Breast fat transfer with Vaser liposuction - fat cell survival?

Question

My surgeon's website has told me that with vaser liposuction, "about 80%" of the fat cells will survive breast fat transfer (his sourced paper: Acute adipocyte viability after third-generation ultrasound-assisted liposuction), whereas with traditional liposuction only about 50% survive. This first statistic is different to what real self says (50-70%), and I'm a bit confused with what to expect. Can anyone provide any clarification?

John L. Burns Jr., MD · Answer

I love VASER for strictly liposuction cases but do not use it for fat transfer.  Even at low settings, by definition, the VASER will destroy some of the fat cell.  The goal of fat transfer is to make sure as much of the transferred fat as possible survives.  Looking at your question, it doesn't make sense how VASER ultrasound would INCREASE fat graft survival.  Maybe I'm missing something but  common sense wouldn't support those statistics.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear rubym12,
fat viability depends a lot of surgeon technique. The fat has to be placed back into the buttocks as soon as possible so that it has a greater chance of survival. It has to be placed carefully so that not too much fat is placed in only one area. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to 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

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Hello, thank you for your question. Using an energy source such as laser or ultrasound can make fat extraction easier. However, with fat transfer the bottom line if fat transfer survival long term. Using energy can harm the fat cells making their viability less. When you use ultrasound or laser, this energy can destroy the fat cells that you need to survive long term. I do not recommend using an energy device, laser or ultrasound, when doing fat transfer.

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

In most surgeons' hands using a variety of methods to harvest fat, the survival rate is 50-70%, especially long term being closer to 50%.  The fat cells need to be harvested with a method that does not cause them to liquify, which Vaser does.

Breast fat transfer with Vaser liposuction - fat cell survival?

Answers (4)

Answer: Transfer of fat

Answer: Transfer of fat

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Everything you need to know about Breast Fat Transfer

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Breast fat transfer with Vaser liposuction - fat cell survival?

Answers (4)

Answer: Transfer of fat

Answer: Transfer of fat

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Fat Transfer

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.