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.


![images[5]](http://surgery08.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/images5.jpg?w=640)
![kimkbuttisreal[1]](http://surgery08.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/kimkbuttisreal1.jpg?w=204&h=300)
![kim-kardashian-ring-0[1]](http://surgery08.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/kim-kardashian-ring-01.jpg?w=249&h=300)