Fat Transfer or Injection to the Breast

Breast augmentation using the fat injection technique is only on experimental stages and is not the standard of care, nor is endorsed by FDA or American Society of Plastic Surgeons. It takes much longer than traditional breast augmentation using implants. First, the fragile fat cells must be removed slowly and gently by a liposuction technique. The fat is then processed, purified and injected into the breast in a way that the newly transplanted fat has a chance to survive.  It requires rich blood supply.  The two procedures (liposuction and placement) usually take more than 3 or 4 hours. In addition, there is a limit on amount of fat removed as some patients may not have sufficient “donor” site. The amount of fat for injection or transfer to breast tissue is also limited; a typical patient may receive 210 to 300 cc of fat per breast and that equals to only one cup size increase in size of the breast.

The overriding concern with injecting fat into the breast has been to avoid any problems with future breast cancer detection. The main problem with fat transfer breast augmentation is that calcifications and lumps can occur. Breast studies, including physical examination and mammograms, are used to monitor every patient diligently. The problem is that mammogram may not be able to differentiate between calcification of breast from cancer versus fat graft.  Large studies have begun over the last few years to study fat grafting to the breast but results have not been published.

Problems with Fat Transfer to the Breast

The downside of fat transfer to the breast is that the transplanted fat cells often do not survive long term. They may be absorbed by the body, liquefy, form a cyst, calcify or produce scarring within the breast tissues. If this happens, you likely will lose some volume and may develop some lumps.

Fat grafting also provides limited volume (less than a cup size) as compared to traditional implants. Infection and fat migration are possible, as are a reaction to the anesthesia and possible burns from laser- or ultrasound-assisted liposuction. Liposuction also adds the potential for creating deformities at the donor sites if too much fat is removed. There’s no guarantee of breast symmetry, and you may be generally dissatisfied with some aspect of the final results (size, shape, appearance, etc.).

A concern among plastic surgeons is how much fat is needed to get the job done. The consensus is that fat cells must be over-injected to compensate for any necrosis (cell death) that may occur, which results in loss of fatty tissue. Transplanted fat cells must establish a blood supply in their new location or they will die, taking any augmentation effects they may have had with them. Keep in mind that the living fat cells that remain will fluctuate with weight loss and gain, which means the area where they were injected will change size, too. Women with fat grafts to their breasts may end up with more (or less) than they bargained for if they don’t maintain their weight.

The jury is still out on whether fat grafts can obscure readings on breast X-rays or mammograms or be mistaken for early breast cancer. As it stands, all women, whether they have large breasts, small breasts or breasts with implants, require mammography to effectively evaluate their breast tissue, and the techniques used depend on individual factors. In truth, all breast augmentation surgeries pose potential problems for cancer detection. If you have implants, it’s important to let the technician know so that he or she can use the proper technique for imaging augmented breasts. You should also tell the technician if you have had fat grafting to your breasts.

Fat Grafting Breast Enhancement Cost

Fat grafting also takes longer to perform (usually multiple sessions), and recovery may take longer since both the breasts and the donor site must heal. It is more expensive than traditional breast augmentation surgery. Breast augmentation with implants runs between $5,000 and $13,000; depending on the amount of fat that’s harvested and transplanted, the final bill for your fat grafting breast augmentation will likely exceed $20,000.

Flash Recovery Breast Augmentation and Liposuction

 

Breast Augmentation

Plastic surgery helps patients receive lifestyle-enhancing procedures that will not only change the way they look, but also the way they feel. It is important for patients to evaluate a plastic surgeon based on qualifications and past procedure results. Searching through a plastic surgery before and after photo gallery will help patients decide which Plastic Surgeons to consult. In addition, it is also essential for patients to verify that the procedure will be done and completed in a State-of-the-art plastic surgery facility with a certified staff that are caring and helpful. (see Plastic Surgery in Los Angeles)

Our Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery facility is now offering patients Flash Recovery Breast Augmentation procedure. With this procedure, patients are able to receive and quickly recover from breast enhancement surgery that accentuate a femininely-shaped figure. Recovery time can be reduced up to less than 24 hours, depending on breast size. Size and type of implants, either saline or silicone implants, are determined during the patient consultation with their plastic surgeon. The type is discussed during consultation to ensure the type of implant flows and works well with the body. Size may also be suggested by a plastic surgeon to match patients’ weight and size. For minimal scarring, the procedure is performed by making a small incision under the breast, or by scar less breast implant surgery through the armpit, or around the areolar. The incision will be made based on patient preference and physical anatomy. The results are enlarged breasts, restored breast volume, and an improvement in breast asymmetry.

With our Board Certified Plastic Surgeons throughout Southern California, patients receive outstanding body contouring results such as Tummy Tuck or Liposuction. Statistics show that Liposuction has been a top surgical cosmetic procedure among men and women as a body contouring procedure. Liposuction is a procedure for patients who wish to remove excess fat and skin on the body and the procedure allows this removal on virtually any location on the body. The surgeon can perform a fat transfer buttock enhancement procedure using the fat removed from your liposuction.  During consultation, a patient will be asked to express their concern for areas of the body they feel uncomfortable with and may benefit from a liposuction procedure. Once the patient’s candidacy has been evaluated, the patient will be given specific instructions on how to prepare for the procedure. Patients have found this procedure to be extremely effective with results that exceed their expectations as results are permanent unless the patient presumes weight gain. Body contouring procedures provide results that enhance a patients figure as they result in a figure that is slimmer and more defined.

Gummy Bear Breast Implants

Silicone Breast Implant Photo

Gummy Bear Implant Photo

The great news is, since the FDA re-approved silicone gel breast implants in 2006, women now have plenty of choices. If saline implants just aren’t for you—if you don’t care for the saline filling, don’t want to risk the ripples or don’t have enough breast tissue to cover the implants—you should now be able to find a silicone implant or gummy bear implant that will give you the curves of your dreams.

New breast implants are nicknamed gummy bear beast implants because they have the feel and consistency of a gummy bear when you cut into one. The advantages of this type of breast implant would be it doesn’t leak like traditional silicone and saline implants if ruptured. These cohesive gel breast implants seem to hold their shape for a much longer time than the other implants do. Gummy bear implants are composed of “exactly the same ingredients as standard silicone gel. They just put more ‘cross-linker’ into it, so the molecules bond to each other more and it creates a more form-stable shape. The gel is so thick that it won’t run or slosh around inside the implant. The durability of cohesive gel breast implants looks promising. The folds and rippling associated with saline and silicone implants is less likely to occur with this stable-form implant. The folds become weak spots on the implant shell, making them more susceptible to rupture. And, even if these cohesive gel implants do rupture, the silicone will not leak out. More research is needed to see if silicone being in contact with the body will cause harm to the patient in any way. All breast implants including saline have a silicone shell.

If you’re just starting your research on silicone gel filled breast implants, take a closer look at gummy bear implants – the very newest generation of silicone implants available from Dr. William Bruno, Dr. Ashkan Ghavami, and Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery. You’ve discovered that “gummy bear” is more than a cute nickname; it’s a clue about the nature of the filling. It’s at once soft and firm, pliant and cohesive, strong and beautiful. And just like those cute little red, green and yellow bears, you can push, pull and even cut the material and it won’t lose its shape.

If you are one of the many women looking for Los Angeles breast augmentation, you’ll soon discover that many patients choose to come to Beverly Hills Physicians for their procedures due to the expertise of surgeons and staff.

Women learn that surgeons at Beverly Hills Physicians have invested an incredible amount of time and energy into breast enhancement surgery and we are one of the busiest and best experts due to incredible number of procedures we have performed. Prospective patients find out that the surgeons’ experience with saline, silicone and gummy bear implants has earned them the trust of manufacturers such as Allergen.