Breast Augmentation With Your Own Body Fat
Add a modest amount of volume and round out the shape of your breasts using your own fat, so you feel more balanced and natural in your own body.
Is this right for you?
This approach takes fat from one area of your body and places it into the breast to add volume. It suits a moderate increase, and it will not meet every wish. Below are a few signs to help you picture whether you fall into the group it tends to fit.
This may be a good fit if
- You are a woman aged 18 or older who would like a moderate increase in breast volume.
- Your breast tissue did not develop in proportion to the rest of your body, or it lost volume after pregnancy, after weight loss, or because of hormonal changes.
- Your two breasts are uneven, or their shape is not well rounded, and you would like to improve this.
- You want a touch-up after a previous breast augmentation with implants.
- You have enough fat in areas such as the abdomen, hips, thighs, buttocks, or shoulders to be harvested and used for the graft.
This may not be right if
- You want a large, obvious increase in breast volume in a single session. This approach usually needs to be repeated 2 to 3 times and gives a moderate increase each time.
- You do not want to commit to several fat grafting sessions spaced apart, since each session limits how much fat is placed so that more of it can survive.
- You are not ready for the fact that some of the fat that survives the graft will be slowly absorbed by your body over about 6 months to 1 year.
How it works
Before surgery, a specialist in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, the same doctor who will operate on you, will examine you and talk things through to assess your general health, the shape of your chest and breasts, how much fat and glandular breast tissue you have now, the condition of your skin and muscle, and how much spare fat sits in other areas of your body. This is the time to tell your doctor clearly what you are hoping for and to hear how this approach can help you.
You will have routine pre-operative tests and be seen by the anaesthetist. Depending on your case, you may also have breast imaging such as a mammogram (an X-ray of the breast) or an ultrasound. You will need to stop any medicine containing Aspirin (a blood thinner) for 10 days before surgery and to fast for 6 hours beforehand.
For anaesthesia, the way you are kept free of pain during surgery, your doctor may use local anaesthesia or general anaesthesia, depending on how much fat needs to be grafted and whether any other procedure is combined. The operation usually takes about 1 hour, and it can be longer if other work is added.
During surgery, your doctor harvests fat through small incisions of about 2mm in areas such as the abdomen, hips, thighs, buttocks, or shoulders. The harvested fat is filtered and then injected with a special needle under the skin, beneath the breast gland, and into the muscle below the breast. In each session, your doctor limits the volume of fat so that more of it survives. Depending on your body, your doctor may also combine liposuction of other areas or removal of excess abdominal skin and fat.
Realistic expectations
Surgery brings an improvement in breast volume and shape, and for many people a greater sense of confidence in their femininity. So that you picture this clearly, here is what this approach will not do.
What this will not do
- It will not create a large increase in volume in a single session. This approach aims for a moderate increase and usually needs to be repeated 2 to 3 times.
- It will not keep all of the fat that was grafted. Some of it will be slowly absorbed by your body over about 6 months to 1 year.
- It will not assure that the two sides are fully even or that you reach the exact volume you hoped for. Outcomes that fall short of your wishes can happen.
- It will not get in the way of pregnancy or breastfeeding later on. You can still become pregnant and breastfeed normally, though it is wise to wait about 6 months after surgery before becoming pregnant.
Recovery
Most patients return to daily life fairly soon. The milestones below use time ranges, because every body and every combination of procedures heals at its own pace.
- Hospital stay
- You usually stay in hospital for about 1 day.
- The first few days
- You take pain medicine for about 3 to 5 days, depending on whether other procedures were combined and on how you tolerate discomfort. There may be mild swelling and bruising at the areas where fat was harvested and where it was grafted; these signs usually ease over a few days. The small incisions are closed with dissolvable stitches, so there are no stitches to remove, and the dressing is changed after about 2 days.
- Returning to daily life and work
- You are usually back to normal daily activity the very next day, and you can return to work after about 2 to 5 days, depending on the nature of your job and any combined procedures.
- The first 3 weeks or so
- You are advised to wear a bra day and night for about the first 3 weeks.
- About 2 to 3 months
- The final result is usually assessed at about 2 to 3 months.
Risks & safety
Most procedures done according to sound principles go smoothly, but as with any surgery, this approach still carries risks you should know about beforehand. Some relate to anaesthesia, and some relate to the operation itself.
- A collection of blood (haematoma) at the treated area.
- Infection, which is very rare.
- Fat necrosis, where some of the grafted fat does not survive and becomes damaged.
- Cyst formation, meaning pockets that hold oily fluid from the fat that has died.
- Calcification within these cysts; these calcified spots can make it harder for the radiologist to tell them apart from the calcification seen in breast cancer.
- Some of the fat that survives the graft will be absorbed over about 6 months to 1 year, so the volume you gain can lessen over time.
- Complications related to anaesthesia.
How we do it
At the hospital, this technique is carried out by a specialist in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery who has been trained specifically in fat grafting, and it takes place in a hospital setting that is licensed for aesthetic surgery. The same doctor who examines and advises you is the one who operates, so your plan is built around your particular health and what you are hoping for.
Before surgery, you are carefully assessed by an anaesthesia and critical care doctor, and depending on your case you may also have breast imaging such as a mammogram or an ultrasound. In each session, your doctor limits the volume of fat to help more of it survive, and talks with you beforehand about the fact that 2 to 3 sessions are usually needed to reach the result you are hoping for.
Frequently asked questions
Does this procedure hurt?
You feel no pain during surgery because you are given local or general anaesthesia. Afterward, you take pain medicine for about 3 to 5 days, and you may notice mild swelling and bruising at the areas where fat was harvested and grafted, which usually eases over a few days.
How long will I need to take off work?
You are usually back to normal daily activity the very next day and can return to work after about 2 to 5 days, depending on the nature of your job and whether you combined any other procedures.
Will it leave scars?
The fat is harvested through very small incisions of about 2mm. These are closed with dissolvable stitches, so there are no stitches to remove, and they are dressed, with the dressing changed after about 2 days.
Is one fat grafting session enough?
Usually not. In each session, your doctor limits the amount of fat so that more of it can survive, so reaching the result you are hoping for usually means repeating this technique another 2 to 3 times.
Will my breasts hold their volume over the long term?
Some of the fat that survives the graft will be slowly absorbed by your body over about 6 months to 1 year, so the volume can lessen. This is why the approach usually needs several sessions. The final result is usually assessed at about 2 to 3 months.
Will the result look natural?
Because it uses your own fat and aims for a moderate increase, this approach suits you when you want to improve volume and round out the shape of your breasts. Even so, outcomes that fall short of your wishes, such as uneven sides or volume that does not reach what you hoped for, can still happen.
Does fat grafting affect pregnancy and breastfeeding?
After surgery, you can still become pregnant normally and safely, though it is wise to wait about 6 months after surgery before becoming pregnant. After giving birth, you can still breastfeed normally.
Does fat grafting affect breast cancer screening later on?
Some of the fat can undergo necrosis and form cysts, and calcified spots can appear in these cysts. That can make it harder for the radiologist to tell them apart from the calcification seen in breast cancer. For this reason, let the doctor doing your screening know that you have had fat grafting to the breast.
How long will I be in hospital, and how long does the operation take?
You usually stay in hospital for about 1 day. The operation takes about 1 hour, and it can be longer if your doctor adds other work, such as liposuction of another area.
What do I need to prepare before surgery?
You are examined and advised by the doctor who will operate on you, have routine tests, and are seen by the anaesthetist. You will need to stop any medicine containing Aspirin for 10 days before surgery and to fast for 6 hours beforehand.
The next step
Book a consultation to find out if this is right for you.
The content on this page is for reference only and does not replace a direct examination and consultation with a specialist physician. Surgical outcomes vary from person to person.