Fat grafting is a technique for breast augmentation that involves taking excess fat from other parts of the body, purifying it, and injecting it into the breasts to give them more volume with a natural appearance.
Also known as fat transfer or fat injection, fat grafting is a safe and long-lasting procedure that is often considered as a supplement or even an alternative to breast implants. The results of fat grafting are natural-looking; however, it is also a fairly complex procedure, since the integrity of the fat cell membranes must be kept intact.
AM I A CANDIDATE FOR FAT GRAFTING?
Fat grafting is a breast-augmentation technique that provides a subtle enhancement in breast size; it is an ideal option for women who are seeking a relatively small increase, or for women who have asymmetrical cup sizes.
An additional benefit to fat grafting is that it involves taking excess from your own body and does not involve any foreign substances. If you have any known allergies to implant materials, you may be an ideal candidate for fat transfer.
In order to be a candidate for fat grafting, you must have a donor site from which excess fat can be taken, such as the thighs or abdomen. Your board-certified plastic surgeon can help you identify the best donor site.
With any plastic surgery procedure, it is always important to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon that has extensive experience and knowledge in their field of study. Fat grafting is no exception; though it may sound like a simple process, careful cultivation of the fat cells is of the utmost importance to achieve optimal and lasting results.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR CONSULTATION
At the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago, our board-certified plastic surgeons have performed hundreds of fat-grafting procedures successfully and safely. Our focus is on natural results and the newest, most innovative techniques. When you choose us, your consultation will involve reviewing every step of the process, all the way through recovery, so that you have a comprehensive understanding of what fat grafting entails.
You and your plastic surgeon will review your medical history to ensure that you are an ideal candidate for fat grafting. Your plastic surgeon will examine and measure your breasts, including the size, shape, skin quality and nipple position. Photographs are usually taken at this stage so your plastic surgeon can perform a full evaluation and work with you to determine the best course of treatment to reach your ideal aesthetic goals.
You and your plastic surgeon will discuss any and all aspects of the procedure, through recovery, as well as any potential risks associated with breast augmentation. If you have any questions about any of these factors, you should not hesitate to ask; the consultation is the best time to have all your questions answered.
HOW IS FAT GRAFTING PERFORMED?
First, you and your surgeon will determine the donor site, from which excess fat will be removed. After a general anesthetic is administered, the surgeon will make a small incision in the donor area and carefully extract fat cells using a cannula and syringe.
If necessary, the extracted fat will be processed using a centrifuge or other filtration technique to isolate the fat cells. The fat cells are then transferred to smaller syringes to be injected into the breasts.
The injection process is repeated until the desired results are achieved. Since this process also involves shaping and contouring, there is an artistic aspect to fat grafting in order to create an aesthetic breast, which is why it is important to choose an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon who understands your aesthetic goals.
Fat may be injected after an implant is placed to improve overall shape and contour, if the fat transfer is being performed as an adjunct to implants. Finally, a bandage is placed over the grafted area. In some cases, a drain may need to be placed at the donor site.
RECOVERY AFTER FAT GRAFTING
The only incisions resulting from fat grafting are at the donor sites, and these incisions are typically very small and produce minimal scarring. If possible, your surgeon will attempt to place the incisions in well-hidden areas of the body.
Swelling and bruising of both the donor site and breasts should go down significantly between the first and second week after the procedure. Be prepared to wait at least seven to ten days before returning to your normal level of activity. By the third week, swelling should be mostly gone and results should be apparent.
POTENTIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH FAT GRAFTING
Complications from breast augmentation with fat grafting are infrequent, but there are associated risks with any surgical procedure, even those that are noninvasive. Potential risks associated with fat grafting may include:
- Adverse reaction to anesthesia
- Changes in skin sensation
- Infection
- Hematoma (blood clot)
- Scarring
At the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago, we take every precaution possible to minimize risk by using only the safest, most innovative techniques. You can also reduce risk by adhering strictly to any instructions that your plastic surgeon may give you, both before and after your procedure.
HOW MUCH DOES FAT GRAFTING COST?
The cost associated with breast augmentation by fat grafting varies widely—not only according to your geographic location and surgeon, but also your particular goals and the extent of the procedure. Your plastic surgeon will discuss all associated costs during your consultation. Fat grafting is considered a cosmetic procedure, and is rarely covered by health insurance providers.
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION
If you believe you are a candidate for fat grafting breast augmentation or would like to learn more about the procedure and how it is performed, schedule a consultation with the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago. We will be happy to speak with you and perform an evaluation to see if it is a right fit for you and your aesthetic goals.
All surgical procedures by the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago are performed at top hospitals in Chicago and CMS or AAAASF-certified surgical centers for safety.
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#Primaryrhinoplasty to fix the dorsal hump, droopy tip, and crooked nose. In the post-operative photos, the patient has a nice dorsal profile on side view, the tip has been lifted, and the nose is straight. To evaluate how straight the nose is, look at the dorsal aesthetic lines on bird’s eye view and follow the two light reflexes along the dorsum. Posted with permission.
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Challenging #tertiaryrhinoplasty on this patient who had nasal deviation, a dorsal hump, and an under-rotated/under-projected tip. In the post-operative photos, you can see a straighter nose with more symmetric dorsal aesthetic lines and tip defining points. Posted with permission.
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Honored to be inducted into the Rhinoplasty Society. The Rhinoplasty Society was founded in 1996 by plastic surgeons who have pioneered modern rhinoplasty. The society is dedicated to the education and advancement of nasal surgery.
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Relatively small surgeries can yield big changes. This patient wanted to improve the contour of her chin and the overall profile of her face. The patient’s lower 1/3 of the face and chin were short and set back. Additionally, the patient had asymmetries of the chin and jawline that she wanted improved. The patient underwent a #slidinggenioplasty to achieve these goals where the chin was cut and mobilized forward and downward. In the post-operative photos, you can see a more aesthetic and balanced facial profile. The advantages of a #genioplasty over a #chinimplant are that the chin can be moved in numerous planes, the advancement can be more significant, and asymmetries can be addressed. Posted with permission.
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This patient had a bilateral constricted ear deformity where the top portion of the ear folds over the rest of the ear. In this deformity, the ear appears shorter in height and there are abnormalities of the outer and inner folds of the ear. In the postoperative photos you can visualize the ear is longer in height, the helical rim or outer portion of the ear is lifted up and the antihelical fold or inner portion of the ear is more defined. Posted with permission.
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Challenging #breastaugmentation case where the patient had asymmetries of the breasts in terms of size, shape, and position on the chest. The patient underwent a breast augmentation with #gelimplants with a larger size in the left breast to balance the size difference. The left breast fold was also lowered to match the fold level of the right. Posted with permission.
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Plastic surgery can sometimes be subtle or dramatic. In this case, this patient’s outcome was life altering after a lipoabdominoplasty or tummy tuck. The patient can now do all of the things in life that she was limited in doing due to her body habitus. Posted with permission.
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Amazing transformation for this patient who underwent a lipoabdominoplasty or tummy tuck. In this case I removed excess fat from the abdomen and flanks, removed excess abdominal skin, and rebuilt the abdominal muscles. The incision is kept low so that it is inconspicuous. Posted with permission.
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A former collegiate wrestler who developed moderate cauliflower ear of the left that resulted in a thick and more protruding ear. A cauliflower ear forms after blunt trauma to the ear where a blood clot develops. If left untreated, the ear cartilage becomes thick and hard, which makes these cases difficult to treat. After surgery, the patient now reports feeling more confident when he looks in the mirror and when he is communicating with people in social settings. Posted with permission.
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What a transformation for this patient who wanted a #snatched waist and augmentation of the buttock and hips or #BBL.
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Breast augmentation on a pro athlete who wanted a natural augmentation and to be able to still perform at a high level. We opted for a smaller implant to meet those goals. The patient is tall and lean and the implants fit her frame perfectly. Posted with permission.
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Midterm follow-up on this lovely #rhinoplasty patient who wanted nasal surgery to improve her nasal breathing but also to improve the aesthetics of the nose. Fixing the crooked nose is a challenge in rhinoplasty and on the bird’s eye view, you can visualize improvement in the dorsal aesthetic lines. Dorsal aesthetic lines are two curvilinear light reflex lines that travel from the inner eyebrow to the tip of the nose on frontal view. On profile view you can see a nice profile with the dorsal hump removed. Posted with permission.
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Honored to lead the Midwestern Association of Plastic Surgeons (MAPS) as president for 2021-2022 with this group of esteemed colleagues on the board with me. MAPS is a plastic surgery society that was founded in 1961 to foster the development of plastic surgery in the Midwest region and involves plastic surgeons and plastic surgery programs from the states of Kansas, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. We are currently planning our annual meeting which will take place in Chicago on May 20-21st. The meeting will have renowned plastic surgeons from all over the United States to share ideas and to advance our specialty forward.
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Happy for this mother of 2 who wanted to improve the contour and aesthetics of her abdomen and waist with an #abdominoplasty or #tummy tuck. After children, women can experience rectus diastasis or separation of the abdominal muscles as the uterus expands. During a tummy tuck, plastic surgeons will address this separation by stitching the muscles back together. In the post-operative photos you can visualize the muscles re-positioned more centrally. Additionally, we will perform liposuction, remove excess abdominal skin and re-set the belly button. Posted with permission.
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Asian upper blepharoplasty or “double eyelid surgery” is a variation of an upper eyelid lift or upper blepharoplasty procedure where the upper eyelid crease is raised and more defined. Additionally, the epicanthal fold or skin that covers the inner corner of the eye can be removed depending on the patient’s goals. The goal of this surgery is not to necessarily create an occidental appearing eye but to maintain the patient’s features and create the appearance that the eye is larger and more refreshed. Posted with permission.
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It’s amazing how a small surgery can have a large impact on a person’s facial proportions. This patient underwent a #genioplasty or chin augmentation and #neckliposuction to improve the aesthetics and balance of the lower 1/3 of the face. In the post-operative photos, the patient’s face appears less round, more angular, and the lower 1/3 more proportional with the middle and upper 1/3 of the face. Posted with permission.
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Six month follow-up on a natural #otoplasty procedure or #earpinning procedure. Plastic surgeons board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery have pioneered the techniques used today for ear pinning surgery. The surgery entails improving the definition of the ears and setting the ears closer to the scalp. The patient reports feeling more confident in the size, shape, and symmetry of his ears in social and work settings. Posted with permission.
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