For years, Dallas patients have been asking me the question, “can’t you take the fat from here (and they would point to their tummy, love handles, or buttocks) and put it here (pointing to their breasts)?” Well, finally, finally, finally the answer to that question is, “yes.” That means I can now remove the fat from the places you don’t want it...and use it to enlarge your breasts. You get fuller, larger breasts -- without any implants-- and a leaner figure at the same time. I’ll discuss how the procedure works in a follow-up post but, for now, let me explain why we now have this fat transfer procedure.
Three things have happened recently that have made this a reality:
Better Fat Harvesting Equipment I now use a Vaser/Tissu-Trans system to suction and collect the fat. Using this technology, I can get more fat and get it more gently. That means we get smoother contouring in the areas we suction and also healthier fat for re-injection. The healthier fat survives better resulting in a bigger, more successful breast augmentation.
Shorter Surgery Times These new methods also shorten the fat transfer procedure. The fat collects and processes automatically in the Tissu-Trans device. No longer do we need to wash, filter, and centrifuge the fat. These steps used to add a lot of time and also killed more of the fat cells we needed. I’d estimate that the typical procedure takes about 20% less time now. And by the way, a shorter procedure is a less expensive procedure. Fat transfer procedures are now much more affordable.
ASPS Approval The American Society of Plastic Surgeons just released the results of its Fat Grafting Task Force. If you’re so inclined, you can read the actual report. In case you’re not, I’ll summarize it. The task force reviewed 110 papers on fat grafting. They found, “Fat grafting may be considered for breast augmentation and correction of defects associated with medical conditions and previous breast surgeries.” The Task Force found no interference with the detection of breast cancer but did recommend further study of this issue. This is especially good news because potential problems with mammograms was one of the bigger concerns of plastic surgeons regarding this procedure. “Fat transfer results are dependent on technique and surgeon expertise.” As always, choose a board-certified plastic surgeon and choose him or her carefully. Be sure to find someone with advanced liposuction and fat grafting training, skills, and experience.
I’ll explain more about the actual procedure in the next post. If you have questions or are interested in breast augmentation with your own fat, please call our office.
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