breast enlargement with autologous fat

Breast augmentation with autologous fat – synonyms & principle

synonyms: Lipofilling breast, breast augmentation with own fat, breast augmentation with own fat

principle: permanent volume enlargement of the breast with autologous fat

is often combined with…

• breast lift (with excess skin and downward-facing nipple
• nipple correction (with retracted nipple)
• breast implants (e.g. to compensate for asymmetry)

efficiency

more than half a cup per procedure is usually not possible – and this is where the problem lies –

the most common desire for more breast volume is on average 300g

This means three to four to five to six to ... procedures until you have reached your volume target

The first 2-3 months will determine how much of the transplanted fat (let's say 150g) actually connects to the vascular system and actually survives - on average it is 60-70%. But anything between 0.1% and perhaps 80-85% is possible. With a good percentage of 50%, 75g survive. That's not a lot. If it is 20% = 30g, the patient may have the impression that nothing has improved.

Therefore, with honest advice, breast enlargement with your own fat is usually not a real issue.

duration of surgery

On average, breast enlargement with your own fat (without tightening incision, without special features) takes approx. 60-120 minutes.

The operation time is therefore usually longer than breast enlargement with breast implants and is in most cases just as expensive or even more expensive.

repetition of the treatment

Repeating the treatment is of course possible - and in most cases will be necessary (several times). You should wait at least 3 months before repeating breast enlargement with your own fat.

Patients with little breast tissue are usually patients with little body weight. Therefore, gaining fat tissue is not always easy - and the more repetitions we do, the more difficult and time-consuming it becomes.

Application in which body region

Breast

decision-making aids

Essentially, these are fundamental decisionsthat constitute breast enlargement with autologous fat.

Should I have breast augmentation with my own fat do it at all? – Sometimes it is better not to do something at all.

Good advice highlights all the advantages and disadvantages of an operation – and thus helps you make the right decision.

Size: A 3D scan can help to show the desired volume size on your own body. You can also "make your own test implants" (cook rice and insert it under a sports bra using a flexible PVC bag) - this gives you a good feel for the correct and desired weight and also feels the difference in terms of gravity.

With which material Should the breast be enlarged?

• As already mentioned, autologous fat has a large limit – a maximum of half a cup of volume increase is possible – and everything really has to go perfectly during the healing process.
• Autologous fat should only be injected into the pectoral muscle (in the upper part of the breast, or directly under the skin - but not into the mammary gland itself - therefore the area that normally needs the most volume (lower part) is the most difficult to fill
• Therefore, the alternative siliconebreast implant chosen

Autologous fat and breast cancer

Some professional associations still warn against the use of autologous fat in the breast area (especially in patients with breast cancer or those at increased risk of breast cancer). Stem cells could stimulate the development of breast cancer. - In patients with breast cancer, a precise analysis of the type of tumor and medical history is useful, as is a detailed discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of autologous fat.

I would advise patients at risk of breast cancer not to undergo breast augmentation with their own fat - firstly, this method has not been used routinely for as long as breast implants - secondly, the patient's own fat can produce calcifications that can cause confusion in mammography (a good radiologist can distinguish microcalcifications in breast cancer from these calcifications - but changes caused by the patient's own fat can still be seen)

Regarding breast implants and breast enlargement, there are sufficient meaningful studies that rule out a connection between silicone breast implants and breast cancer.

Autologous fat & breast lift/reduction or correction of asymmetries

I see a good application in patients with a very empty upper breast who want a breast reduction or breast lift. Since there is no method that permanently shifts volume from the bottom to the top, emphasizing the upper breast pole with the patient's own fat after reducing/tightening the lower breast pole is a good option.

Autologous fat can also be very helpful in cases of asymmetries.

Autologous fat & breast augmentation with breast implants = hybrid breast augmentation

What may sound illogical at first can actually make sense in some cases. A smaller breast implant creates a certain amount of volume, and the patient's own fat can provide additional soft tissue coverage over the breast implant.

Liposuction & slight breast augmentation with autologous fat

If liposuction is planned for problem areas, the body's own fat can of course be used to slightly emphasize volume and thus also slightly tighten volume. However, the requirements for a specific volume target are usually correspondingly low here.

What should you have heard/read before breast enlargement with your own fat?

the border of maximum of half a cup increase in size per procedure

Prejudices

Breast augmentation with your own fat always produces super soft, natural results

facts

Even though breast augmentation with autologous fat has some Advantages (no capsular fibrosis, no foreign material, only stitches – can also cause scars! – but no longer scars), experience has shown that there are also some Disadvantages:

• more than half a cup increase in size per operation is not possible
• a soft silicone breast implant can produce a tactile sensation that is just as uniform and soft as your own fat (if not softer). Sometimes your own fat can produce palpable hardening/scarring or cyst formation, which is not usually the case with an implant
• There is not as much experience with breast cancer risk as with silicone breast implants
• Calcifications can become an issue in mammograms

common possible side effects/complications

• more effect expected (but more than half a cup=ideal case is simply not possible)
• infection
• Asymmetry (always present on two sides to a certain extent)
• cyst formation, hardening, scarring, calcification (mammography)

details Information on possible complications can be found in the information documents

In summary, good preparation (information, explanation, preliminary examinations, 3D simulation, upper body analysis, etc.), the surgeon's experience and the technique of insertion are important factors for the success of breast enlargement with autologous fat.

You should avoid…

• too high expectations to the increase in size
  
• pressure on the chest in the first 2-3 months after surgery (NO bra!)

anesthesia

Possible anesthesiaforms for breast enlargement

• twilight sleep
• gentle general anesthesia

the operation

Deadlines must be met in Austria (surgical information and anesthesia information) – this means that there is a waiting period of at least 3-4 weeks from the decision to undergo breast enlargement, but often longer.

There are negative pressure systems (e.g. Brava) that increase blood flow to the breast - and can therefore slightly increase the percentage of healing. However, since these systems are rather complex and not cheap and the difference in effect is not massive, they are rarely used.

Almost a prerequisite for the operation is: no smoking around the time of surgery (at least 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after surgery)!!! Since breast enlargement with your own fat is very dependent on blood circulation, smoking is poison for the result!

We will inform you if a psychological report may be necessary before your surgery.

THINKING POSITIVELY – helps. It not only prolongs life, but is also always a good first step towards any treatment or operation.

the operation

rest for 3 weeks in the sense of:

• do not lift more than 5-6kg
• nothing jerky
• don't work headfirst

Almost a prerequisite for the operation is: no smoking around the time of surgery (at least 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after surgery)!!! Since breast enlargement with your own fat is very dependent on blood circulation, smoking is poison for the result!

no pressure on the chest in the first 3 months after breast augmentation with your own fat!

our preferred technique/recommendation

• for smokers: smoke break!
• accurate patient selection and explanation of the possibilities and limitations
• can be combined well with breast lift/breast reduction,
• good for asymmetries
• Hybrid breast augmentation as an option for some patients
• Anesthesia twilight sleep or gentle general anesthesia
• There are no major differences in terms of extraction sites – common extraction sites are the abdomen, outer thighs, hips, inner knees or other problem areas

Cost

from 5900 Breast augmentation with own fat including anesthesia

approx. 6800 breast lift including fat transfer upper breast pole under anesthesia

400 overnight stay at the clinic with nurse/450 for overnight stay from Friday to Saturday

100 costs for day admission to the clinic (if no overnight stay is planned)

approx. 1800 autologous fat for funnel chest (in the same session)

50 Anesthesia information for planned anesthesia with an anesthetist

minus consultation costs

The prices listed are average values and could be cheaper or more expensive. The final total price will be determined during the second consultation (=consent) depending on the individual effort/planned operation time, combinations, desired clinic/room category and other factors.

At the turn of the year, clinic prices are adjusted and may then be slightly higher.

reasonable budget

A final cost estimate is only possible and meaningful after a detailed on-site inspection and clarification of individual wishes.

downtime

In general, 2-3 weeks of rest be taken into account – this means specifically:

• lifting no more than 5-6 kg
• no jerky movements
• do not perform any activities overhead

for 3 months no pressure on the chest bring

Important to know…

Always objectively clarify all the advantages and disadvantages of breast enlargement with your own fat for yourself. You can "sell" breast enlargement with your own fat in an extremely positive way if you only emphasize the advantages. But it is important to know that the method also has some significant disadvantages!

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breast enlargement with autologous fat