USE YOUR OWN FAT CELLS FOR A VOLUME BOOST AT COSMETIC SURGERY INSTITUTE, SERVING PALM DESERT, INDIO, AND THE LOS ANGELES AREA
Augmentation and implants are closely linked when it comes to breast surgery, but silicone and saline are not the only available options for women who want a shapelier silhouette. Breast enhancement with autologous fat transfer at Palm Desert’s Cosmetic Surgery Institute makes use of all-natural material: your own fat cells, taken from areas of the body where they are not needed due to their abundance. The procedure is well-tolerated, and results look and feel very natural. Other benefits that appeal to some patients include the fact that no breast implants are necessary, the surgery involves only very small incisions and scars from liposuction and fat injection, and the likelihood of complications is low because the patient’s own fat cells are used. The surgeon can create a customized breast shape for the patient instead of having to rely on the options available with conventional implants.
The fat transfer procedure involves liposuction on the belly, flanks, or thighs to collect the needed fat cells, then the processing of those cells, and ultimately their insertion into one or both breasts, as desired. Fat transfer augmentation creates a more pleasing, balanced body shape by slimming down isolated areas on the body where there is excess fat and adding it to the breasts. The procedure is very customizable and can be used for anything from adding volume for a modest increase to refining the results of breast augmentation with implants to filling in areas of the breast as part of breast reconstruction.
WHAT DOES BREAST FAT TRANSFER ADDRESS?
The fat transfer procedure can be used for a variety of purposes, including enhancing the contours of the breasts, disguising contour irregularities, modestly increasing the size of the breasts, boosting cleavage, reconstructing the breasts, and hiding telltale signs that someone has had breast augmentation with implants.
ARE YOU A CANDIDATE FOR FAT TRANSFER?
Each patient has unique goals, so during your consultation, we will help you determine whether fat transfer breast augmentation or another treatment would be the most suitable choice for you. Patients who are in a good overall state of health, maintain realistic expectations, want to increase their breast size slightly, have some excess body fat that they’d like to lose, have an elastic and firm skin tone, and are mostly satisfied with the shape of their breasts are good candidates for fat transfer.
Note that the breasts can only be enlarged by up to one cup size with a fat transfer, and the procedure won’t significantly lift sagging breasts. Patients with loose skin and sagging breasts or those who want to dramatically increase their breast size won’t be good candidates. A fat transfer patient will also need to have enough excess fat cells in localized areas elsewhere on the body for the surgeon to remove and use for the fat transfer, so it may not be the right option for very slim women. People who want to make their breasts larger but who aren’t interested in having implants often choose fat transfer augmentation as an alternative.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE FAT TRANSFER AUGMENTATION PROCEDURE
This surgery may involve general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation. The first step in fat transfer augmentation is determining which area of the body to use as the donor site. Since the procedure involves not just the breasts—but also the abdomen, thighs, or sides—great care is taken to create proportional contours and ensure the body as a whole is accounted for.
Fat cells are collected through small incisions. The plastic surgeon will use a cannula, which is a specialized tool that both frees the fat cells from the surrounding tissue and suctions them out. Great care is taken to preserve the cells’ integrity. In order for fat transfer augmentation to be successful, the fat cells used in the procedure must be healthy and able to survive the transplantation to establish themselves in the breast tissue.
After the cells are separated from any non-essential fluids or material, they are strategically injected into the breast mound. Your surgeon will follow a plan built on artistic judgment to create an even, round, and natural look. This fat transfer augmentation step will involve multiple injections.
Meet the doctor
At Cosmetic Surgery Institute of Palm Desert, we approach each patient with imagination and artistry in mind.
Our team of board-certified plastic surgeons and health care professionals offer the latest treatments for beauty and aesthetic enhancements in a safe, welcoming atmosphere.
Meet the doctor
At Cosmetic Surgery Institute of Palm Desert, we approach each patient with imagination and artistry in mind.
Our team of board-certified plastic surgeons and health care professionals offer the latest treatments for beauty and aesthetic enhancements in a safe, welcoming atmosphere.
YOUR FAT TRANSFER RECOVERY
The number of donor sites your surgeon uses to harvest fat will have an impact on the recovery timeline and experience. Patients should have a friend or loved one drive them home after the fat transfer treatment. Both the donor and recipient areas will be tender and swollen in the days after the surgery. There may also be some bruising, however there will be little discomfort for most fat transfer patients. These signs of a fat transfer augmentation procedure will resolve on their own, but you might want to arrange to take a few weeks off from work.
While you recover, try to avoid placing pressure on the breasts or engaging in upper body activity or heavy lifting. Note that the breasts may appear “overfilled” at first. This is because only a certain percentage of the transplanted fat cells are expected to remain viable, so the volume should reduce until it “settles” over time. Some of the fat that is used in the fat transfer will be reabsorbed by your body, and it may take up to six months following the treatment before the full fat transfer results are noticeable. The transferred fat will become softer and fuller at this point.
Fat grafting is a lasting solution and has a longer expected “lifespan” when compared to breast implants. The scars eventually fade and should be barely noticeable in time.
MORE USES FOR FAT TRANSFER
Fat transfer augmentation may be included in a Mommy Makeover, tailored to women whose bodies have changed since having kids. The surgical fat transfer strategy could work to address two areas at once: reducing stubborn fat on the thighs and adding volume to breasts that shrank and sagged.
Fat harvested from the belly or sides can also do more than add volume to smaller breasts. A Brazilian butt lift employs the same techniques to create a rounder, firmer, fuller look for the buttocks.
Adding volume with fat cells works similarly to dermal fillers, which are nonsurgical cosmetic treatments that employ lab-made gels. When the patient’s own fat is used instead of the foreign substances that are administered in filler injections, patients are less likely to have allergic reactions. The results also are much longer lasting compared to standard, temporary facial fillers.
Find out more about fat transfer augmentation—or any of these options—by setting up a personalized consultation.
Contact Palm Desert′s Cosmetic Surgery Institute to arrange a consultation for a tummy tuck in Palm Desert. Request a consultation online or call (760) 837-0364.
THE TIME IS NOW
The best time to take the first step on your path to transformation is now. Reach out to us today so together we can start on your journey toward a beautiful new look for you.