Q&A – Breast augmentation through Fat Transfer
In today’s blog post, Dr. James Joaquino answers a frequently asked question about breast augmentation whether fats extracted from the tummy and around the waist be processed and re-introduced in the breast?
QUESTION
I have a friend who had liposuction done by you and she is very pleased with the result because you transferred some of the fat into her butt. Her figure is now so “yummy” as her husband describes it. Can you transfer the fat from my tummy into my breasts to increase the size?
ANSWER
It can be done but it is not advisable. During fat transplants or fat grafting, not all of the fat cells transferred to the recipient site survives. Actually about only 60 to 80% will do and the rest will become scar tissue. In the butt, this is of no consequence but in the breast this might create problems with your mammographic results. Early breast cancer looks like scar tissue on mammography.
Two things can happen. First, you might have a false-positive result. Your doctor might mistake the scar for cancer and might recommend removing your breast which in reality is cancer-free. Second; you might have a false negative result where your doctor will think that an early cancer is just scar tissue from the previous fat transplant, then you lose the chance of a cure.
The best and safest way to enlarge your breast is still to use silicone breast implants.