Does a second round breast fat transfer cost the same as the first?

Question

Like if the first round doesn’t fill you out as well or doesn’t fix uneven breast and you have to get another round done is this included in the initial cost or is this a whole new surgery that cost the same as the first round.

Dallas Buchanan, MD · Answer

Thank you for your great question. The real answer to this is that it depends on the practice and the surgeon. If the second round procedure is identical to the first in terms of time and supplies, then likely those fees should remain the same (OR fees, anesthesia fees, supplies, etc.). The surgeon fee is where there might be some wiggle room. If your surgeon feels like his or her work is exactly the same, they might charge you the same fee. If they feel like because you are a return customer, you deserve a discount on their professional fee, that is up to him or her. Only way you are going to know that is to have a conversation with your surgeon.Best of luck!Dallas R. Buchanan, MD, FACSOwner & Board-Certified Plastic SurgeonVIVIFY plastic surgery

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear AnnonQuestions,Every surgeon has a revision policy. Many involve reduced or even no fees for the surgeon (depending on the situation) while the patient may still be responsible for facility (the use of the operating room, staff, and supplies) and anesthesia fees. Best to go back to your surgeon and have a talk about your concerns again. Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Thomas Trevisani, MD · Answer

Costs can only and reliably be discussed with your individual Practice. Additionally, I am not a proponent of fat transfer as a primary procedure because  the goals can rarely be achieved or maintained. Generally speaking, each surgical procedure has its own individual and separate costs.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

In general, 200 cc per breast is typically the upper limit of fat injection recommended by most plastic surgeons.  It is not that more cannot be injected; but on average, this has been determined to be the most that can be expected to live during one transfer.  The fat must be injected through multiple planes in small amounts to the tissue through one tiny incision under each breast.  
Fat transfer to the breast could improve the fullness of the breast, particularly at the top of the breast. If you want more than a one cup size increase, this may require multiple treatments to reach the size you desire.   About 50% of the fat obtains permanence.  Costs will vary with the demand for the PS and the difficulty of liposuctioning and transferring the fat to the breast; suggest that you follow you with the PS who performed your first breast fat transfer to discuss cost for the second transfer.Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Douglas J. Mackenzie, MD · Answer

Fat transfers often require more than one procedure to get to an optimal result, especially with fat transfer to the breast where fairly large volumes are needed, but not too much can be injected at one time.  I do not consider this a "revision" in my practice, and it is thoroughly discussed during consultation.  The second procedure and any subsequent procedures would be reduced in price somewhat.  This is all discussed beforehand.  However, this could be considered a revision if you wouldn't otherwise be having a second surgery, but for the fact that some asymmetry or irregularity occurred.  In that case, a smaller amount of fat might be injected, maybe just to one side.  In that case I would not charge a fee although there might be facility and anesthesia fees incurred.  Different surgeons have different policies and practices, they or their staff should discuss these with you.

Erez Sternberg, MD · Answer

Fat transfer to the breast is a nice way to augment breast volume by a half to almost one full cup size depending on the patient and the availability of fat harvest sites. In general, you really can’t put it more than 200-300 cc of fat at a time (more on larger breasts, less on smaller breasts) as the permanence of the fat decreaseds as more tension is placed on the delicate tissues. Therefore, if you are really looking for a larger increase in volume than one cup size, fat transfer may not be the best option for you. If you need a second transfer, it will most likely be at a reduced rate but still cost several thousand dollars. In general, fat transfers cost more that implant augmentation because they are more demanding procedures and take more time to complete. Hope that helps. Please ask your PS these questions before signing up for any procedure.

Jon Ver Halen, MD, FACS (license suspended) · Answer

Dear AnnonQuestions,Hello and thank you for your excellent question. This really depends on your specific plastic surgeon. Some surgeons will charge the full fee for a second fat transfer, while some surgeons will discount this. I have found that many patients can get GOOD results with liposuction alone, and EXCELLENT results with IDEAL Liposuction! IDEAL Lipo is a proprietary technique that we have been developing for the past 12 years. First off, all devices and instruments used are FDA-approved, unlike some of the liposuction and fat transfer devices being used today. These procedures are typically performed in the office, with only local anesthesia (although patients can request deeper sedation, if they so desire). We typically use Smart / Laser Liposuction or VASER (ultrasound) to reduce dense, fibrous fat, and stimulate collagen formation; Radiofrequency-based skin tightening (like Body Tite, or Thermi) to maximize skin contraction; and Ultrasound, RF, or subcision (Z Wave, Venus, Cellfina) to treat cellulite. Patients go home the day of surgery; typically do not use any narcotics postop for pain control, and are back to light exercise and work 48 hours after their procedures. In my practice, we specifically evaluate patients for these additional treatments, and select the appropriate treatment based on their skin quality, amount of fat, previous treatment(s), and surgical goals. It is best to answer your question during a face-to-face evaluation, when you can discuss your goals and expectations for the procedure, and you can have a physical examination to evaluate for that procedure. I recommend that you find a board-certified, or board-eligible plastic surgeon with whom you are comfortable. Be sure to have all of your questions answered during a face-to-face meeting with your surgeon, and review before and after pictures of similar patients whom have had this procedure. If you have any questions, call our office for assistance. Good luck!
  
Best,
  
Jon Ver Halen, MD FACS
  
Harvard educated plastic surgeon
  
Texas “Top Doc” 2017, 2018
  
RealSelf100
  
America’s Top Plastic Surgeons, Consumer’s Research Council, 2010 - 2018

Does a second round breast fat transfer cost the same as the first?

Answers (7)