Quezi

Breast of Vigeland sculpture (photo by dittavea - BB-CY)

Have you ever heard a woman say, “If only I could take some of the fat I have down below and transfer it to my chest!” Well, this seemingly far-flung idea is now closer to reality than you might think!

Breast augmentation using fat extracted from a patient’s own abdomen, buttocks or thighs is gaining more attention as a viable alternative to saline and silicone breast implants. Doctors in Japan and Europe have been refining this technique for several years. Physicians in the United States are also experimenting with  fat transfer to the breast, and clinical trials are currently being conducted  to determine the long-range viability of transplanted fat for breast augmentation.

Breast enlargement continues to top the list as the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure, with 355,671 breast augmentations performed in the United States in 2008, according to statistics compiled by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

However, the long-term consequences of inserting artificial saline or silicone implants remain a legitimate concern for many women.

Autologus fat transfer, also known as fat grafting or lipoaugmentation, is not a new procedure but its outcome  has been less than ideal. Transplanted fat can calcify, be reabsorbed, create cysts and scar tissue, and mimic cancerous growths during mammograms.

Research is aimed toward refining the fat grafting technique so that surgeons can determine who are the best candidates for fat transfer, how the fat should be placed within the breast tissue for greatest chance of survival, and whether the long-term results outweigh any potential risks. Doctors using this technique must be highly-skilled in placing the fat in a manner which will provide shape to the breast while providing the best chance for the graft to survive.

Fat transfer offers only a modest increase in breast size compared to artificial implants. It holds promise as an option for women who desire corrections of various breast deformities, including the filling of indented areas after lumpectomy or to refine the appearance of the breast after reconstruction. Fat transfer might also be preferable  for those who will be content with a only a slight enlargement or re-shaping of the breast for cosmetic purposes.

Although some physicians currently offer autologous fat grafting to the breast for cosmetic augmentation, it is important to understand that this process is still in the experimental stage. The procedure is expensive and may result in long-term complications or loss of the transplanted fat.

Some of the latest techniques to promote greater chance of fat survival involve processing and concentrating stem cells from the liposuctioned fat so that the mixture injected into the breast is fortified with cells that have a better chance of attracting a good blood supply.

Individuals interested in finding out about clinical trials involving breast augmentation with autologous fat should refer to the Clinicaltrials.gov website.

An example of a fat-grafting trial can be found here.