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Will Fat Transfer Compensate for Breast Implant Removal?

Posted in Breast Augmentation, Fat Transfer

woman posing looking downwards

There comes a time when good things come to an end. Breast implants that have provided years of breast contour can exceed their usefulness, and it’s necessary to remove them. Or perhaps these cosmetic devices interfere with an active lifestyle or an extensive workout regimen.

When it’s time for breast implant removal, there must be something that can fill the void. For patients who want their breasts to look as natural as possible, transferring natural fat from a donor site chosen on the patient’s body is often the best plan to follow. There are many advantages with breast fat transfer including the most natural look and feel, and a very low complication rate. The question, however, is, can a fat transfer compensate for the void left from breast implant removal?

What is Fat Transfer?

This aesthetic body contouring treatment is relatively straightforward but takes the skill of a board-certified plastic surgeon to ensure its success. Fat transfer harvests live, healthy fat cells from a donor site like the thighs or abdomen via liposuction and purifies them through a specialized centrifuge. Then, Dr. Dreyfuss will expertly position these living cells into the breast area left void by the removed implants. The cells will then attach themselves to the adjacent muscle, adding volume as natural tissue. 

Although not all tissue will survive the repositioning from the donor site to the breasts, additional sessions of the treatment can fill existing voids as needed.

Fat Transfer Benefits

Autologous fat transfer (lipoaugmentation) offers various benefits to our patients. As a reliable means of compensating for the volume lost after removing implants, more patients are choosing this advanced treatment to reshape their breasts with natural results.

The procedure is convenient, as Dr. Livingston performs fat transfer in tandem with implant removal. During surgery, after he removes the implants, Dr. Livingston will introduce fat grafts throughout the mammary glands. This positioning offers immediate results and lowers the volume loss considerably. 

Also, fat transfer involves no additional incisions or scars. As the fillers are fat-based, the benefits include breast enhancement with a natural feel, because the tissue is natural. Additionally, the procedure provides new support around the gland, improving the aesthetic outcome. Some patients desire a more significant increase in volume, which may require another grafting session after the body heals from the first surgery. 

Candidates for fat transfer after breast implant removal include patients with sufficient fat available, are in good health, and have realistic expectations. The best way to learn how to fill the void left behind with breast implant removal is to seek the services of a board-certified plastic surgeon who has extensive experience in breast surgery.

Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation Limitations

Women looking for very large breasts must rely on breast implants. Fat transfer only increases the breasts by one size. Someone with an A-cup can only move up to a B-cup and so on. The fat added to the breast does not instantly have its own blood flow. Over time, the vascular system will create a network throughout the fat, but it’s limited. The vascular system in the breasts can only support so many extra fat cells. Even people with all kinds of fat to donate from the hips, buttocks, and thighs can only go up one cup size in the breasts.  

Those looking to use fat transfer to compensate for breast implant removal should also realize that their implants may have stretched the skin over their breasts. Since fat transfer most likely means you’re going down in size, this excess skin will need to be addressed, and with it, nipple placement. In other words, your breast explant procedure will most likely involve a breast lift as well.

Next Steps

Performing fat grafts during breast implant removal is a specialized surgical approach that requires considerable expertise with plastic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Livingston is a highly trained, board-certified plastic surgeon who can deliver exceptional, natural results, with a pleasing breast contour.  

To learn more about the benefits of fat transfer, schedule a consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Christopher Livingston, today.