Every cosmetic procedure, whether surgical or nonsurgical, has its unique benefits and drawbacks, its pros and cons. These are worth carefully considering before undergoing any of the many procedures available if only to better understand what to expect in terms of recovery downtime and results.
Fat transfer is one such procedure. Patients usually choose this procedure over others because the risks involved are much fewer than the risks involved in injecting or adding foreign objects of substances in the body, whether they be breast implants, or dermal fillers.
Conversely, what breast implants and dermal fillers do, they do well. It is unfortunately not possible to produce the dramatic results of breast implants through the use of fat transfer alone. Women who undergo fat transfer to the breasts may see a one to two cup size increase in the fullness of their breasts.
While many patients will appreciate that newfound fullness, and the lack of possible long-term adverse consequences of foreign breast implants, others won’t feel that it fully meets their goals for a breast enhancing procedure.
The beauty of fat transfer to the breasts is just that: No foreing objects or substances are entered in the body, and there will never be a need for an explant surgery years later should you no longer enjoy your breast implants.
When it comes to fat transfers to the mid face, the results are more promising, and they rival the results possible through dermal fillers. Where dermal fillers add a foreign substance, fat transfer adds only one’s natural healthy fat and sees about the same results, and the results last longer.
If a fat transfer to the breasts or face is possibly in your future, consider the following pros and cons to help you decide which procedure is best for you. (Should you decide to opt for something other than a fat transfer, your choices are breast implants (for the breast) and dermal fillers (for the face), or simply doing no procedure at all. Facial implants in the cheeks and chin are also alternatives to fat transfer, though they come with increased risk and, for many, more downsides than benefits.
Table of Contents
The Pros of Fat Transfer
It Lowers Body Fat
Fat loss from other parts of the body is perhaps the finest and most visible benefit of breast augmentation with fat transfer. Almost any bigger portion of the body that contains extra, undesirable fat may serve as the donor location, including the thighs, hips, buttocks, and belly.
Smoother Healing Period
Depending on how much fat is removed during the liposuction component of the surgery, breast augmentation with fat transfer is less invasive than breast augmentation with implants. Only a few tiny incisions will be needed for liposuction at the donor site, but swelling and bruising are possible side effects that may be uncomfortable while you’re recovering.
Injecting fat into the breasts during surgery is far less intrusive than surgically putting implants. In comparison to implant augmentation, a fat grafting treatment often has a quicker and simpler healing period.
Lower Risks
Patients who have breast implants have the risk of rupture, rippling, capsular contracture, and implant malposition. The patient avoids all hazards related to implant use by having fat transferred to their breasts. The patient’s own fat from the fat transfer procedure won’t be rejected by the body either.
More Natural Appearing And Feeling Breasts
In comparison to silicone or saline breast implants, the breasts will appear and feel more natural since the patient’s own fat is utilized. That being said, breast implants may be a preferable choice for people who want more pronounced roundness and cleavage at the upper part of the breasts.
The Cons of Fat Transfer
A Less Significant Increase In Breast Size
With breast implants, there are many more size possibilities available, while patients can anticipate an upgrade of one to two cup sizes with fat transfer. To reach the desired size, patients may choose to get many fat injection treatments, however this approach often requires more time and may cost more money than breast implant surgery.
Results Do Not Last Forever
The body has the ability to reabsorb the fat. The greatest plastic surgeons meticulously transfer fat, ensuring that as much of the transplanted fat survives as possible. Even under the finest circumstances, the body will still absorb part of the transplanted fat. There is a slight possibility that a significant portion of the injected fat may be resorbed, which might result in an unfavorable augmentation or the need for more procedures in the future.
“In clinical practice, the main problem emerging after [fat transfer] is its absorption rate over time: an average reduction observed varies from 25 to 70% of the total implanted volume.”
Bellini E, Grieco MP, Raposio E. The science behind autologous fat grafting. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2017 Nov 10;24:65-73. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2017.11.001. PMID: 29188051; PMCID: PMC5694962.
Fat Transfer Will Not Correct Drooping Breasts
Age-related, hereditary, pregnancy-related, or weight loss-related breast drooping cannot be reversed by fat transfer. If you’re looking for a procedure that can lift the drooping or sagging breasts, a breast lift would be your best option for those types of results.
Fat Transfer is More Costly Than Some Fillers or Implants
Breast augmentation utilizing fat transfer is often more costly than breast augmentation using implants since it essentially involves conducting two operations at once; the liposuction and breast augmentation. Overall, fat transfer often costs $5,000 to $10,000 more than breast implants. Of course, this cost varies per surgeon and patient.
In conclusion, a fat transfer procedure may be an excellent alternative for breast augmentation whether you just need a little volume or also want to modify your complete body with the use of liposuction. However, it also has drawbacks including the potential for fat absorption and greater prices. For these reasons, you must consider your objectives for breast augmentation before choosing between fat transfer and implants.
Additionally, be sure to see a board certified plastic surgeon for either of these procedures.
To get attractive and natural results with breast augmentation, considerable attention to detail and a good sense of artistry are required.
Any cosmetic surgery, no matter how intrusive, is a serious undertaking.
Learn all you can before deciding to undergo any kind of surgery including getting a fat transfer. You will be better equipped to choose what is best for your body during your consultation with your surgeon.
The above pros and cons of fat transfer are an important first step in understanding the procedure’s limits.
