Large breasts are traditionally considered to be a desirable characteristic. Some women with breasts that are too small for their body frame may feel self-conscious and uncomfortable. Breast augmentation is the most popular of options that are available for women who are looking to improve the size and volume of their breasts. The majority of these procedures are performed using artificial implants that contain either a saline solution or a silicone gel. Thanks to advances in medical techniques, plastic surgeons have been able to complete breast enhancement using a potentially better, natural method – fat transfer.
While implant breast augmentation results in pleasant results, it leverages artificial implants that may lead to undesirable side effects such as wrinkling, rippling, capsular contracture, and bottoming out. Natural breast augmentation – also referred to as fat transfer breast augmentation or autologous breast enhancement – uses the patient’s own fat to achieve the desired breast surgeon. Plastic surgeons extract unwanted fat from donor areas such as the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks through the process of liposuction. This fat is then purified before being transferred to the breasts to achieve the desired size increase.
Natural breast augmentation vs breast implants
For the most part, breast enhancement procedures are completed using saline or silicone implants. This method delivers outstanding results to enhance the size and shape of breasts. However, it may result in complications such as rippling and capsular contracture. Breast implants may also need to be replaced after 10 – 20 years, depending on the manufacturer. Autologous breast enhancement eliminates these concerns by using the patient’s own fat tissue to achieve the desired size increase. This procedure results in a natural, permanent outcome.
Benefits of fat transfer breast enlargement
Natural breast enhancement offers many unique benefits:
- Uses fat from the patient’s body, thus eliminating the risk of allergies that can occur when foreign objects (such as implants) are inserted into the body.
- Results in a long-lasting, natural outcome.
- Provides additional body sculpting benefits in the donor areas (where fat is harvested via liposuction).
- This is the safest breast enhancement technique.
- Minimally invasive surgery with a shorter recovery period.
- Leads to no visible scarring.
Ideal candidate for autologous breast augmentation
Autologous breast enhancement is an excellent alternative especially for women who aren’t willing to have artificial implants inserted into their bodies. You may be the right candidate for this procedure if:
- You are in good physical and emotional health
- You desire a modest increase in breast size
- You have sufficient fat stores in various donor areas to complete the breast enlargement
- You have realistic expectations about the outcome of this cosmetic surgery
During your initial Baton Rouge LA consultation with Dr. Ruston Sanchez, the surgeon will take the time to listen to your concerns and examine your breasts before letting you know whether this treatment is for you. Keep in mind that autologous breast enlargement may not be available to women who do not have adequate fat stores in other regions of their body. If you are looking for a significant increase in breast size, implant augmentation may be a better option.
Procedure approach
Fat transfer breast augmentation is an outpatient procedure that is usually performed under general anesthesia. The surgery is completed at Dr. Ruston’s in-office operating room or any other accredited surgical facility. This transformative procedure is completed in three distinct steps:
- Liposuction – the plastic surgeon will start by harvesting excess fat deposits in donor areas such as the back, arms, abdomen, thighs, and flanks. Liposuction is typically performed on more than one donor area in order to gather enough fat to complete the increase in breast size.
- Purification – the fat harvested via liposuction is cleaned and purified to get it ready for injection into the breast tissue. Most plastic surgeons use a centrifuge to separate pure and viable fat from other components. The idea is to make sure that a maximum volume of fat survives in the transplanted location.
- Injection – special syringes will be used to inject the purified fat into the new locations. It takes a seasoned surgeon to make sure that the injections are evenly distributed within existing breast tissue.
Once the procedure is completed, the patient is placed in a recovery room where their vitals are monitored for a while before they are allowed to go home.
Recovery after natural breast augmentation
Both the liposuction and injection sites are bandaged after the surgery. A special surgical bra will also be provided to keep the breasts in position. Patients are advised to take at least three-five days off from work as they focus on recovery. You may experience some bruising, swelling, bleeding, and discomfort. These side effects disappear with time and pain can be alleviated using prescription medication. The surgeon will require that you attend a few post-operative visits to ensure that everything is going according to plan Adhering to the surgeons’ instructions is utterly important in order to facilitate a smooth recovery after fat transfer breast enhancement.