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Breast Fat Transfer
Fat Transfer to Breasts - My doctor says they can get me up 2 cup sizes. I am about 5'4 107 lbs and 22 years old.
In our Dublin practice I do a fair amount fat grafting (face, hands, buttocks) and I do not perform breast augmentation using this technique. The issue here becomes one of fat survival and scar tissue. If a portion of the fat dies (which typically happens) this area can heal with scar. Usually it is not enough to be cosmetically noticeable. The problems start when screening for breast cancer. Both mammograms and MRIs can detect this scar tissue as calcifications. These can be difficult to differentiate from early breast cancer. Your oncologist or general surgeon may recommend multiple biopsies to follow evolving calcifications which can add to the scarring and create a real sense of concern for patients. Speak to a few plastic surgeons about using fat transfer for breast augmentation before making a decision. This procedure can be especially difficult in cases where more volume is required.
Clinical Context
Fat transfer relies on grafted fat cells quickly forming a new blood supply; cells that don't survive can break down into oil cysts or fibrous scar tissue, which sometimes appears as calcifications on future mammograms. Because typically only a portion of transferred fat survives long-term, reaching a significant volume increase may require more than one session and enough donor fat elsewhere on the body. Ask your surgeon how this could affect future breast cancer screening and imaging.
