In this guide9 sections
- How Long Do Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation Results Last?
- How Does Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation Work?
- What to Expect After Undergoing Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
- Why Do Some of the Injected Fat Cells Not Stay Post-Transfer?
- How Different Factors Can Shape Your Fat Transfer Results
- What’s the Actual Increase in Breast Size With Fat Transfer?
- Integrating Fat Transfer with Breast Implants: The Best of Both Worlds
- Fat Transfer to Breasts: Addressing Common Questions
- Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation at Centre for Surgery
How Long Do Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation Results Last?
Are you thinking about breast enlargement? If so, you might have heard about transferring fat to the breasts. This method involves using the fat from your body to enhance your breasts’ size and shape. It’s a way to get a more natural and understated look. However, before you decide, it’s crucial to know how long the results might last and what can affect their duration.
Centre for Surgery, located in the heart of London, is a specialist plastic surgery clinic with experienced surgeons who focus on fat transfer procedures to the breasts.
How Does Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation Work?
Fat transfer breast augmentation, often called natural breast augmentation or autologous fat transfer, is a procedure that offers a softer, more organic look than conventional breast implants, performed under TIVA (Total Intravenous Anaesthesia) as a day case.
Here’s a detailed step-by-step breakdown of how the entire procedure unfolds:
Liposuction and Fat Collection
In the beginning, your surgeon will pinpoint areas of your body where there is extra fat. Common areas include the tummy, thighs, or sides of your hips.
The surgeon then conducts liposuction. Here’s what that involves: after making a small, discreet cut, they’ll use special tools that can gently suck out the fat. The goal is to extract this fat without damaging the cells, so they’re still good to use later.
Cleaning and Getting the Fat Ready
Once they have the fat, it can’t be used straight away. It needs a bit of a clean-up first. So, the extracted fat is passed through a process that removes any impurities. Think of it as sieving out anything unwanted — like any residual oils or fluids — so you’re left with just the healthy, usable fat cells. It’s this step that helps make sure the fat is in the best possible condition for the next stage.
Injecting the Fat into the Breasts
With the purified fat ready, it’s time to move to the breasts. The surgeon will make tiny incisions at specific spots on the breast. They pick these spots carefully, so any small scars are almost invisible.
The surgeon then uses a slender tube, known as a cannula, to introduce the cleaned fat into the layers of the breast tissue. It’s not just about adding volume — it’s also an art. The surgeon carefully shapes and moulds the breasts to achieve a natural-looking enhancement.
What to Expect After Undergoing Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
After you’ve had a fat transfer to your breasts, you’ll probably notice a few changes right away.
Immediate Fullness in the Breasts
Right off the bat, your breasts may look a bit fuller than you might have imagined. Don’t be alarmed — it’s a combination of swelling and the extra amount of fat that’s been injected by the surgeon. Why the extra fat? Here’s the thing: not all the fat will stay. In the months following the procedure, your body naturally absorbs some of it, typically around 30-40%. The surgeon plans this, injecting more than needed to counteract the expected loss.
The Settling Period
After the procedure, the fat needs time to find its permanent place. Over the next 3-6 months, as the swelling subsides and some of the fat gets absorbed, you’ll begin to see the final shape and size of your breasts.
Enhanced Body Contours
Remember, this procedure doesn’t just involve adding fat to the breasts. It begins with liposuction, where fat is harvested from other body parts. This means areas like the tummy, thighs, or hips might get a bit of a makeover in the process.
Why Do Some of the Injected Fat Cells Not Stay Post-Transfer?
During the journey of fat from one part of the body to another via fat transfer, a few bumps on the road can affect the fat cells.
Handling During Liposuction:
The very first step, liposuction, is quite rigorous. As fat is being sucked out, some cells get damaged. If a cell’s structure is compromised, it won’t survive the transfer, let alone thrive in its new location.
Living vs. Dead Fat Cells:
Here’s the tricky part: once the fat is out, we can’t easily tell which cells are still in good shape and which aren’t. So, the surgeon prepares and purifies the fat, aiming to keep as many healthy cells as possible.
The Body’s Natural Cleanup Process:
When these non-viable cells are injected into the breast, the body identifies them as ‘not fit for purpose’. Our body has its own housekeeping system, breaking down and absorbing things that aren’t functioning as they should. This cleanup process means that over time, those non-viable fat cells get naturally eliminated.
Integration into the New Area:
The remaining healthy fat cells have to adapt to their new home. They need a blood supply to get the necessary nutrients to survive and integrate.
How Different Factors Can Shape Your Fat Transfer Results
Were You the Right Fit for the Procedure?
Being a suitable candidate for fat transfer is paramount. If you’re a woman in decent health with a BMI under 30, you’re likely in a good spot. But it’s also about the availability of fat. If you’re very lean, there might not be enough fat to harvest, potentially impacting the final results.
The Scale’s Role in Shaping Outcomes:
Remember, the newly transferred fat is living tissue. So, if you shed some pounds post-surgery, expect the fat cells to slim down with you, potentially reducing volume. Consistency is key: try to keep your weight steady to ensure the transferred fat stays put.
Time’s Toll on Skin:
No one can hit the pause button on ageing. Over the years, skin naturally loses its bounce-back ability, causing drooping. Other treatments like breast lift surgery can step in to refresh and revive the initial results of your fat transfer.
Your Lifestyle Choices Can Sculpt the Outcome:
The way you live your life can significantly shape the long-term success of your fat transfer procedure. Eating right and moving enough can help maintain that post-surgery silhouette.
What’s the Actual Increase in Breast Size With Fat Transfer?
Fat transfer is a genuinely popular breast augmentation option, known for its natural-looking outcomes and the added benefit of refining body contours. Typically, a fat transfer to the breasts can increase breast volume by around half a cup to one and a half cup sizes.
Now, if you fancy a bit more volume after your initial procedure, fret not! You can undergo another round of fat transfer, as long as you’ve got the required fat reserves.
For those wanting a more marked enhancement but still keen on the authenticity of fat transfer, there’s a solution. By combining the fat transfer technique with breast implants, one can opt for what’s known as a composite breast augmentation. This combined approach allows for a notable increase in breast size while ensuring that the texture and appearance stay rooted in natural aesthetics.
Integrating Fat Transfer with Breast Implants: The Best of Both Worlds
When patients want a more substantial increase in breast size, combining fat transfer with implant use presents a comprehensive solution. This dual approach serves as a tailor-made blueprint, enabling a nuanced enhancement that taps into the benefits of both techniques.
By utilising this combined method, our surgeons can carefully balance the volume enhancement offered by the implants with the natural contouring that fat transfer brings to the table. The resultant look is a harmonious blend that aligns with the patient’s vision, delivering both size and a soft, natural finish.
Fat Transfer to Breasts: Addressing Common Questions
How long can I expect the enhancement from fat transfer to the breasts to remain?
Fat transfer breast enhancement durability does differ from person to person. Although the fat transferred often gives enduring outcomes, you should expect some of the fat to diminish over time naturally. One can optimise the procedure’s lasting effects by maintaining consistent body weight, steering clear of drastic weight variations, and heeding aftercare guidance.
Is the enlargement from a fat transfer breast augmentation everlasting?
Though fat transfer breast augmentation can offer outcomes that stand the test of time, it’s crucial to recognise that the results might undergo modifications. The body might naturally reabsorb a fraction of the relocated fat, which could reduce the initial plumpness and volume. The persistence of these results can hinge on various influences, like individual patient anatomy, the technique used, and one’s lifestyle.
Will my workout regime or weight shifts influence the fat transfer breast enhancement longevity?
Yes, your exercise habits and weight variations can affect the duration of your fat transfer breast enhancement. It’s worth discussing your fitness and weight management plans with your plastic surgeon before surgery. Maintaining a stable, healthy lifestyle — regular exercise and a nutritious diet — supports the longevity of the augmentation.
Could there be potential complications following fat transfer breast augmentation?
As with all surgery, fat transfer breast augmentation carries potential risks. Possible complications can range from infection, haematoma, and asymmetry, to altered nipple sensitivity and less-than-satisfactory visual results. Choosing an experienced surgeon, being a suitable candidate, and closely following aftercare guidance significantly reduces these risks.
Can combining fat transfer with breast implants give more predictable, longer-lasting outcomes?
Yes — combining fat transfer with breast implants can be a good strategy for those wanting a more pronounced volume increase or a more significant breast enhancement than fat transfer alone can achieve. This blended technique offers a bespoke solution, drawing on the benefits of both fat transfer and implant procedures.
Do fat transfer results last as long as implants?
In a sense, yes — once the surviving fat has established a blood supply (typically by three to six months), it becomes a permanent part of your breast tissue with no implant-style maintenance or replacement needed. The trade-off is that implants give a larger, more predictable starting volume, while fat transfer gives a more modest, natural result that still changes over time with your own body’s natural ageing, weight, and hormonal changes — much like your existing breast tissue always has.
Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation at Centre for Surgery
At Centre for Surgery, fat transfer breast augmentation is performed by GMC-registered plastic surgeons, at our CQC-regulated Baker Street facility, under TIVA (Total Intravenous Anaesthesia) as a day case. Your surgeon will give you an honest, individual assessment at consultation of how much volume increase is realistically achievable and how long you can expect your results to last.
We offer itemised pricing with no hidden fees, and finance options through Chrysalis Finance. Any compression garment or prescribed medication you need is bought separately, and histology is charged separately where a sample is sent for analysis; your coordinator confirms these in advance.
To book a consultation at our Baker Street clinic in Marylebone, call us on 020 7993 4849 or complete the contact form below.
