Can Fat Grafting To The Breasts Be Done At The Same Time As Implant Removal?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have breast implants and I want them removed. I do not want another implant and instead want fat transferred to my breasts.

A: . Fat grafting to the breast can be done when implants are removed. But the advisability and success of the procedure is predicated on several important issues. First, do you have enough fat to harvest to make the procedure worthwhile? Since only concentrated fat is injected, it takes a greater fat harvest than most patients think to have enough injectate to produce any significant breast volume. Secondly, it is important to know how much actual breast tissue you have between the breast skin and implant capsule as this is the layer that is injected. Fat can not be injected directly into an empty implant capsule. There must be enough tissue between the skin and the capsule to serve as a recipient site. Lastly, what are your size expectations and can fat serve as an adequate substitute in volume for your existing implants. Unlike implants which have stable volume, injected fat has a variable take which will always be less than what was initially injected. Therefore patient expectations should be tempered with what fat can actually achieve in terms of final volume retained.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana