The process of transferring fat from the stomach to the breast involves a combination of liposuction to remove the fat from the stomach and fat grafting to transfer it to the breasts. This procedure aims to augment the breasts using the patient's own fat, providing a natural look and feel.
Here's a breakdown of the steps involved:
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Liposuction:
- Anesthesia: The patient is typically placed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation.
- Incision: Small incisions are made in the stomach area, strategically placed to minimize scarring.
- Fat Removal: A cannula (a thin tube) is inserted through the incisions, and the fat is carefully suctioned out. This is done to contour the abdomen and harvest fat for transfer. The process used is often a gentle liposuction technique to ensure the viability of the fat cells.
- Fluid Injection (Tumescent Technique): Often, a tumescent fluid containing saline, local anesthetic (lidocaine), and epinephrine is injected into the area before liposuction. This helps to numb the area, constrict blood vessels to reduce bleeding, and make fat removal easier.
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Fat Processing:
- Purification: The harvested fat is processed to remove impurities, such as blood and fluids. This is crucial for ensuring the survival of the fat cells once they are transferred. Techniques for purification can include centrifugation, decantation, or filtering.
- Preparation: The purified fat is then prepared for injection into the breasts.
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Fat Transfer to Breasts:
- Incision: Small incisions are made in the breasts, often in discreet locations such as the inframammary fold (underneath the breast) or around the areola.
- Injection: The purified fat is carefully injected into multiple layers and locations within the breast tissue and underneath the breast muscle. This technique helps to ensure a smooth, natural-looking result and improves the chances of the fat cells surviving. Multiple small injections are preferred over fewer large injections to improve blood supply to the transferred fat.
- Shaping: The surgeon molds and shapes the breasts to achieve the desired size and contour.
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Recovery:
- Post-operative Care: After the procedure, patients typically wear a compression garment to minimize swelling and support the treated areas.
- Healing: There will be some swelling and bruising in both the abdomen and breast areas.
- Results: It takes time for the swelling to subside and the final results to become visible. A portion of the transferred fat may not survive, so it's important to understand that the final breast size may be slightly smaller than initially anticipated.
Key Considerations:
- Fat Survival: A percentage of the transferred fat may not survive (usually 20-70% survival). This is because the fat cells need to establish a new blood supply in their new location.
- Realistic Expectations: Patients should have realistic expectations about the degree of breast augmentation that can be achieved with fat transfer. It's typically used for moderate increases in breast size.
- Advantages: Advantages include a natural look and feel, reduced risk of capsular contracture (compared to implants), and the added benefit of body contouring in the abdomen.
- Risks: As with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved, such as infection, bleeding, asymmetry, fat necrosis (death of fat cells), and the need for revision surgery.
