Fat transfer to the breast is often performed in conjunction with other procedures, such as liposuction, mastopexy, and, yes, even breast augmentation, because fat can be used to further shape the breast, or balance breast asymmetries after the breast implants are placed. In these cases, the timetable of recovery is often dictated by the surgeries done concomitantly with fat transfer. However, it is important to remember that when fat transfer is being performed, there are at least two operative sites, the target site of fat transfer, in this case the breasts, and the site of fat harvest, usually the lower abdomen or the flanks. In most cases in which fat transfer to the breast is the only procedure performed, the length of recovery is a function of the number of sites from which the fat is harvested. In our practice, we place our patients who have had fat transfer to the breast into a surgical bra immediately at the end of surgery, as well as a compression garment for the harvest site. Patients usually wear this compression garment for a month. Additionally, the skin over the sites of fat harvest is covered with Reston foam for a week. Patients are usually ambulating the night of surgery. If they have a desk job, and only one or two sites of fat harvest were used, they can often return to work within two or three days after the procedure. If more sites were used, or a larger volume of fat was harvested, or the patient has a more physically demanding job, a patient may take a week off before returning to work. Patients usually return to the gym, or their regular exercise routine about a month after the surgery, although it is important to emphasize that they should gradually transition to a full intensity workout over the course of two to three weeks. One last point bears emphasis: although it is fine for patients to apply ice to the sites of fat harvest after the surgery for analgesia, patients should NOT apply ice to the sites of fat transfer for at least a month after the procedure, as the cold temperature will kill the transferred fat cells.