe.
Anybody interested in this procedure should be highly selective and shoes only surgeons who have a proven track record for the procedure.
Plastic surgeons should be vetted in regards to competency for both Liposuction and a fat transfer.
To choose the right provider I suggest patients have multiple in person consultations. During each consultation ask each provider to open up their portfolio and show you their entire collection of before and after pictures.
Confirm fat transfer after pictures were taken at a minimum of three months from the date of surgery.
For Liposuction look carefully at all areas treated to make sure there are no skin contour irregularities anywhere. I asked the surgeon exactly what areas were treated with Liposuction and what areas were not treated didn’t look very carefully at transition zone between treated and untreated areas.
Ask the provider to show you examples of excellent outcomes, average outcomes and outcomes that did not turn out as well as they had hoped. ask the provider with the revision rate is and what the revision policy is.
Ideally you should only be showing pictures of other patients who had similar body and breast characteristics to your own,
For reference and experience surgeon should have a minimum of 50 set of before and after pictures of family perform procedures. highly experienced surgeons will have hundreds or even thousands of before and after pictures of very common procedures.
Being shown a few sample pictures representing the best results of the providers career is insufficient to get a clear understanding of what average results look like in the hands of each provider.
It is imperative patient assess the surgeons capacity to deliver quality results for both Liposuction and fat transfer.
A substantial number of plastic surgeons despite being board-certified with good reputations do not have the skill to deliver consistent quality liposuction results on a regular basis. 
Some providers see Liposuction as a simplistic procedure with a little learning curve.
Liposuction is in fact a difficult procedure to master when it comes to delivering consistent quality reproducible results on a regular basis.
Liposuction has more variation in outcome based purely on who does the operation than any other plastic surgery procedure.
For this reason I recommend patient be extremely selective when choosing providers for fat transfer.
There’s no correct number of consultations patients need to find the right provider.
The more consultations you have the greater the chance.
I don’t believe you can properly vet plastic surgeons without having in person consultations.
Five in person consultations is probably a pretty good place to start and consider rescheduling more if you have any qualms about skill and experience.
If and dad slow down and schedule more consultations.
Liposuction is a permanent and irreversible operation. If done poorly people can be left disfigured and the results cannot be improved.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD

How soon after a breast augmentation can you get fat transfer to the breast?

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