Interesting thing recently. All of a sudden, fat transfer (also referred to as fat grafting or lipofilling) to the breast has become a fairly common request.

To be honest, it isn’t that surprising given the image problem that breast implants are having, as a consequence of social media discussion about BIA-ALCL and breast implant illness. Fat transfer isn’t necessarily new, but we are progressively using the technique to achieve exciting results that are only possible because patients are approaching cosmetic breast surgery in a more critical fashion.

So some patients are looking for alternatives to breast implants, and I guess fat transfer looks like it could be the perfect option: uses your own tissue, no implants, no need for revision surgery, minimal scarring, a little bit of lipo from the harvest….seems too good to be true doesn’t it?

Well, in many cases, it probably is.

I recently wrote a few posts on Instagram about this given the amount of interest fat transfer to the breast is generating.

I think it is great that people are looking for alternatives to breast implants. And I think fat grafting is a brilliant technique with huge potential for many ladies, but….

…fat transfer to the breast is not a panacea, and it cannot be considered a replacement technique for implants. This is quite obviously not self-evident based on the inquiries we get. The misunderstanding of what fat transfer to the breast can achieve is definitely being exacerbated by irresponsible self-promotion and marketing by other practitioners in the cosmetic surgery space.

There has suddenly been a rush of surgeons and cosmetic doctors claiming to have “expertise” in fat grafting. All of a sudden, we have the usual bevy of “leading” and “renowned” surgeons who claim to be able to achieve the impossible.

Let’s be very clear about this:

Fat transfer to the breast, on its own, can not (ever) achieve what a breast implant can achieve.

There is much that fat transfer can achieve, and there are many patients who can and will benefit enormously from this technique. In selected patients, fat transfer to the breast can be used to augment the breast very successfully (provided the patient’s expectations are set correctly).

Unfortunately, as is so common in the world of aesthetic surgery, fat transfer as a technique has fallen prey to the unscrupulous and the unethical.

And as I have said before, the louder a surgeon shouts about being “leading surgeon”, the faster you should run.

It would be nice to think that there was some way that prospective patients could be sure that the claims made by surgeons online are verifiable, but unfortunately this just isn’t the case. The best anyone can do is to take their time before embarking on surgery – seek multiple opinions, be curious but cautious, and if what you are being promised seems too good to be true, it probably is.

I have spent the last 6 years methodically working to ensure that all of my patients have access to safe, reliable, and reproducible fat grafting results. We are (I think) achieving what we set out to, but it has only happened after much effort in the background.

If you are interesting in fat transfer to the breast, or if you have questions, please get in touch and we will do our best to ensure you are equipped with the knowledge you need to explore this new and exciting aspect of breast surgery safely.

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