Women’s desire to augment their breast size has consistently increased since 1962 when two American doctors performed the first breast augmentation procedure. Surgeons performed over 300,000 breast surgeries in 2018 alone.
There are a myriad of reasons to choose breast augmentation. Women may want to increase their breast volume, improve asymmetry, or have reconstruction after breast cancer. Whatever reason drives a woman to enhance, regain, or restore balance to her figure; she has many decisions to make once she decides to proceed.
Implants are a popular choice for breast augmentation in Dallas. If you choose implants, you have to decide on the material that makes up the implant, the shape of the implant, where to locate the incision, and whether it will rest in front of or behind the chest muscle.
An alternative to implants continues to gain popularity for those women who want a less invasive choice. Fat transfer breast augmentation offers women breasts that have a more natural feel and appearance to the breasts. They also reduce the risks associated with implants.
What is Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation?
The procedure encompasses a three-step process that involves removing fat cells from one area of the body and injecting those cells into the breast. One advantage of this procedure is that women can rid themselves of unwanted fat from the hips, stomach, or thighs, and increase their breast volume at the same time.
Step-by-Step Procedure for Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
- Your outpatient procedure will take less than two hours. You will most likely receive mild sedation and a local anesthetic to the area you and your plastic surgeon choose for liposuction. He will mark the areas to guide the process, and then make a small incision into the target area. The cannula is a rod he’ll insert to remove the fat out of your body and into a container designed to process the fat safely.
- Once the liposuction is complete, the process continues by draining unwanted fluid and washing the fat cells with antibiotics. This process removes unwanted blood and any other impurities that could cause infection.
- Your surgeon will make tiny incisions in a circular pattern around the perimeter of each breast and inject small amounts of the fat cells into the breast tissue.
- Upon completion, he will close the incision. You will rest in the recovery room for a short time, and then someone can drive you home.
One of the most significant advantages of fat transfer is that it allows surgeons more flexibility in shaping the breast. Implants come in standard (although different) sizes. Fat transfer gives the surgeon more discretion to the surgeon to fashion the breast to the desired shape. A Dallas plastic surgeon that is experienced and has an aesthetic eye is the ideal doctor for the procedure.
The Best Candidates for Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation fat transfer isn’t for everyone. Implants best serve women who want to increase breast size two or three cup sizes. Your Dallas plastic surgeon would recommend fat transfer to women looking for subtle augmentation and liposuction simultaneously because she is unhappy with a specific area of her body.
Fat transfer is beneficial for women who want to address minor breast asymmetry. It also helps women who aren’t satisfied with their breast implants and want to fine-tune potential imperfections from the original surgery.
Young mothers who won’t be having any more children are excellent candidates for fat transfer to restore the volume they lost during pregnancy and lactation. Women who completed cancer treatment are good candidates because fat transfer restores the natural shape and size they had before treatment.
The Risks Associated with Breast Augmentation Fat Transfer
Fat transfer first arrived over a hundred years ago. Surgeons perform it to enhance facial imperfections and restore a person’s youthful appearance, especially around the cheekbones and under the eyes.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons banned fat transfer for breast augmentation in 1987 because of side effects and the belief that fat transfer compromised the results of mammograms.
Current technological advancements in the mammography equipment have mitigated these concerns. There are still other issues to consider before you proceed with fat transfer.
- The fat that your surgeon injects into your breast does not have its own blood supply and must rely on the blood supply already in the breast. Not all of the fat cells survive, and published graft retention rates run between 50-90%. It is essential to have a skilled surgeon for the highest retention rate. Dr. Burns uses a specially designed graft system, which restricts the fat from exposure to air. The graft system increases the chance of the blood cell’s survival rate. He also transplants the fat quickly to limit the time exposed outside of your body. Studies support the belief that the speed of the transplant increases graft survival.
- Only small amounts of fat can be transferred to the breast when a surgeon uses conventional approaches because there is a lack of space in the breast to add more. Surgeons recommend fat transfer to women who want subtle increases in their augmentation. A relatively new technique called pre-expansion uses a device called the Brava. You wear it over your breast for three to four weeks before your procedure, and it creates space within the breast that doubles or triples the number of transferred fat cells.
Dr Burns Provides Guidance and Excellent Results
There are many issues to address once to decide on breast augmentation. Dr. Burns has the experience, knowledge, and aesthetic eye to partner with you throughout your journey. You deserve a body you can be proud of, and Dr. Burns will help you to attain that goal. Please contact his office to answer any questions, and to schedule a consultation.
You are on the road to a new you!