Ask Dr. Elliott: Can I Transfer Fat to My Breasts?
For over thirty years, I have served as a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon performing breast augmentation using breast implants. However, did you know breast implants aren’t the only way to enlarge and enhance the shape and size of the breasts? Recently, I received the following question from an inquisitive patient:
“I have heard that you can take fat from parts of your body to enlarge your breasts. Is this true?”
As always when I receive questions from patients, I’m happy to answer them with honesty. It is unquestionably possible to remove fat from one part of your body and transfer it to your breasts to enlarge them. Though enlargement is somewhat limited when compared to the size increase potential breast implants have, fat transfer can make a nice improvement and provide natural-looking surgery results.
The technique is a version of the progressively popular autologous fat transplantation technique, meaning it uses the patient’s own fat. With this method, fat obtained by liposuction from one part of the body (i.e. a stomach pooch or the thighs) is transferred for use in breast augmentation and reshaping. Fat transfer is a great breast augmentation option for women who are looking for a relatively small increase in breast size and would prefer natural results.
This particular patient also indicated that she was in the process of losing weight, and for this reason wanted to speed up the process by going ahead and transferring the fat. If a patient had small pockets of fat that were unable to be removed by diligent exercise and diet, this could be considered. However, this is completely dependent on the specific patient-to-patient cases. I recommend being at a stable weight before undergoing any type of cosmetic procedure in order to maintain natural-looking results and minimize complications.
If you are interested in learning more about breast enhancement options please contact our office today. Be sure to connect with the official Dr. Franklyn Elliott pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Google + to stay updated on the latest breast technology news and information.