The Pros and Cons of Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation

Imagine what it would be like to be able to reshape your body by moving fat to your breasts from another part of your body, such as your buttocks, thighs, abdomen or love handles. Fat transfer breast augmentation in New York and New Jersey is a procedure that does exactly that.

Fat grafting is a minimally invasive surgery that involves taking unwanted fat from one part of your body to boost volume in another. In this type of boob job, liposuction is used to extract fat that can be processed into a purified liquid and injected into your breasts to create a totally natural look and feel. Fat grafting has been frequently used in cosmetic procedures since the 1990s.

If you like the idea of larger breasts, but aren’t sure you’re comfortable with breast implants, fat transfer breast augmentation may be the answer you’re looking for. This procedure is also called autologous fat transfer or fat grafting, and it’s gaining popularity. Whether you’re hoping to reshape, enhance or lift your bust, the talented breast doctors at Rowe Plastic Surgery can help you achieve the look you want.

When Does Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation Work Best?

Today’s trend in breast augmentation is to strive for a more natural look that provides a less noticeable change than women looked for in the past. Most women today want a subtle increase in size, rather than a gigantic leap toward unnaturally big breasts. Fat transfer breast augmentation works best when:

• You’re looking for a small increase in breast size
• You prefer to undergo a more natural procedure
• You have some excess fat elsewhere

Fat grafting may be done for cosmetic reasons, but it’s also a good choice in breast reconstruction procedure following a mastectomy or other surgical intervention. A procedure known as lipofilling has been used for several years to correct minor differences in the position or shape of a reconstructed breast.

What Are the Advantages of Autologous Fat Transfer?

There are some clear advantages to using your own fat to enlarge or reshape your breasts. Since the material being injected is coming from your own body, there’s no risk of an allergic reaction. Other advantages of this procedure include:

• It’s a less invasive procedure than some other types of breast enlargement.
• There’s minimal to no scarring, since the fat is injected through tiny incisions made in the creases and folds surrounding your breasts.
• Liposuction, which is the means by which fat is harvested for this type of breast augmentation, slims and reshapes other areas of your body, helping you attain a shapelier, more proportionate figure.

For anyone who is reluctant to put foreign substances in their bodies, autologous fat transfer may be the solution. You also don’t have to worry about the complications that sometimes happen with implants, such as shifting or rupturing.

What Are Some Drawbacks to Consider?

There are both pros and cons to any cosmetic procedure, and before you decide to have fat transfer breast augmentation, consider both the advantages and the disadvantages. Your board certified plastic surgeon in NYC and NJ explains the pros and cons before setting an appointment for the procedure. You must be sure you’re completely comfortable with the process. The drawbacks to the procedure include:

• The fat that’s injected into your breasts can be reabsorbed by your body, making the enhancement somewhat smaller than you expected.
• Your enlargement may be limited to one cup size.
• You may have to have multiple sessions to get the results you want.
• This procedure doesn’t provide a lifted look, so if you have a saggy bust that you’re hoping to have lifted, you may need an additional procedure, such as a breast lift.

Having liposuction and fat transfer breast augmentation are two procedures that combine into one. That means it may be more expensive than other options for breast enhancement — possibly $5,000 to $10,000 or more. And unless it’s a part of a breast reconstruction, health insurance policies rarely pay for the procedure.

Are There Any Risks with Fat Transfer Augmentation?

Fat transfer breast augmentation is a low-risk procedure that’s usually free of complications, but there are some potential risks to consider, such as:

• You could develop an infection, although it’s rare.
• Some of the transferred fat could die, a condition known as necrosis. This can cause pain and bleeding.
• If some of the fat is reabsorbed by your body, you lose some breast volume.
• Non-cancerous cysts or hard lumps could develop.

You can minimize these risks by choosing a cosmetic breast surgeon who is board certified and has plenty of experience performing this and other cosmetic procedures. When you rely on a highly skilled plastic surgeon, you reduce the risk of experiencing any of the complications.

How Long Does Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation Last?

The injection of fat cells into your breasts gives long-lasting results, which is another reason that it’s so popular. Some things may affect your results as time goes on, however, including:

• The natural aging process
• The toll that gravity takes on your body
• Drastic weight loss
• Excessive weight gain
• Pregnancies

If your weight goes up and down, fat cells may get smaller or larger, which may affect your long-term results. If you maintain a stable weight, the results of fat transfer breast augmentation can last for decades, much longer than augmentation with traditional implants.

What Are My Alternatives?

Take your time thinking about whether to have breast augmentation. While you may be interested in fat transfer for breast enlargement, other alternatives to discuss with your plastic surgeon include:

• Saline, silicone or gummy bear implants, especially if you’re hoping for a large increase in the size of your breasts
• A scarless breast lift, if your main concern is to lift and reshape a sagging bosom

Before making your decision, schedule an in-person consultation with your breast surgeon to get the answers to all of the questions you have. Rowe Plastic Surgery is a well-established practice in Manhattan, Long Island, New Jersey and the Hamptons, and their surgeons are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. You’ll be in good hands, and they can help you to decide if fat transfer breast augmentation is right for you. Get in touch with Rowe Plastic Surgery today and achieve the look you’ve always wanted. Naturally.