Breast augmentation with autologous fat, also known as standard fat transfer, is a procedure which has been carried out for many decades worldwide. Autologous fatis implanted into the breasts without further treatment to increase its stem cell content. If the procedure is carried out in an optimal way gentle to the tissue, only a small part of the volume will be retained in the long term on average.
At a Glance
- Surgery duration: 2 to 3 hours (outpatient)
- Anesthesia: Exclusively local anesthesia (tumescent anesthesia)
- Sport: Microcannulas: After 1 week at the earliest (depending on the sport)
Regular cannulas: After 4 weeks at the earliest (depending on the sport) - Normal social activities: After a few days
- Preliminary examinations: Blood test and sonography/mammography/MRI, further examinations depending on the patient’s state of health
- Compression garments: Microcannulas: 1 week
Regular cannulas: 6 to 8 weeks - Incapacity to work: 1 to 2 days (may vary from case to case)
- Check-ups: To be arranged on an individual basis
The body fat of the patient required for breast augmentation is obtained by liposuction. The average sustainability of the result is the essential difference between standard lipotransfer and the procedure including stem cell enrichment. Refreshments are thus usually necessary.
The Procedure
After a detailed medical consultation, and when you have decided to have breast augmentation with autologous fat performed, you can schedule an appointment for surgery at a date of your choice.
Surgery is carried out on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia and takes approx. 2 to 3 hours. We use liposuction to harvest the autologous fat required for the actual breast augmentation. Liposculpture is a special form of liposuction. The fat is extracted gently and exclusively by hand. We never use suction machines or scalpels.
Thin microcannulas with a diameter of 1.0 to 2.5 millimeters are used for liposuction or alternatively, conventional regular cannulas with a diameter of 3.0 millimeters upwards. Experience has shown that microcannulas have to be used on very slim women to harvest sufficient fat.
Unlike breast augmentations using stem cell-enriched autologous fat, your body fat will be injected into the breasts without any further processing and stem cell enrichment. A standard autologous fat transfer is less complex than breast augmentation with stem cell enrichment and for this reason it is less costly.
After standard autologous fat transfer, normally only a small part of the volume introduced is retained in the long term, which is why follow-up treatment is usually necessary for longer-term augmentation results.
The Result
The positive results of breast augmentation with autologous fat are characterized by their naturalness. The augmented breast feels absolutely “real” to the touch and looks natural in any posture, whether you are standing, lying down, or sitting.
A temporary breast augmentation of approx. one half up to two cup sizes can be achieved. Augmentations of around one cup size are typical. Results may vary from patient to patient. Please note that in medicine generally no guarantee for a certain treatment result can be given. The punctures on the breast made by injection needles almost always heal with scars invisible to the naked eye, just as when blood samples are taken.
All after photos show the results actually achieved by the treatment. To protect the anonymity of the depicted persons individual physical characteristics (e.g., moles, tattoos) might have been removed. Results may vary from patient to patient. Please note that in medicine generally no guarantee for a certain treatment result can be given.
Normally, only a small part of the new breast volume is retained after breast augmentation with standard autologous fat transfer. Refreshments are therefore usually necessary. It is not possible to forecast how much of the volume injected will be retained in the long term, since this depends on the individual.
For the most part, those women having considerable unwanted reserves of fat decide to have standard autologous fat transfer, because they are mainly interested in having liposuction performed. These patients usually have several sessions of liposuction over a longer period of time and decide on breast augmentation with autologous fat as additional treatment.
The Time after Breast Augmentation with Autologous Fat
After surgery you wear a bandage until the next morning, then compression garments for 1 week if the liposuction was carried out with microcannulas, or 6 to 8 weeks if regular cannulas were used. A sports bra should be worn for approx. 4 weeks.
You usually should be able to go back to work 1 to 2 days after having a breast augmentation with stem cell-enriched autologous fat. It is important that you do not lift anything heavy during the first few weeks after surgery. Wear comfortable loose clothing over the compression garments to hide your little secret.
The type of sport and your individual healing process determine when you will be able to begin sports again. We will monitor your health during the healing process stage and give you recommendations tailored to your needs. We know from experience that healing takes a few weeks longer after liposuction with regular cannulas.