Breast Fat Grafting
Meet Patrick M. Flaharty, MD, FAACS
Dr. Patrick Flaharty has more than twenty years of experience in practice and has helped reshape and rejuvenate the faces of thousands of Southwest Florida men and women. He is a double-board certified ophthalmologist who relies on his aesthetic knowledge and practical skills to bring his patients’ goals to life with safe, long-lasting products and services. Having performed over 20,000 facial plastic and cosmetic procedures, Dr. Flaharty is one of a small group of facial cosmetic surgeons with the education, training, and experience to give you the natural results you want and restore the youthful look you deserve.
Meet Allison Yee, MD, FACS
Dr. Allison Yee brings over 15 years of oculofacial plastic surgery experience to Azul Plastic Surgery. Over her professional medical career, Dr. Yee has performed over 15,000 upper eyelid, 2,000 lower eyelid surgeries and over 2,000 brow lift surgeries. She specializes in both the surgical and non-surgical face and neck rejuvenation. She has extensive experience with some of the newest less-invasive procedures for face and neck rejuvenation and has a passion for facial fat grafting.
Meet Walter M. Sweeney, MD
Dr. Walt Sweeney is a highly skilled and board-certified plastic surgeon, renowned for delivering exceptional, natural-looking results tailored to each patient’s unique goals. Known for his artistic eye and precision, Dr. Sweeney specializes in enhancing and rejuvenating the breast, body, and face, using the latest advancements in cosmetic surgery. His approach is rooted in collaboration, as he works closely with his patients to understand their vision and develop a customized treatment plan designed to help them look and feel their best.
Breast enhancement is a very popular procedure nowadays, especially among women who have naturally small breasts. That said, not everyone wants to use breast implants, so they seek a more natural alternative. In this case, breast fat grafting may look like a more appealing option. Our providers can perform this procedure at Azul® Cosmetic Surgery & Medical Spa for anyone who wants to achieve larger, natural-looking breasts.
Candidates
If you have excess fat in other areas of your body, yet the size of your breasts is smaller than you want them to be, then breast fat grafting may be a good option. For this procedure, you will likely need a higher body fat mass, as a low count might mean there is no fat to graft. A good candidate is a patient on a weight loss journey whose breasts shrunk in the process but still has excess fat on their body.
The best candidates are those in good general health and non-smokers. Since smoking can slow your body’s healing process, we suggest that you quit several weeks before getting the treatment done. If you are still expecting to lose a lot of weight in the future or experience fluctuations, you should postpone the procedure until you have reached a balance.
If you notice gaps at the top of your bra and want to give the area some fullness, fat grafting can help you. This is great for women who wish to make their breasts fuller without necessarily changing their size. The procedure is also great for women who experience sagging or volume loss after they have finished breastfeeding.
How It Works
Breast fat grafting is a procedure that involves harvesting fat from a different area of your body and then transferring it into your breasts. For instance, your hips or stomach can be suctioned out, and the fat can be injected into the target area.
The procedure is done under general anesthesia, using liposuction to suction fatty tissue from the donor site. The fat is then processed and sterilized before being injected into the breasts. This procedure will not only make your chest fuller but also sculpt and contour the donor site.
Depending on how much fat is grafted, you can go up a size or more in the breast area. Since the procedure is less invasive and does not require larger incisions like implants, it also has a much shorter recovery time.
Recovery
As the procedure is usually less invasive in comparison to breast implants, the recovery is well-tolerated. The only incisions required are those in the donor area, where the liposuction cannulas will be inserted. The breast area will have some needle points where the viable fat will be injected.
You can expect some minor bruising and swelling in both the donor and the target site as the skin is healing. Most of the effects will come at the liposuction point, but some tenderness can also be felt in the breast area. That said, most patients are back to their routine within a few days, and symptoms ease within a week.
It’s important to rest during the recovery stage and avoid doing any extensive exercise and labor. Hydration and nutrition are recommended, and you should keep the body slightly elevated to minimize swelling. Compression garments can also keep the swelling down but it is important to follow our recommendations. Most patients achieve full recovery within six weeks after the procedure.
Results
Results from breast fat grafting appear after the fat has settled and attached itself to the breast tissue. One thing to keep in mind is that not all the fat cells will survive, so you may need a follow-up treatment. Once you reach the desired results, they are typically long-lasting as long as a healthy lifestyle is maintained.
The swelling often conceals the effects, which means you might not be able to notice your final results right away. After about a month, you will see gradual results, and the fat will continue to settle for some time. Final results are often visible after six months, with your breast size possibly increasing a cup or two. It all depends on the amount of fat that has been transferred.
Bear in mind that the size of the breasts can be affected by life events like weight loss or pregnancy. Steer clear of crash diets and ensure that any gym routine includes chest muscle exercises.
Schedule Your Consultation
If you want to learn more about breast fat grafting and whether this procedure is right for you, contact us today to schedule your complimentary consultation.