Breast Fat Transfer

Are there any risks of complications?

There is no proof that a fat transfer into the breast has any impact on breast cancer, although there is also no proof that it does not. This procedure has been widely accepted in Europe & Japan for over 20 years. The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) has stated that fat transfer into the breast is as safe as other breast enlargements techniques. RACS has also stated that the fat injected into the breast does not make it more difficult to detect breast cancer.¹  It is important to note that there is a risk of fat necrosis/calcification and cysts (5% chance), as well as infection (1% chance). We advise that you tell the radiologist that you have had a fat transfer to the breast when you go for a mammogram, so that they can determine the difference between calcification and breast cancer. Additionally, with fat transfer to the breast, it is important to understand that there might be slight bruising and swelling post the operation (but this will resolve within a few weeks and won’t last long-term).

What is Breast Fat Transfer?

Breast fat transfer, also called autologous fat transplantation (to the breasts), is a surgical procedure that plumps up a patient’s breasts  using their own, naturally-occurring fat. This treatment is an alternative to breast implants and gives a subtle, 1-2 cup size increase in breast size (* Results may vary from patient to patient). Fat transfer to the breast is a safe, natural, non-allergenic procedure; and because it uses your own fat cells, you can never have an allergic reaction. The Japanese have been successfully using the Fat Transfer method for over 20 years in various plastic surgery cases such as these breast enhancements. Fat transfer procedures will be offered at our Gold Coast and Adelaide clinics using the Vaser. During the procedure, excess fat can be removed via Liposuction from your thighs, hips, flanks, back or tummy. This fat will then be transferred to the breast for a beautiful improvement in size and shape. The success of the breast augmentation (with fat injections) will depend on how gently the fat tissue is transferred from the tummy/thighs to the breast. It is important to note that not all the fat cells injected into the breast survive the transfer process. The Vaser liposuction technique removes fat more gently than traditional liposuction so that about 80%¹ of the fat cells survive the transfer into the breast tissue. This makes the Vaser liposuction technique the best way to transfer body fat into the breast. With traditional liposuction, less than 50% of fat cells survived the transfer (* Results may vary from patient to patient). With this breast surgery, the breasts can be enlarged by one to two cup size with a fat transfer. If you are wanting a larger increase, it would be advised to get natural-looking breast silicone implants or having multiple sessions of fat transfer to the breast spaced 3-6 months apart.