What is autologous breast augmentation?
For women who wish to increase their breast size but for some reason do not want a silicone implant to be placed, we offer an alternative method of breast augmentation in a natural way, using body fat. With this method we can enlarge one size or more in the bra, maintaining the natural shape of the breasts.
Since the female breast consists largely of fat, which surrounds the gland, natural breast augmentation with fat is an operation that essentially adds more fat around the gland, mimicking the natural anatomy of the breast. The result in terms of size increase is not comparable to what we can achieve with a breast implants, but it enables a more targeted correction to be made in the areas of the breast that is necessary.
Indications of autologous breast augmentation
The method of breast augmentation with fat transfer is basically suitable for women who want breast augmentation, but on the other hand are reluctant to accept the implantation of a foreign body, such as silicone implants. However, there needs to be an understanding of the possibilities and limits of this technique, because it cannot replace classic breast augmentation with silicone implants as a method.
Ideally, this procedure is performed on people who on the one hand want to increase the breasts and at the same time want to get rid of stubborn “fat”, such as buns or abdomen. The advantage in these cases is that we achieve at the same time the spectacular results of a liposuction, while at the same time we significantly improve the breasts.
The amounts of fat necessary to make a successful increase in a natural way are at least 200-300cc per breast, while ideally we can add up to 400-500cc per breast. Practically this means that the operation is technically simpler when there are unnecessary adipose areas in the body, however it can be applied even to very thin women, collecting fat from multiple parts of the body, without of course creating any imperfection in the harvested areas. From my experience, this technique has been successfully applied to people under 50 kg with a very satisfactory result.
This technique is also indicated for women who wish to remove previously placed breast implants and do not want new implants to be placed. In this procedure we remove the silicone implants along with their capsule and at the same time add fat to replace the breast volume to the extent possible.
Breast fat transfer can also accompany or be combined with other techniques, such as breast lift, breast reduction or augmentation with implants. In breast lift and reduction, fat is added to the upper pole of the breast, so that it does not empty in the future. In prosthetic augmentation, fat can be used in small quantities to achieve the hybrid method, correcting some imperfections that may not be fully addressed with silicone implants alone.
This method is particularly effective for women who have previously undergone mastectomy surgery to prevent or remove breast cancer. It has also been proven, according to recent research, that the addition of breast fat after mastectomy surgery does not affect or contribute to the recurrence of malignancy, which is particularly important and encouraging. Fat can be used on its own, or in combination after rehabilitation with silicone implants, flaps or other techniques.
How is autologous breast augmentation performed?
Autologous breast augmentation is performed naturally by adding fat, which is collected either with syringes or with specialized fat collection devices. This fat is then placed with special cannulas on the chest, without the need to make incisions.
The collection of fat from the body with syringes is a very laborious and time-consuming process, which in my opinion is indicated only in cases where we need small amounts of fat for minor corrections in the breast and is not sufficient for satisfactory breast augmentation.
When we need sufficient amounts for natural breast augmentation with fat, it is better to use standardized and tested methods. Personally, my choice is between the Bodyjet and Microaire techniques, which I choose depending on the case.
In the Bodyjet technique, fat is released with the help of a water jet and for this reason fat cells are not damaged so much during its collection. Thus, a relatively large quantity can be successfully transferred in order to augment the breasts. The fat is automatically collected by the machine, which separates it from impurities of blood, fluids and other tissues. Then the fat is processed even more, so that it is almost completely clean. In the second phase of surgery, special lipotransfer cannulas are used and fat is placed at multiple levels around the mammary gland, mainly in the subcutaneous fat, muscle and connective tissue. The injection of fat is done with small incisions of 1 millimeter, which disappear completely. In order to have a satisfactory result, a sufficient amount of fat of at least 300 grams or more, corresponding to a small silicone implant, is added to each breast.
The other technique is with the help of pulsating liposuction Microaire. The collection is done in a similar way as with the Bodyjet, ie with the pulsating cannulas of the device and the fat is collected again in special containers separating the liquids. What is very different is the way of injection, which is done with the pulsating cannula and is called EVL (expansion vibration lipotransfer). This method is characterized by speed, safety and the ability to add large volumes;
The great advantage of natural breast augmentation with fat transfer is the fact that it enables us to choose the areas from which we will receive fat, in order to correct possible body imbalances. We can also do a more extensive liposuction, in addition to collecting the fat needed to transfer to the chest that gives us a two-in-one result.
Recovery after autologous breast augmentation
After surgery, a special bandage or bra is made, which is needed for the first 2-3 weeks. There are no major restrictions after surgery. Swelling and minimal bruising subside after the 2nd week. The return to work can be very immediate, within 2-3 days, and sports activity is usually possible after a month.
The breast after natural growth with fat initially looks too full and perhaps too full at the upper pole and décolleté. The reason is that we know from literature, studies and personal experience that a part of fat will unfortunately be absorbed by the body within the first few months. Unfortunately, the absorption rate is neither constant, nor can we predict it exactly, so it is preferable to transfer a larger amount so that enough size remains when part of the fat is absorbed. We usually expect that 60-80% of the total fat we will add will remain. This practically means that if we add for example 400cc of fat per breast, 240-320cc will remain, which roughly corresponds to a medium silicone implants.
How successful is natural breast augmentation with fat?
Factors that significantly affect the success of the operation are age, smoking, fat quality and anatomical peculiarities. The younger the age, the higher the survivability of the fat. This is because in young people the body can more easily produce new vessels that will nourish fat to survive as a graft. Empirically and after monitoring many cases, I have observed that the operation is more successful in women aged 20-30 years. In older age these percentages are lower.
Smoking also plays a huge role. In smokers, the body’s ability to nourish an autograft, such as the fat we transfer to the breast, is more limited and survival rates are lower. In terms of fat quality, I have noticed that people with relatively tight and solid fat by construction have more stable results. The area from which we will collect fat is also crucial. If there are one or two areas for receiving fat, like buns or belly and fat are of good quality, we can collect fat from there. Since we do not have such well-formed fat stores, we can take it from multiple parts of the body to ensure a good quality of fat and exclude the possibility of creating a deformity from the receiving area.
Finally, the anatomical traits of the breast play a role in the success of the result. A relatively larger breast may receive a larger amount of fat than a smaller one and show a greater increase overall. An ideal case is also after loss of breast volume and pseudosagging, where autologous breast augmentation with fat gives excellent results without any scars.
