As one of the original and most popular types of cosmetic surgery, breast augmentation has undergone multiple stages of evolution, from what implants are made of to the way they’re shaped. Women wishing to have their breasts enhanced now have various options for the type of implants they can get, including a more natural method that doesn’t involve traditional silicone or saline implants.

This more natural method is called fat transfer breast augmentation. This procedure involves taking excess fat from other parts of the body and injecting it into your breasts. Most patients choose to get fat transferred from “problem areas” like the abdomen, hips, flanks and thighs.

Rozina Ali, a top-rated plastic surgeon highly qualified in breast surgery, shares with us some useful insights that may help you make a better decision and get the best possible aesthetic outcome.

What is breast augmentation?

Breast augmentation, also referred to as augmentation mammoplasty, involves using breast implants or fat transfer to restore breast volume lost after weight reduction or pregnancy/breastfeeding/menopause – that triumvirate of hormonal fluctuation......or to improve natural breast size asymmetry or most commonly, to increase the size of your breasts to your preference.

Round implants can enhance the upper pole of the breast which is the first to fall or demonstrate deflation

Shaped implants are excellent at enhancing the shape of any breast especially those with a short or absent lower pole.

When fat from another part of the patient's body is used to create the improved breast volume, the procedure is referred to as fat transfer breast augmentation. This plastic procedure essentially uses a type of low suction, gentle liposuction to take fat from unwanted areas, washed, filtered and prepared for injection into the tissues beneath the breast envelope and over the breast fascia. Fat is great for offering a small 1 to 1.5 cup size) enhancement, for retaining soft, mobile, natural feeling and looking breasts and correcting breast asymmetries.

Fat further has a function in improving the overlying skin – is useful in sorting out a bony decolletage or a deep pectus excavatum (funnel chest) and minimising the size of any implants selected.

This is a breast augmentation option for women who are looking for a small to moderate increase in breast size, minimal scars and would prefer natural results.

Hybrid procedures are becoming increasingly popular where the fat transfer is used to address breast asymmetry, the feel and volume of breast tissue and then a small implant is used to add structural support or add volume. This may also mean that the fat enhanced the overlying breast tissue sufficient to allow sub-glandular placement of the implant rather than under the Pec major muscle,

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Advantages and disadvantages

If you have reservations about putting foreign substances in your body, then a fat transfer breast augmentation is a great way to get the procedure done without implants. It’s the ultimate in recycling. What’s more is since the fat is completely natural, you don’t have to worry about your breasts looking and feeling unnatural. Moreover, since you’re taking fat out of other parts of the body, then you get double the outcome. You lose fat in places you may have been wanting to lose fat from and you gain bigger breasts.

Most importantly, there are only minimal scars involved. During the fat transfer procedure, the fat is injected into your breasts through 1 or 2 very tiny stab incisions that leave virtually no scarring, which only increases the natural look.

On the other hand, there’s only so much enhancement you can get through a fat transfer procedure. You can only enhance your breasts by one to 1.5 cup sizes so, if you’re hoping for a larger enhancement, this procedure may not be right for you. Pioneering plastic surgeons who have perfected their instrumentation and techniques are adept at ensuring the fat survives and its transfer. However, the body does what it does and may still reabsorb the fat, essentially diminishing the enhancement.

Breast implants vs. Fat transfer

Traditionally, breast augmentation is performed with saline or silicone breast implants. This method delivers beautiful results that enhance the size and shape of your breasts. Rozina is particularly skilled in selecting appropriately sized and shaped implants depending on the natural breast tissue quality and the dimensions of the breast. However, there are certain drawbacks to using implants.

Implants are not a lifetime device, therefore if you are active and young for long enough, you will eventually need a revision procedure to replace your breast implants While rare, you may experience complications such as capsular contracture, rippling or implant rupture and, for women with very petite frames and minimal natural breast tissue, it may be challenging to achieve results that feel natural with an implant.

Breast augmentation with fat transfer eliminates these issues. Fat transfer provides permanent results that don’t require a revision procedure. When fat is injected into the body, it must take up a blood supply to survive. After four to six weeks, the size of the breasts stabilizes. As long as you maintain your weight, the breast size will remain the same. If you gain weight, the breasts may increase in size. They may decrease in size if you lose weight.

Breast augmentation is an elective surgical procedure that offers significant benefits to many women today. To get the very best outcome, the solution is to choose the right surgeon who will guide you to the right procedure and the right size of enhancement, and will also offer your clear and detailed information about the recovery period.

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