The search for the ideal breast implant material has spanned everything from soy oil to paraffin. The current generation of silicone implants are one of the most studied medical implants in the world. Despite the favorable safety profile, a sizeable percentage of women interested in augmentation surgery have sat on the sidelines due to concerns about having something they consider unnatural in their body.
At the recent American Society of Plastic Surgeons meeting in New Orleans, fat grafting to the breast seems to have come of age. Plastic surgeons have been using fat grafting to the breast for patients undergoing reconstructive breast surgery for several years now. The original hesitations of using fat grafts for breast augmentation purposes have to do with the number of procedures necessary and the ability to read subsequent mammograms — both of which are slowly being resolved.
Who Is a Candidate?
Most patients would prefer to have this procedure in one surgical session with one recovery. Ideally, a good candidate is someone who wants to increase their breast size about 1 to 1½ cup sizes and has enough fat elsewhere in their body to harvest via liposuction. Very athletic individuals often do not have enough donor fat to be used for the grafting process.
Who Is Not an Ideal Candidate?
Traditional breast augmentation with implants is still best suited for very slim patients who want to increase their breast size by 1½ to 2 cup sizes or more. Implants allow more control over the final shape and provide more fullness, especially in the upper portion of the breasts.
There are still remaining issues with the effectiveness of mammograms in patients who have had fat grafting to the breast, though newer imaging technologies like CT or MRI may help resolve these issues.
In addition to breast augmentation with fat grafting for women, the surgeons at Ann Arbor Plastic Surgery also offer male breast reduction for Michigan men who want to eliminate their visible breast tissue.
Click here to learn more about breast augmentation with fat grafting.