The short answer is yes. However, there are major considerations that must be evaluated before a patient decides to have fat transfer to the breasts. The history of fat transfer goes back to the 1800s. Regarding the breasts, a lipoma was transferred to the breasts in the mid-19th century but quickly died. It took decades before any fat transfer to anywhere in the body was successful. Dr. Coleman in New York in the 90s began to transfer fat to the face successfully. This worked to a great degree and showed promise.

To successfully transfer fat to the breasts, a different series of procedures was required. Namely, the filtering and purification of the fat material. Washing of the Liposuction fat seemed to improve the survival and satisfy this component of the transfer process.

However, most women who require breast augmentation are relatively thin and therefore do not have an abundance of fat to use as a donor site. Therefore, the statement that fat transfer to the breast for augmentation can achieve a 1 to 2-cup size in my opinion is not accurate. Furthermore, for additional contouring and camouflaging of unknown and unpredictable amount of the fat may dissolve and disappear.

Fat Transfer

Therefore, in my opinion, fat, transfer to the breast solely for augmentation is not as reliable,  as silicone breast implants. However, additional contouring and camouflaging of the implant, as well as adjusting slight volume deficiencies in the breast fat transfer can be very valuable. However as a primary mechanism to achieve breast augmentation, it is profoundly limited, and I do not personally recommend it.

No matter how it is used the fat must be washed with sterile saline before re-injection. It may be more useful in breast reconstruction after mastectomy along with silicone implants keeping in mind some of the fat may disappear.

Also, with fat transfer to the breast revision is more likely. Another interesting aspect of fat transfer is that harvested fat has a higher concentration of stem cells, than bone marrow, which was initially used as the primary source for stem cells before discovering the benefits of stem cell content in fat.

Therefore, in my opinion, fat transfer to the breast is beneficial in several specific instances, but as a primary augmentation procedure, it is limited.

THOMAS TREVISANI, MD

BOARD-CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON

MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AESTHETIC PLASTIC SURGERY