Fat Transfer vs. Breast Implants - Weighing the Pros and Cons

Are you thinking of getting breast augmentation but not sure about the right procedure for you? When considering a potential enhancement, most people envision surgery and the use of breast implants. This option, however, isn’t the only one available.

Fat transfer procedures are often considered less invasive and a lot simpler than enhancement surgery. This cosmetic procedure brings a number of key benefits to the table and often becomes the right choice for many.

Fat Transfer for Breast Augmentation: What Is It?

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, fat transfer procedures that enable certain kinds of augmentation are two-in-one methods. Fat cells are taken from one part of the body via liposuction and injected elsewhere for the purpose of augmentation.

Also known as fat grafting, fat transfer breast augmentation can address some of the limitations stemming from the use of saline breast implants or silicone implants.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons deems fat transfer procedures safe and effective. Obviously, the procedure is not as invasive as breast enhancement surgery and the rate of complications is very low.

These, however, aren’t the only advantages of fat transfer augmentation worth mentioning.

How Does Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation Work

The transfer process involves a number of important steps that guarantee the safety and effectiveness of the procedure:

• It is an outpatient procedure that typically occurs under general anesthesia.
• Initially, liposuction will be performed to harvest fat cells and acquire enough body fat for the transfer to the new location.
• Before the transfer occurs, the fat cells will be run through a centrifuge-style apparatus to remove any impurities.
• The next step is the administration of fat injections. Special syringes will be used to get the purified fat cells into the different tissue layers of the breast. The aim of the multiple injections is to achieve the desired volume and breast shape in a natural-looking way.
• The entire procedure will last two to four hours with no hospitalization required afterwards.
• In the coming weeks, you’ll probably need to wear a compression garment to provide breast support. The results of fat transfer breast augmentation are finalized within six months of getting the procedure and the outcome is permanent.

The Benefits of Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation

Should you consider a fat transfer or augmentation with implants? To make the right decision, check out the most important pros and cons of these options.

Achieving an increase in size via fat grafting can deliver several great benefits:

• Most people are good candidates for fat transfer. You can use the procedure if you have enough fatty tissue you’d like to get rid of in areas like your tummy, hips, thighs, arms, and even your back. Only a person who has a low body fat percentage will be considered a poor candidate for breast augmentation via fat transfer.
• A more natural procedure. Fat gives you natural breasts that look bigger. This is tissue harvested from your own body. The breasts feature lots of fatty tissue already. Thus, a fat transfer can give you beautiful results that look very different from what you could've achieved with traditional breast implants.
• The results are permanent. With breast implant surgery, you’ll need to get replacements every 10 to 20 years. This means going through an invasive procedure, the recovery period that follows and maybe even potential complications. The cost of plastic surgery procedures isn’t to be underestimated either.
• Recovery is much faster than in the case of breast augmentation surgery. There may be some bruising and swelling in the area where fat was harvested from. Your breasts could also feel a bit sore. Most people who undergo this kind of procedure, however, report no pain or intense discomfort. The soreness following fat transfers lasts about two weeks.
• Minimal risk of scarring and complications. While minimal incisions have to be made for liposuction to occur, the risk of scarring is minimal. Also, there will be no breast cuts – one of the biggest cons of implants.
• No breast implant-related complications. Having synthetic implants placed inside the body increases the risk of complications such as breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma, breast implant illness, implant hardening, implant malposition, capsular contraction, and others. These are factors you have to consider before making a choice between breast implants and fat transfer procedures.

The Cons of Fat Transfer as an Alternative to Breast Implants

Some of the key disadvantages that could stem from this breast augmentation method include:

• The impossibility to go bigger. With fat transfer, you can go up one or two cup sizes. If you’re looking for massive enhancement in the size of your breasts, implants may be a better choice.
• Using fat transfers doesn’t eliminate issues such as breast sagging. With implants, you can achieve a certain level of perkiness that stems from the nature of the procedure and the material the implant is made of. Fat is a natural part of the body and as such, it doesn’t give you a breast lift.
• Depending on the results you wish to achieve, you may have to go through multiple procedures in order to achieve complete satisfaction.

In order to ease your recovery, you’ll need to get in the habit of sleeping on your back and wearing loose clothing in the first weeks after the procedure. Antibiotics and pain relief medications may be prescribed to help you navigate the recovery period faster.

Should You Consider Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation?

If you feel that you need liposuction in certain parts of your body and that you’ll enjoy bigger breasts, a fat transfer may be the right procedure for you. It’s also a good choice for women who’d like to get a natural-looking result.

To sum it up, here are the things that make you a good candidate for this type of augmentation:

• You have excess body fat that can be transferred to the breasts
• You are not expecting a massive, drastic change
• You’re not nursing or pregnant
• You’re a non-smoker
• You haven’t experienced drastic fluctuations in body weight over the past few years

A professional consultation is the best way to determine whether fat transfer breast augmentation will work for you and if it will give you the kind of outcome you’re hoping for. Schedule an appointment with our experts at Prime Aesthetica in Tampa Bay and get all the information you need to enjoy peace of mind and confidence in the decision you’ve made.