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Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer in NYC

Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer in New York City

Small breasts can occur secondary to heredity, pregnancy, aging or weight loss. Breast augmentation with fat transfer is an option for NYC women who are looking for a natural alternative to implants which will create natural-looking, feminine breasts.

Breast augmentation with fat transfer uses your own fat cells to increase your breast size. During the first part of the procedure, liposuction is used to carefully harvest fat cells from your donor site (generally your abdomen and flanks). This fat is processed to remove non-fat fluids and then gently injected into your breasts. This procedure has a dual benefit – it naturally increases the size of your breasts and also contours your “problem areas” that may not have responded to diet or exercise.

Breast augmentation with fat transfer is an ideal option for many of Dr. Nina Naidu’s patients. An increasing number of patients are interested in alternatives to breast implants for a modest increase in their breast size. In some cases, fat is used to correct small breast asymmetries due to genetics, injury or illness.

For many of Dr. Naidu’s patients, the decision to undergo Breast Augmentation is as much about self- confidence as it is about the appearance of their breasts.
 

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Top FAQs: Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation


Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer Before & After Photos

Breast Augmentation Before & After Photo - Nina S. Naidu, MD FACS

Breast Augmentation Before & After Photo – Nina S. Naidu, MD FACS

Your First Consultation with Dr. Naidu in NYC

The first part of the breast augmentation process is a comprehensive consultation in our NYC office. Dr. Naidu will get to know you and your goals for your breast augmentation. For many women, breast augmentation with fat transfer is a way to subtly augment their breasts without the trade-offs associated with implants.

Ideal candidates for breast augmentation with fat transfer are healthy and close to their ideal weight. They should also have realistic expectations for the surgery and have an appropriate donor site. Breast augmentation with fat transfer is ideal for women who are seeking a relatively small increase in breast size (1/2 – 1 cup). Unlike implants, the fat transfer process can have variable results. Fat cells require an adequate blood supply, and not all of the transferred fat cells will survive. On average, breasts retain about 70 percent of the transferred fat.

During your consultation, you will need to tell Dr. Naidu about your medical history and your use of medications, nicotine and/or alcohol. If you plan to become pregnant or breastfeed in the future, Dr. Naidu will explain the impact that motherhood will have on your breasts to allow you to make an informed decision about augmentation. Dr. Naidu will conduct a physical examination, including not only your breasts and breast skin, but also of your abdomen, flanks, thighs, and any other potential donor sites for your surgery. Dr. Naidu will then be able to determine if breast augmentation with fat transfer will provide the results that you desire. She will educate you about the process and answer your questions.

Pre-operative photographs are taken at this visit. These photographs are an important part of your surgical planning and are considered part of your medical record. They will never be shown to other patients without your written permission.

Dr. Naidu will also explain her plan for your surgery, including the length of surgery, liposuction locations, and recovery. Dr. Naidu wants you to make an informed decision about breast augmentation with fat transfer and she will not pressure you to schedule the procedure.

Your Second Consultation with Dr. Naidu

If you decide to proceed with breast augmentation with fat transfer, you will have a second consultation with Dr. Naidu in our NYC office. At this appointment, your photos will be reviewed and any additional questions will be answered. Areas for fat harvest will be examined again, and necessary paperwork for surgery will be completed.

Depending on your medical history, Dr. Naidu may advise you to discontinue certain medications prior to surgery. If you are a smoker, you must not smoke for eight weeks before or after the surgery. Smoking will increase the amount of fat loss and will significantly impact your final results. If you are over the age of 35, you will need to have a screening mammogram prior to your breast augmentation surgery. For your safety, Dr. Naidu may also order additional screening tests.

Advantages of Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer in NYC

Breast augmentation with fat transfer creates a fuller, natural breast using the body’s own fat cells. There is minimal scarring and little trauma to the breast tissue. This procedure has a quicker recovery than with implants. Because it uses your body’s own fat cells, there is no risk of leakage or capsular contracture. Breasts also look and feel very natural.

An additional benefit of breast augmentation with fat transfer is that it sculpts the donor areas of the body. Liposuction will permanently reduce fat cells in the areas which have been treated.

Disadvantages of Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer

Breast augmentation with fat transfer requires patients to have enough fat at their donor site for a transfer. This may not be the case with very slim or muscular women. Your body mass index (BMI) must be at least 20 in order to be considered for fat grafting.

You may experience swelling, bruising and soreness at the donor and recipient sites. You will need to wear compression garments on your donor sites for 2-6 weeks.

Fat cannot shape the breast in the same way that an implant does. While it provides volume, it is very soft and cannot produce a rounder shape to the breast.

The primary disadvantage of breast augmentation with fat transfer lies in its variability. Donor fat cells require an adequate blood supply for survival. Approximately 70% of grafted cells will survive. If patients desire volume above 1/2 cup size, they will generally require a second fat grafting procedure one year following their initial procedure.

Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer Surgery in NYC

The day of surgery,you will meet the nursing staff and the anesthesiologist who will answer any questions. Dr. Naidu will then review your surgical plan once again and make a number of markings on your breasts and donor sites.

Surgery is performed under general anesthesia and typically takes 1 1/2 – 2 hours to complete. The procedure begins with liposuction of your selected harvest sites. This fat is collected in a sterile container and non-fat cells are gently removed. The fat is then transferred to small syringes and carefully injected into your breasts through 2-3 very small incisions. The incisions on your breasts and at your donor sites are each less than 1 cm and are closed with fine sutures.

Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer Recovery

You will wake up from surgery without any dressings on your breasts to prevent constriction of the grafted fat. You will have a compression garment on the area where liposuction was performed. After being carefully monitored following the surgery, you will be allowed to go home the same day.

Tight bras and undergarments should not be worn on the breasts during the first six weeks following surgery. You should however wear compression garments on your donor sites for the time specified by Dr. Naidu. You must avoid sleeping on your stomach for six weeks following surgery. Patients generally return to work within several days. The final results of the surgery are evident after three to six months.

Many of Dr. Naidu’s patients are very independent, but some degree of post-surgical assistance will be required. We strongly recommend that you create a plan to take care of yourself and your family, so that you can focus on your recovery.

Complications of Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer

During your consultation, Dr. Naidu will explain the risks of breast augmentation so that you can make an informed decision about this surgery. As with other surgeries, the risks of breast augmentation with fat transfer include bleeding, infection and scarring. In some cases, small cysts may form at the sites of injection, necessitating biopsy. Risks of liposuction include swelling, bruising or soreness at the donor site.

Complications from breast augmentation and liposuction can be reduced by carefully following your pre-operative and post-operative instructions.

Cost of Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer in NYC

Please call our NYC office at 212-452-1230 and we will be happy to provide information about the cost of breast augmentation with fat transfer. You will be provided with the exact cost of your procedure following your consultation with Dr. Naidu. Insurance does not cover the cost of breast augmentation.

Choosing Dr. Naidu for Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer in NYC

Dr. Naidu specializes in surgeries that contour the female body and restore femininity.  Aesthetic and reconstructive surgery of the breast comprise a large part of Dr. Naidu’s NYC surgical practice. She has a special interest in breast augmentation and in reconstruction of the tuberous breast.

Dr. Naidu completed her undergraduate studies at The Johns Hopkins University and obtained her medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. After completing her general surgery and plastic surgery training at New York Presbyterian – Weill Cornell Medical Center, she performed an additional year of fellowship training at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Naidu is Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Schedule a Breast Augmentation Consultation in NYC

Our office is located at 1021 Park Avenue in NYC. If you’d like to learn more about breast augmentation with fat transfer – and whether it is right for you – please call our office at 212-452-1230 and schedule an appointment.

FAQs about Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer

Am I too thin for an augmentation via fat transfer- can I use someone else's fat?

Patients often ask if they have enough volume for fat transfer to the breast. In general, you want to have a body mass index of at least 20. If you need to figure out what your body mass index is, the easiest way is to go online and look for a body mass index calculator. So with at least 20, you should have enough fat to fill your breast. If you don’t have enough fat, you cannot unfortunately use fat from another person. This fat will be rejected.

Can a breast lift be performed at the same time as a fat transfer?

Breast lift and fat transfer are frequently performed at the same time. In these cases, we’ll cut out the extra skin, raise a breast, and then put fat into the upper part of the breast to fill in any deficit.

Can a fat transfer address loose skin on the breast?

Fat transfer is best used to address volume deficiency on the breast. It is not a good treatment for loose skin on the breast, as that skin typically needs to be removed.

Can a fat transfer substitute for a breast lift?

Fat transfer cannot substitute for a breast lift. Keep in mind that fat will basically give you volume, and lift requires removing excess skin.

Can I transfer fat to my breasts to hide rippling caused by implants?

There are many different reasons to do fat grafting to the breast. One of the most commonly used indications is to transfer fat to camouflage implants which have been placed either above or below the muscle. In these cases you can use the fat to camouflage the edges of the implants, including any rippling.

What is a breast augmentation via fat transfer?

Fat is suctioned from the abdomen, hips, or thighs, decanted into pure fat, and then reinjected into the breasts.

Will I receive anesthesia?

General anesthesia is administered prior to breast augmentation with fat transfer.

How is the fat harvested?

Fat is harvested via liposuction, which is performed through small incisions at the site of fat excess.

Where is the fat for this procedure harvested from?

Fat can be harvested from any area of the body where you have excess, including the abdomen, flanks, hips, and thighs.

How is volume added to the breasts?

Small incisions are made at the base of the breasts and fat is injected in tiny aliquots throughout the breast, or in areas where there is a specific deficiency.

How much volume can be added to the breast via fat transfer?

The amount of fat that can be added to the breasts depends both on the amount which can be harvested, and the amount of space within the breast for grafting. Overfilling the breasts will result in loss of the grafted fat.

Will I have scars on my breasts and on the areas of my body where the fat was harvested?

Yes, you will have two 1 cm scars on the breasts, usually at the base of the breasts, and 1 cm scars at the site of fat harvest. These will fade gradually with time.

Should I stop smoking prior to surgery?

Smoking has very adverse effects on surgery and healing. First, it makes anesthesia more difficult to administer. Second, it delays wound healing and elevates the risk of infection, and third, smoking contributes to a higher rate of fat loss after grafting.

What should I expect during recovery?

Following surgery and discharge from the surgical center, you should expect to feel sore at the harvest and graft sites for several days. You may be prescribed compression garments for the liposuction sites, but do not compress the breasts with bras or wraps for 6 weeks.

Will I be able to attain the results I want with one procedure?

The number of procedures required depends on your goals. In general, expect to gain ½ cup size with each fat grafting procedure.

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