Can I combine fat transfer or fat grafting alongside my breast augmentation with implants?

Breast Augmentation Using Implants and Your Natural Tissue Through Fat Grafting

Breast augmentation is a cosmetic procedure frequently performed by specialist plastic surgeon Dr David Sharp in Brisbane. Designed to increase breast size and shape, Dr Sharp utilises fat grafting, also known as fat transfer, alongside breast implants, where appropriate.

How Does Fat Transfer Work?

Your surgical journey will begin with a consultation process with your plastic surgeon, who will inform you of the benefits, risks and recovery involved with the fat grafting and breast implant procedure. This will ensure you can make an educated and well informed decision about your surgery, with confidence. After this ‘informed consent’ period, your surgery will be booked and our patient support team will provide you with the information required to begin preparing for your surgery.

On the day of surgery, you will attend a private hospital – usually South Brisbane Day Hospital or Greenslopes Private Hospital – where you will undergo general anaesthesia with a qualified specialist anaesthetist.

The surgery will consist of two procedures in a single operation. Firstly, the surgeon makes a pocket inside the breast and places the breast implant. Fat is carefully collected from predetermined areas like the flanks or thighs and then strategically injected into the breasts, using the incision points already made for the implant insertion.

Fat transfer surgery can be performed alongside liposuction surgery as well, but liposuction surgery is not required in order to undergo fat grafting. A much smaller amount of fat is removed during a grafting harvest vs standard liposuction procedure. 

Pros and Cons of Fat Transfer

Like any surgical procedure, breast augmentation with fat transfer has its advantages and considerations:

Benefits

1. Two Procedures in One: Fat transfer does not significantly increase breast size but it can soften the appearance of the implant and smooth out the junctures where the natural breast tissue or fat meets the implant.

2. Long lasting Results: the fat that survives the transplantation process is permanent.

3. Using your down Body Tissue: Using your body’s own fat to change your breast’s appearance means you are relying on both the predictability of the breast implant (in terms of shape and size) and natural tissue.

Risks

1. Fat Loss: After fat is harvested, some fat cells may not survive the transfer, which can result in a reduction in volume. In rare cases, this can result in fat necrosis (fat death).

2. Potential for Multiple Procedures: Full results may take 4–6 months to become apparent and multiple fat grafting sessions may be required in order to achieve a visibly pleasing result.              

3. Uneven Fat Loss: There’s a possibility of uneven fat loss between the breasts, which may require corrective procedures. The donor site may also have contour irregularities where fat was removed, which can be more obvious after weight gain or loss.

Click here to read more about benefits and risks of this procedure. 

Who Should Consider Fat Transfer?

Dr. Sharp may recommend breast augmentation with fat transfer for individuals who:

– Desire an increase in breast size without an obviously-augmented look.
– Have excess fat available for transfer.
– Want to target specific areas of the breast for customisation.
– Currently have very little fat covering on their chest.

Dr. Sharp emphasises that the the choice should be based on the patient’s surgical objectives, with a thorough understanding of the risks and benefits involved.

Why doesn’t Dr Sharp perform fat grafting on its own, without an implant?

Due to the variability of fat survival, relying on fat alone to enlarge the breast can be unreliable and lead to disappointment. In Dr Sharp’s experience, fat grafting has a role in breast augmentation surgery and produces the best possible results when teamed with a high quality silicone implant. 

About Dr. David Sharp:

Dr. David Sharp is an experienced specialist plastic surgeon in Brisbane, with a special interest in breast, body and facial cosmetic surgery.

With over two decades of experience in medicine, Dr. Sharp has performed over 20,000 surgical procedures in Australia and has an established surgical and non surgical practice in Brisbane.

Read more about Dr Sharp's credentials and expertise here. 

For more information and to schedule an appointment with Dr. David Sharp, please contact our patient support team at 3202 4744 or visit our online booking request form here.

This information is intended for general knowledge and should not replace personalised advice from your surgeon. Always consult with your surgeon for individual care.